There is a timeless (relatively speaking) rivalry between 'Trekkies' and Star Wars fans and it’s essentially one of pop culture’s great nerd-offs. Do you prefer the more detailed stylings of the Star Trek universe or the free flowing adventure of George Lucas’ space opera? The irony is that it ultimately fell to one director to helm the reboot of both.
Much of the anticipation surrounding The Force Reawakens revolves around JJ Abrams, creator of the cult TV show Lost, after the success of the Star Trek movies. His presence mitigates the fact that for the first time ever, this is a Star Wars not under the control of it's iconic creator George Lucas. Lucas of course, let it all go in 2012, selling Lucasfilm to Disney for $4 billion.
After mixed reviews for the series of three prequels that followed 1983’s Return of the Jedi, The Force Reawakens takes us back to that original world about three decades after events in that film. As with the Star Trek films, Abrams likes to keep all plot details very closely guarded and in the run up to the release fan theories are running wild. What are the true origins of Rey and Kylo Ren for instance, the characters that Disney is promoting in the film? Some fans think that they are the children of Princess Leia and Han Solo, both of whom, incidentally, make a comeback in this film. Also, is this the film that will see the Wookie warrior Chewbacca die? “There is a scene in the trailers that shows Rey crying over a dead body that has a furry hand,” says Rahul Kapoor, an ardent fan.
And most intriguing of all, what role does does Mark Hamill play? The man who played Luke Skywalker in the three original films became the biggest victim of the franchise’s success, becoming forever associated with just one character. For a long time, Hamill's most notable role was as a voice actor, playing the role of Joker in Batman: The Animated Series. Interestingly, Hamill doesn’t appear in any of the trailers even though everyone knows he's in the movie.
For those unconcerned with plot intrigue, there is also simply the pleasure of hearing the iconic and uplifting Star Wars soundtrack while watching a galaxy far far away on the big screen one more time. “John Williams is one of the biggest musical superstars that Hollywood has. They are international treasures. There are many trailers and TV spots out for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Put the trailer on mute and watch it. Then, watch the same trailer with John Williams’ music. You will now see the difference. Without Williams’ music, the series has no soul,” says Kapoor.
