Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens

I am pleased to report that this film lives up to the hype and compares favorably with Episodes IV-VI!  With excellent direction by J.J. Abrams, a fine screenplay by Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan, and a nice balance between action and character development, this movie is a home run! 57 million Star Wars fans saw this movie on opening night, and I anticipate that everyone in the solar system will see this film.  (My confidential source on Saturn informed me that, as far as opening weekend sales, this film is "running rings" around all the other blockbusters!) The movie has a nice "retro" feel to it and doesn't use much CGI.  Beloved Star Wars characters, such as Hans Solo (Harrison Ford), General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew), mesh nicely with interesting new ones Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver).  The acting is uniformly very good, especially Ford and Ridley. The film takes place 30 years after Episode VI.  The plot is familiar, this time with the "Resistance" taking on the malevolent "First Order," which has an even deadlier weapon than the "Death Star." Summing up, Episode VII is a "Force" to be reckoned with!