Release Date: December 18, 2015 What else is there to say about the hype surrounding Star Wars: The Force Awakens that hasn't already be said? How do you approach a motion picture with so much inherent power? Essentially, this is a movie with built-in expectations so gargantuan that any attempt to meet them is bound to fail. It is an insanely, almost delusional task to commit oneself to... and J.J. Abrams certified himself as one of the bravest men in Hollywood the moment he agreed - almost against his will, mind - to helm what is essentially (and arguably) the most long-awaited movie of all-time. Seriously. So the hype is understandable when you consider that Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher are set to reprise their roles as three of cinema's most iconic characters. Years ago, at the tail end of George Lucas' disastrous prequel trilogy, who would have thought such a thing feasible? It's almost bizarre - otherworldly, even - to think of an "Episode VII: The Force Awakens" playing out on a theatre screen near you at the end of the year. And yet this will happen. J.J. Abrams is sure to divide fans with his picture, no matter how it turns out - there is too much baggage to ensure a movie that pleases everyone. But movie-goers should try to take the film for what it is, regardless of the legacy; a brand new chapter in a pre-existing saga that must strike the difficult balance between old and new - no easy task. After all, fans can ask J.J. Abrams to deliver a good Star Wars movie. But they cannot ask for miracles. Come December, it's important to remember that.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
