Release Date: December 18th, 2015
Starring: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Gwendoline Christie, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, Peter Mayhew, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Andy Serkis
Director: J.J. Abrams (Star Trek, Star Trek: Into Darkness, Super 8, Mission: Impossible 3)
Pre-Trailer Thoughts: This is probably the biggest movie of the year, if not the first half of the decade (sorry, Avengers, but its true). Star Wars is not just a film series; its a phenomenon. The prequels, which ended in 2005, were a complete mess though. Chock full of horrible acting, poor writing, and awful special effects, they left a bad taste in the mouths of many fans.
When everyone got a glimpse of footage from The Force Awakens, fears were overcome. Many of the cast members from the original trilogy (1977-1983) are returning. The effects are a perfect blend of cgi and practical. Could this be the movie fans have been waiting to see for over 30 years? It very will could be.
-LJF
Pre-Trailer Thoughts: Even if you’re not the biggest fan of Star Wars, it’s pretty much impossible to not have been swept up in the hype of what is likely the most anticipated movie release in history (The only movie I can think of that can come close is The Phantom Menace). I’ve always been a fan of the original movies and the prospect of seeing what happened to all of those characters is a much more exciting premise than anything the prequels had to offer. – JTM
Rate the Trailer: 5 out of 5. I’m going to say this right off the bat: I’m not a massive Star Wars fan like a ton of people are. Don’t get me wrong, I love the original trilogy (without the new coat of special effects paint, thank you very much) and enjoy watching the flicks from time to time. I hate the prequels like many die hard fans do. However, it’s not a franchise that I’ve devoted a huge chunk of my life to, or what have you. That being said, every piece of footage (specifically the trailer) released for The Force Awakens has been A+. It has made me really excited for the possibilities of a film that really holds true to the atmosphere of the originals, and not only that, but succeeds in continuing the story which keeps us entertained and satisfied. We need that, especially after the prequels. –LJF
Rate the Trailer: 5 out of 5. A lot of praise needs to be given to the people who edit these trailers. It’s amazing how little this trailer actually tell us about what happens in the film, and yet it’s able to provide such a sense of excitement in the way they they choose what shots the trailer lingers on and what shots we only see for a split second. The film simply looks breathtaking, with JJ Abrams recalling the exciting space battles of his Star Trek reboots and turning it up to 11. My main concern with the film right now is that it might lean too heavily on nostalgia and not enough on creating its own new moments and fleshing out its new characters, but that is an issue that cannot be explored until after the film has released. For now, I am riding high on the pure elation this trailer has given me. – JTM
Theater, Rent, No Thanks, Undecided? Theater. Opening weekend tickets are already booked. I’m pumped to go back to a galaxy far, far away. Also, I need to know what’s going on with Luke Skywalker!-LJF
Theater, Rent, Undecided, No Thanks? Theater. I did not reserve any tickets or seating in advance of The Force Awakens release, so the only way I wont be seeing the movie this weekend is if my local theaters don’t actually have any space left. Some people I know are going far out of their way just to find reserved seating for the film and while I’m not going to be driving halfway across the state, I certainly wont mind doing a little bit of exploring to try and find an available theater. Based on some early rumblings from people who saw the movie at the premiere event last night, it’s best to see this movie as soon as possible if you want to avoid the multitude of spoilers within. – JTM
The Force Awakens this Friday, December 18th.
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