Star Wars: The Force Awakens (UK Rating: 12A)
Anybody unaware of the arrival this week of Star Wars: The Force Awakens must be on a planet far, far away. The marketing campaign seems to have gone on forever, reaching a real crescendo over the past few days, but now, at long last, it’s in cinemas all over the UK, and it’s time to find out if it lives up to the millions spent on marketing.
For Star Wars fans that’s something of a rhetorical question. Those who have never been touched by The Force may take more convincing, but they should give it a try. After all, director J. J. Abrams, the man who re-booted Star Trek, is at the helm and now he’s doing the same for Star Wars. He’s clearly put a great deal of thought into his approach and has come up with one that is both sensitive to the expectations of fans and respectful of the franchise.
That means the opening credits are extremely familiar – enough to get a loud cheer from an audience of movie critics! – the catchphrases are all there and some familiar faces make a welcome return. There are Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew), but also Leia (Carrie Fisher) and droids R2-D2 (Kenny Baker) and C-3PO (Anthony Daniels). Solo and Leia inevitably look older – although he does notice that she’s changed her hair – and the droids are a bit rusty around the edges. Best of all, though, and despite all the technology surrounding him, Chewie is still very obviously a man in a hairy suit!
The series has to move forward, as well as look back, though, so Abrams introduces some new characters to carry the torch into future episodes. There’s the strong-willed Rey (Daisy Ridley), ex-Stormtrooper, Finn (John Boyega), who accidentally ends up joining the resistance, and pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), who can fly just about any craft going – and fly it in style. There’s a new villain, as well: Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). He may be bad, but the master pulling his strings is far, far worse.
The action hardly lets up in The Force Awakens, and when it does allow the audience to take a breather, there’s always more just around the corner. Some of it is truly spectacular because Star Wars now has the type of special effects it’s always needed and wanted – crisp, clean and convincing.
