The Force just died...and so did my childhood

Rating: 1/10 (17 December 2015)

Where can I begin? I am a huge Star Wars fan, and perhaps I was a little too hopeful that once again we might catch a glimpse of something from our childhood. How wrong I was! It's a remake of EP IV, and a bad attempt at that. Instead of a nefarious Sith Lord, we get Kylo Ren. Grandson of Vader. Whiny kid who throws tantrums and YES, HACKS APART HIS OWN SHIP WITH A LIGHTSABER when things don't go his way. We have no complex bad guys, and that's a shame. A real shame. Tarkin, Motti, Veers, Piett, Needa, Ozzel, Vader, Palpatine...all characters with purpose. There are no memorable villains in VII. Also, we have these crazy abilities...the Falcon can now jump to hyperspace without even taking off. Anyone can use a lightsaber. And while many dispute an untrained adept's ability to best a Force user in a duel? I actually bought it. Kylo Ren whines. He doesn't train. Han Solo is the highlight of the movie, and what they do to him and how they choose to do it is unforgivable. Obviously, if you're a fan, you have to see it. I did. I didn't walk out either. But I went out and bought Phantom Menace just to prove to myself that the prequels were actually better. To my horror, I was right. They are. May the Force be with you as you watch this film, because YOU ARE GONNA NEED IT. Pros: The sets evoke the feeling that you're in the Original Trilogy. The harsh reality is that you're not.