Strong reboot

Rating: 7/10 (20 December 2015)

Star Wars VII is a strong reboot of the series. Once the fan hype settles, it will be recognized for what it is: derivative of the original, but well made. That puts it above Episodes I and III, at par with II and VI, but not up to IV and V. A nice 7/10.
Unfortunately, the film can't do for today's generation of teen SF fans what the original did for me when I saw its premiere in Austria in 1977. Back then, the whole concept of a realistic SF space opera, with grungy corners in space ships, realistic special effects, and planet-size super weapons was brand new. In today's special effects world, it is all old hat.
Still, all the things that Abrams did wrong to mess up Star Trek and the Federation Universe, he did right in the Galaxy a Long Time Ago, Far, Far Away... The new characters are strong and likable. The story takes Star Wars away from political intrigue back to its Space Opera days. Many of the special effects are physical, and return this film to its roots. That beast lumbering around for 2 seconds of screen time on Jakku, so clearly a big guy in costume, put a smile on my face. It may be a costume, but it still feels more real than Andy Serkis' Snoke. The CGI effects are also generally more physically realistic than in other modern SF films.
The film ends on a personal note between Rey and her uncle and future trainer, rather than the big planet-size battle station getting blown up. There is symmetry with episode VI when son kills father instead of father trying to kill son. The new characters are given room to develop and carry the story in other ways, while familiar faces push the nostalgia buttons in just the right way. BB-8 carries on R2's torch well.
Yet Episode VII is very derivative of the original, so much so that it can't really rise above 7/10: an even bigger death star, complete with X-wings to fly into its trench; Rey ("you will open the releases, and leave the door open") and Max von Sydow channeling Alec Guiness in words or appearance; Tattooi... I mean Jakku, the desert planet, on which a little robot with an important secret message for the alliance is marooned; a death star interior with some rock walls, but otherwise as Grand Moff Tarkin would recognize it, down to the hatch where Vader and Kenobi fought their final duel; a Yoda-like ancient female; a sleazy tavern a la IV; the Millennium Falcon not working except for the holographic chess game; the list goes on and on. One can hope that Episode VIII will strike fresher ground, now that a solid bridge has been built.