An Impressive Blockbuster Film...That Said

Rating: 7/10 (21 December 2015)

I saw Quentin Tarentino on Stephen Colbert the other night. He pointed out that no matter what movie he's gone to, he always remembers that it is still a movie...that he never falls into the spell to where he forgets. People say they do. He doesn't. I deliberately stayed away from any reviews or comments on this film. But I couldn't avoid all of the hype and that hype, by its very nature, made me constantly aware I was watching a movie that was going to make huge sums of money. I'm having trouble separating myself from that sense of "why did they do this?" And "why did they choose her." And, "Isn't Harrison Ford a stitch." Not Han Solo but Harrison Ford. Anyway, I have to admit that I sort of enjoyed it. It has lots of action, some interesting characters, a nostalgic feel, and so on. And a force is a force of course, of course. I skipped work so I could be at the first screening of the first "Star Wars" film back in 1977. I have to admit that as a reader of much challenging science fiction, I found the whole thing pretty bland. But it is a cultural entity, it bears watching. I don't know that there was much new here that would make one want badly to come back for more. When I saw the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, I marked my calendar, hoping I would live to see all three episodes. And in that one, I already knew the plot. I'll be interested to see how this holds up to the test of time. For me the second set of the films are quite forgettable. And, again, for me, only one of the original caught my interest.