STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS
Director: J.J. Abrams
Cert: 12A; 135 mins
Along with The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars is arguably one of the greatest fictional stories of the battle between good and evil ever.
Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (to use its full title) is the first of a new crop of Star Wars films, to be followed by Rogue One: A Star Wars Story in late 2016, then Episode VIII in 2017, a Han Solo prequel in 2018, and Episode IX in 2019.
J.J. Abrams also directed the last two Star Trek films, for which he drew on his Star Wars fandom to make them into thrilling epic space operas, and as expected, he’s absolutely the right director to bring this franchise back, capturing the Star Wars sensibility pretty much perfectly. From lightsabres to unlikely heroes to daring escapes, this is a true Star Wars film. Iconic, fan-favourite characters return, such as Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew), and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), joined by new characters who are set to become similarly iconic.
Yearnings
The scavenger Rey (Daisy Ridley) yearns to find the family she hardly knew, while the Storm Trooper Finn (John Boyega) seeks a life away from the villainous First Order that trained him. These new protagonists meet a dynamic variety of characters, from the charismatic X-Wing pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), to the loveable ball droid BB-8, to the conflicted villain Kylo Ren (Adam Driver).
Composer John Williams returns, weaving new music along with some of his classic Star Wars themes. Abrams’s Star Trek cinematographer Daniel Mindel makes the film visually impressive and the 3D adds depth throughout.
Rich themes
Story elements, themes and motifs all echo the rich history of the Star Wars saga. It’s a timeless story of good and evil, the search for identity, family, betrayal and redemption. In particular, there’s a climactic scene – featuring a gasp-inducing twist – which epitomises these themes.
As the first story in a new trilogy, significant plot threads are established, teasing further great, epic drama to follow in Episodes VIII and IX. The Star Wars franchise looks set to continue, providing not only terrific entertainment, but also great talking points and sermon illustrations for years to come.
