December 22, 2015 -- I avoided the crowds, waiting in line and waiting in the theater to reserve a good seat, by going to the Cheyenne Capitol 12, biggest theater in the state, on a Monday matinee, and it wasn't crowded at all. Unfortunately, the 3D was flawed. Crosstalk, I guess is what they call it. I could see both left and right images together from the center to the left of the screen, like seeing double. It wasn't bad, but it was annoying. Despite that, the 3D effect is impressive.

Anyway, I am a big Star Wars fan, but there is nothing like having seen the first film, “A New Hope” in a theater for the first time, including seeing this one. It is very similar to the first film, but there isn't as much hope and optimism in this reboot. What it lacks in optimism, it makes up for with very effective hype, having been promoted along with every product known to man for the past year or so.

When the original Star Wars was released, it was like a fresh breeze, following close behind the Watergate scandal and the end of the Vietnam War, and a lot of depressing films like The Omen, Network and Dog Day Afternoon. Times aren't all that different now, but this new Star Wars is different, it is PG-13, rather than the more kid friendly PG rating of the original. It has a darker tone and there are some outright murders in it, including the graphic murder of a main character.

This reboot feels a bit worn and desperate, like no matter how hard the good guys try, evil just keeps popping back up. The bad guys are like cockroaches, there is just no victory over them which lasts. The bad guys in this new Star Wars seem like a reflection of modern enemies like The Taliban, ISIS, al-Qaeda and Neo-Nazis – no matter how hard you step on them, they keep coming back. This new Star Wars reflects the frustrations of our current failures in combating evil.

It is a compelling story, though. It manages to resurrect the main characters from the first film, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Pricess Leia, R2-D2, C-3PO and Chewbacca, all played by the original actors! Kenny Baker is listed as a consultant, not actor, for the R2-D2 character, who is seen only briefly in this film.

This screenplay, by Lawrence Kasdan (who also wrote Star Wars Episodes V and VI) Michael Arndt and writer-director J.J. Abrams, deftly manages to introduce a lot of new characters, like Rey (played by Daisy Ridley of the “Mr Selfridge” TV series). Others include Finn (John Boyega of “Attack the Block”) Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac of “Ex Machina”) and Maz Kanata (Lupita Nyong'o of “12 Years a Slave.” while giving enough screen time to the original characters as well. A new cute little robot is also introduced, BB-8.

So, in this film, you've got a new Darth Vader disciple, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver of “This is Where I Leave You”) and a new emperor character, Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis of “The Hobbit̶ movies) who is Ren's mentor. They represent The First Order, which arose out of the old Empire.

Both the rebels and the New Order are intent on finding Luke Skywalker, who has gone missing. Poe Dameron, a skilled and daring rebel pilot, obtains a map which shows Skywalker's location, but he is captured by the First Order. He entrusts the map to his droid, BB-8, who is later found by Rey, a tough, resourceful woman who lives off of salvaged tech.

A turncoat storm trooper named Fin helps Poe escape the clutches of Ren and the First Order, and the two embark on a perilous journey to meet up with the rebels. Eventually, they meet with others, including Rey and BB-8. They become part of a team who are trying to stop the First Order from using a new super weapon (kind of like a Death Star).

It is an old, very familiar story, but it works mainly on the strength of its characters. A new generation of actors looks quite ready to carry on the Star Wars saga into the future. While Kylo Ren seems to be a bit weak for a villain trying to fill Darth Vader's shoes, he might grow into the role. Poe Dameron is a bit weak too, but Oscar Isaac is a very accomplished actor, so he'll probably be fine in future films. Rey and Finn are both strong, interesting characters who seem ready to lead the charge. It is a pretty slick new beginning for a storied franchise. It rates a B.

Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in digital formats, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

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