Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens is released in the United Kingdom on December 17. Also, by the time the prequel saga came out in 1999, it was so critically panned that my teenage self couldn’t drum up the interest or time commitment to watch the original three in order to understand what might be going on in these new movies starring Natalie Portman. But unless you’ve been living under a rock all these years, even the most clueless Star Wars viewer knows that Darth Vader is Luke Skywalker’s dad.
Advertisement
“When I got out of the military, I thought my transition from the military life to civilian life would be pretty simple”, Driver revealed. They will then screen the film for critics on the following day.
Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong’o plays Maz Kanata, an alien with eyes that hold mysterious depths. Start watching the series from Episode I: The Phantom Menace and make your way up to Episode VI: Return of the Jedi to understand why Anakin Skywalker crossed over to the dark side and became his son’s nemesis.
Needless to say, I’m not one of those people who criticise George Lucas for profiting from my childhood.
“Man, I can’t say anything”, Driver responds when asked about The Force Awakens.
Adam Bray’s sixth Star Wars-related book Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know is out now. I even remember the short film – Black Angel – that played before it. That’s how total it was for me. Like a lot of people my age – I turned 40 this year – the original Star Wars trilogy hit at the ideal moment, taking shape around me the way The Beatles did for babyboomers and Harry Potter has for millennials. Which of the main character will turn out to be Kylo Ren’s twin? Furthermore, if you can tell me which fantastic beasts Newt has in his TARDIS like case, if Jon Snow is alive, who the new companion is that the show has cast on Doctor Who and if this is Capaldi’s last season, I’m all ears.
Never fear, friends, it’s not too late.
Clearly, I come down on the side of Yes please, Spoilers Sweetie! I really think it was this push back to the story’s roots and investment of human resources and capital in it that really has fans excited that things are going in the right direction. Let us not forget how badly Star Wars’ frenemy in entertainment, Star Trek, was hurt by JJ Abram’s misfire attempt at pretending the Benedict Cumberbatch wasn’t Khan. But that one choice in the sequel hurt the entire enterprise, as it were.
Advertisement
If Abrams and co-writer Lawrence Kasdan have done their jobs well (and I’m betting they have), you won’t have to have any prior “Star Wars” knowledge to enjoy their film.
