Official trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the first instalment in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Directed by J. J. Abrams, and stars an ensemble cast which includes Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew and Max von Sydow. In cinemas in December 2015.
I like the original trilogy, hate the prequels, and hardly a fan of the franchise regardless. I couldn’t recall the titles of any of the previous films, nor the name of most characters (not even the two robots) before writing this post. Has to do some digging on wiki to refresh my memories.
Star Wars had significant cultural impact on my childhood though. Most boys those days would have tried to reenact the lightsaber fights and gun battles etc. And we probably had one or two knockoff toys – or perhaps genuine stuff for those who had better access – of the franchise.
The Force Awakens and a female Jedi?
Back to the movie. The trailer is amazing, it’s visually striking and seems like there will be some interesting stories to tell. The return of some main cast from the first trilogy is a nice touch for the fans. And it’s also good to see a diversified cast which fits the current social norm.
Disney and Lucasfilm have been secretive with many details to preserve the suspense, and the trailer also doesn’t reveal too much. It’s a plus point because many Hollywood trailers these days are huge spoilers; sometimes it feels like we have watched the whole movie in two minutes.
One of the big talking points is who’s going to be the new Jedi. Not sure if they made that official yet but things become more apparent in recent weeks. We can see John Boyega wielding the lightsaber in the trailer, which is too obvious a hint. Daisy Ridley shows more vibe and characteristic instead; she’s not the first female Jedi though (if that’s the case) but will be the first as a protagonist.
On side note, I have mixed feelings about Asians in Hollywood films – or the lack of, in this case. I actually hate to see Asian actors (Chinese in particular) playing awkward characters just for the sake of marketing purpose. I would be happy if an Asian gets a “real” role though, which doesn’t happen often.
I’ll probably watch the movie soon after its release. Should still be in Korea during that period. It won’t be my first Korean cinematic experience though, it’s more or less the same with Malaysian cinemas.
Updates – It’s awesome
As said above I’m not a Star Wars fanboy, but The Force Awaken is one of the most entertaining movies I’ve watched. I’m writing this update just days after the premiere, so I’ll keep it short to avoid spoilers. The plot and visual effects are top notch, and there’s a good mix of comedies and nostalgia.
There’s room for improvements in acting though, especially the three young main cast. Not sure if the director’s or actors’ fault – the trio seem one dimensional and have similar facial expressions for every situation. It’s not terrible, but does take away some points from a really good film.
If they keep this standard for the next two films I may just become a belated Star Wars fan. The next instalment will be in theatres in 2017. There will be a spin-off movie titled the Rogue One before that, which I presume will show next year, in between The Force Awakens and the sequel.
Updates – The next instalment is titled Star Wars: The Last Jedi; and the release date has been rescheduled to December 2017. The Rogue One will roll out a year before that, in December 2016. Both films will have Asian actors in significant roles, as hoped for in my original post.
