While Star Wars: The Force Awakens has been almost universally praised by critics, with a current 95 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, one small Vatican newspaper is not amped about the latest installment in the saga.
L’Osservatore Romano, a Vatican newspaper that normally confines its columns toward reporting about the activities of the Pope, has slammed the latest Star Wars film as “confused and vague.”
In an unsigned column, the reviewer took issue with the film’s interpretation of evil, saying that the film’s villains did not hold a candle to the franchise’s predecessors.
“The counterpart of Darth Vader, Kylo Ren, wears a mask merely to emulate his predecessor, while the character who needs to substitute the Emperor Palpatine as the incarnation of supreme evil represents the most serious defect of the film,” read the review.
“Without revealing anything about the character, all we will say is that it is the clumsiest and tackiest result you can obtain from computer graphics.”
Moreover the review suggests that director J.J. Abrams’ action sequences are better suited for the world of video games.
The review slams the film as “more reboot than sequel,” saying “not a classy reboot however, like Nolan’s Batman, but an update twisted to suit today’s tastes and a public more accustomed to sitting in front of a computer than in a cinema.”
L’Osservatore Romano has been owned by the Holy See since 1861. It’s unlikely that the Bishop of Rome has taken notice of the scathing review, however. Pope Francis has notoriously eschewed watching Hollywood films.
The Force Awakens is a global hit, taking in over $10 million in Italy thus far, making it the biggest December opening ever in the country.
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