Director: JJ Abrams
Talent: Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac
Release Date: 17th December 2015
With The Force Awakens, J.J. Abrams finally achieves his dream of making a Star Wars film. But where George Lucas and co. found their inspiration in Saturday morning serials and samurai pictures, Abrams finds his inspiration… in Star Wars. As such, The Force Awakens is the film that you’d expect fans of the franchise to make. There’s a reverence here for the look and feel of the original trilogy that at times goes beyond homage, as the film retreads familiar plot points in an attempt to stir up similar feelings to those felt by audiences almost 40 years ago. Purely as a Star Wars sequel, the film is a sure-footed success. The narrative offers few surprises and indeed, one suspects that the film’s twists and turns have more to do with contract negotiations and scheduling than a desire to mess with the formula. Star Wars: The Force Awakens is exactly what fans want it to be, no more, no less.
Words: Luke Maxwell
