"THERE'S BEEN AN AWAKENING..."

Continued "...Have you felt it? The Dark side, and the Light." 

Supreme Leader Snoke

I guess the Star Wars: Force Awakens deserves some lip service.

OK, let's do this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGbxmsDFVnE

I'd already watched some of the teasers with a non-committal attitude, not so much due to a lack of interest but more out a sense of inevitability- I didn't want the bitter disappointment of another Phantom Menace, a film so dire I've still to this day not bothered watching Clone Wars or Revenge of the Sith. In fact, Phantom Menace was SO bad, it even partly spoiled the originals for me!

I mean, objectively, consider these for a moment. Without getting into 'full-review' mode (you either know them already or really don't care), A New Hope was an average film at best, only in it's inventive setting and world-building was it in any way a stand-out achievement, and of the three it's certainly aged the worst (it's hard to believe there are only two years between that and the first Alien film). Return of the Jedi, despite some good set pieces, a dramatic final and superior special effects, was a mess (all be it an enjoyable mess). Less said about the Ewoks the better. Only The Empire Strikes Back stands as a truly brilliant film, despite grinding to a halt during the Tatooine section. I think it's only fair to say only a childlike sense of wonder and a large dose of nostalgia has kept this original trilogy in such high regard, a criticism to which I myself am also guilty. So in the cold face of facts, perhaps we shouldn't have been so surprised, as adults now, that Phantom Menace was received so poorly.

Rey and Finn, in one of many moments of peril...

I watched the newest of the Force Awakens trailers today. Well, I did after reading some of the comments posted below the link. The consensus was pretty much "if you're 30 years or older the trailer will bring a tear to your eyes". To which I thought "Oh get real, don't be so damn ridiculous!" Then I watched the trailer...

"It's true. All of it. The Dark Side. A Jedi. They're real." 

Han Solo

I think it's fair to say I got a lump in my throat, I'll leave it at that.

Nothing brings me back to my childhood faster than that John Williams' score, seeing how I was pretty much raised on Star Wars; colouring books and annuals, jumping over the couch while reenacting Light Saber fights with dad, sitting in the garden with my action figures while my mum watched on... And to hear that theme tune played out, now in a haunting and surprisingly mature arrangement- words can't describe the sensation. For people of a certain demographic it's that tune which is the trailer's most powerful tool. Seriously, even if you have reservations about the film, just listen to that trailer for the music! Forgetting the music for a moment, the cinematography is also immense, and the trailer boasts more than a few spectacularly impressive visuals. The aesthetic cuts much closer to that of the original trilogy, and seeing the old stars reprise their iconic roles fills me with more than a little giddy excitement. One of Phantom Menace's many failings was, despite the use of familiar names, it had very little DNA in common with it's source- certainly a mistake nobody can ever accuse Force Awakens of repeating.

Kylo Ren looks to be a serious sort of  fellow.

As many have already been quick to point out, Force Awakens comendibly steers away from any real plot reveals- although I do have a suspicion I've spotted something in it... To explain, I should first address some of the characters (just in case, like me, you've not really followed this obsessively). Rey is the lead female, some sort of scavanger and possibly (likely?) the daughter of Han Solo and Princess Leia. Finn is a Stormtrooper-gone-rouge who becomes her companion in this adventure. Kylo Ren is the guy in black, with the mask and a big red Light Saber, very clearly a villain and the film's answer to Darth Vader.

Now, consider the rather dramatic confrontation between Finn and Kylo Ren at 1.56 on the trailer- the dark woodland, the light snow caught on the breeze. I wouldn't fancy a non-Jedi's chances of winning this particular battle, given how powerful Ren appears. Now go back to 1.45. A similar dark woodland, and what could so easily be a fallen comrad in the foreground, clutched by a very distraught Rey center-screen. Doesn't look good for Finn, does it? Especially how the previous two trilogies have good form on slaying a major character in their opening Episode... Oh and on a final bit of tasteless speculation- 0.53, the devotion with which Kylo Ren speaks to the charred remains of Darth Vader's skull- is anyone else out there thinking "relation"? Perhaps even grandson? Consider the ages of Ren and Rey (also similar names), could easily be cousins couldn't they? Has Luke Skywalker's son 'gone rouge'? Re-watch 1.56, Kylo Ren appears to have removed his mask for this confrontation. Why would you do that unless you had something sinister / dramatic to reveal? The Star Wars universe does so like it's family-ties. We shall have to wait and see...

"The Force is strong in my family. My father has it. I have it. My sister has it. You have that power, too."

Luke Skywalker

Anyway, in closing; Force Awakens demands your attention. Even the most jaded viewer will have difficulty in denying the trailer's stirring power, and the series looks finally set to have the reverential treatment it so deserves, and (more importantly) what it's now grown-up fan-base demand- like Harry Potter did so well, it seems to have matured with it's fan base while staying true to it's roots. Unlike the second trilogy that kicked-off with Phantom Menace, Force Awakens actually looks like a film for fans of the original trilogy, made by fans of the original trilogy; dramatic in scope, intimate in character, and undeniably awesome. For the first time in 16 years, I'm excited to see another Star Wars film- an unbelievable achievement in itself. If it all goes belly-up, at least we'll have that trailer...