Yesterday afternoon Tom and I went to see “Star Wars:  The Force Awakens.”  It wasn’t opening night, but it was closer than Tom and I usually get.  John and Jackie got us tickets at the AMC Dublin Village 18 – the theatre with the reclining chairs that I wrote about last year when we went to see the third Hobbit movie.

The theatre was, of course, sold out for “Star Wars:  The Force Awakens.”  I’m not sure how long ago John and Jackie bought the tickets.  We don’t get to movies where every seat is full very often and it makes it more fun.  There were families with young children, parents, and grandparents coming to see the movie together.  There were singles and couples and a huge variety of ages.  Before the movie some people were talking about their experience seeing the very first Star Wars movie in 1977.  That was so long ago that Tom and I hadn’t even met yet!  Talk about “long ago in a galaxy far, far away”!  I went to see it at a drive-in movie theatre (remember those?).

I had thought about wearing my Princes Leia golden bikini (yeah, right!) but was glad I didn’t since no one else dressed up.  Several children did, however, bring light sabers but they considerately kept them turned off during the movie.

So how was “Star Wars:  The Force Awakens”?  No spoilers, I promise!  It was wonderful.  It was like picking up a favorite book after years of not reading it.  I especially love the heroine Rey.  She is smart, strong, resilient, and knows how to do lots of very useful things.  She is tough and a great fighter:  an even better role model for girls than Princess Leia (although Princess Leia is also smart, strong, and resilient).  I love how they incorporated the older Han and Leia into the story.  Han’s description of learning to believe in the force is a testimony.

The music was great.  There are great new characters – Poe, BB 8, and Finn – and some returning characters.  I was glad to see Chewbacca back, but they could have left C-3PO out and it wouldn’t have bothered me.  The bad guys were really bad, although the Kylo Ren character needs more development.  We all clapped at the end which doesn’t happen very often in a movie.

“Star Wars:  The Force Awakens” was almost as good as the first Star Wars movie, which is pretty high praise.  I like the new characters and will look forward to their continuing development and relationships in the next two movies.  I look forward to seeing the next scene after the last scene in the movie.  And, as always, may the force be with you.