Star Wars, Episode VII, The Force Awakens, 2015

Fast on the heels of my last review comes another one I best put down on paper before it all begins to fade away…

This is an enjoyable movie with a lot of the excitement of The Empire Strikes Back, and with some better script writing, even.  For someone who hasn’t seen the entire series of episodes (or sequels as I might have called them otherwise), I’m glad to report that one wouldn’t be at a great disadvantage to follow along without too much difficulty.  And of course, for all those die-hard fans, I’m sure there was much nostalgia and joy in the many throwbacks to the old characters who still wielded the power to amaze and fascinate.  But beyond the old characters, there were several new ones who infused new life into the franchise, chief among them a young woman who seems to be the anointed one and the mantle-bearer for the inevitable future.

State-of-the-art computerized imagery, cutting-edge cinematography, incredible sound effects, and a cast of characters that represent what a lot of the human race currently looks like is what the new appeal of this film is going to be for the current generation and for generations to come.  Oscar Isaac, the extremely good-looking actor from who-knows-where (and no relation to self) adds greatly to the story, as does Daisy Ridley who plays Rey, the intense girl who grew up too soon and has seen too much, but will not let anything keep her from doing the right thing.  There.  Is that vague enough so as to not inadvertently give off any spoilers? 

Suffice to say, the Force is most certainly awakened.