If social media is anything to go by, it's seems that a large proportion of the world's population is intensely excited about the release of the new sci-fi action movie, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens.
As everybody no doubt knows, The Force Awakens is the seventh film in what will eventually be a series of nine detailing an epic saga of good versus evil — the good side of the force versus the dark side — in a galaxy far, far away.
I was just a baby when the very first Star Wars movie came out, but I remember seeing it on the big screen when I was about 6 years old. It was a big deal, partly because it was the first film where the accompanying merchandise was if anything a bigger hit than the actual film itself. From toys to lunch boxes to hit singles by R2-D2, Star Wars stuff was everywhere.
I distinctly remember seeing the second and third films, The Empire Strikes Back, which came out in 1980, and Return of the Jedi in '83, at the cinema. I remember loving the first two films, and thinking the third one was OK. Then I didn't think about them at all for many years, until Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace finally appeared in 1999.
Unfortunately, The Phantom Menace was pretty terrible. The special effects looked considerably worse than those in the Star Wars films made 20 years earlier, and there were some really annoying new computer-generated characters like Jar Jar Binks. I don't think I was alone in feeling pretty let down by director George Lucas's lackluster effort.
Somehow the series managed to survive and thrive, and though I didn't bother seeing the next couple of films, they were apparently better than The Phantom Menace.
The Force Awakens is supposedly a throwback to the earlier films in terms of style and content. Original cast members like Harrison Ford (as Han Solo), Mark Hamill (who plays Luke Skywalker) and Carrie Fischer (Princess Leia) make a comeback in the film, as does soundtrack composer John Williams.
While I'm vaguely curious about the new film, I can't really bring myself to care about it enough to actually go and see it. But for those of you who do, good luck, and maybe the force be with you!
Ben Edwards
Editor
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