STAR WARS EPISODE VII — THE FORCE AWAKENS
The main thing you need to know going in is the Han Solo situation. How can we put this gently? Well, uh, the thing about Han Solo — you’re not going to be seeing much of him no more. Uh-uh. Oh, maybe a flashback or two, but — spoiler alert — he gets stabbed and falls off a bridge. Just sort of drops into the darkness, full of pain and with his entire world shattered. Lousy, isn’t it? (It’s the worst thing to happen since Captain Kirk died from having a thing fall on him.) In any case, this new installment begins 30 years after Episode VI. That’s the problem with defeated enemies. You turn your back on them for a generation or so, and they rebuild their strength or tamper with your election. As this installment starts, the former Empire has practically reached critical mass, just as the Republic is realizing its peril. There are new heroes, Rey (female) and Poe (male), and they team up with Han Solo and Chewbacca. This also calls for a reunion with Princess Leia, who is now Gen. Leia. Meanwhile, the new leader of the Empire forces is Ren (also known as Ben), who happens to be the son of Han Solo and Leia. For some reason, Ren has become the embodiment of evil, which calls into question Han and Leia’s parenting skills. In any case, the movie ends with Rey scoring a temporary victory over Ren, but you know Rey will have to face him again, this time with the help of Luke Skywalker, who shows up at the end of this installment looking bearded and contemplative. Maybe he’s just contemplating whether to shave the beard. Shaven or hirsute, Luke has his work cut out for him.