By Lori Vernon
THE FORCE (FINALLY) AWAKENS
John Boyega and
Daisy Ridley in
Star Wars:
The Force Awakens
A
long time ago (1977 to be exact) in a
galaxy far, far away… the phenomenon known as Star Wars changed the
face of science fiction and special effects films
forever. Fans of George Lucas’ original trilogy
(including 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back and
1983’s Return of The Jedi) have been waiting 32
years for more of the original incarnation.
Well, the wait is over – and on December
18th a brand new installment, Star Wars: The
Force Awakens finally hits theaters. One of the
most anticipated (and secretive) films of the
decade brings back many of the original characters, now under the direction of J.J. Abrams
(Star Trek, Super 8, Cloverfield, Mission
Impossible III) who also co-wrote the script.
The plot has been kept under-wraps, and
the cast is rumored to have signed NDA’s to
keep the storyline a secret, but we’ve been able
to glean a basic synopsis of what the film is
about. Thirty years after defeating the Galactic
Empire, Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and his
allies face a new threat from the evil Kylo Ren
(Adam Driver) and his army of
Stormtroopers. Bringing together cast members of the original series (Carrie Fisher, Mark
Hamill, Kenny Baker, Anthony Daniels) with
the next generation (John Boyega, Daisy
Ridley, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson,
Gwendoline Christie, Andy Serkis, Max von
Sydow, Lupita Nyong’o and Simon Pegg) in
what promises to be another epic battle of
good versus evil.
Yep, that’s about it in a nutshell. Of course
Abrams’ use of the latest special effects and
the reunion of the original cast are reason
enough to be drawn into theaters. With over
$50 million in advanced ticket sales (at press
time) the film could be poised to break some
records. Disney and the producers remain cautious – this film opens over the holiday season
(not during the summer like most blockbusters) and winter weather and other factors
could possibly keep viewers out of theaters.
Could The Force Awakens break Jurassic World’s
record for the highest grossing opening weekend ever? We’ll soon find out. This movie was
not yet rated at press time
If science fiction isn’t your thing, there are
several more great films coming out this
month. Here are a few more new releases to
consider if you’re hitting the theater this holiday season.
In the Heart of the Sea
December 11th
Directed by Ron Howard
Rated PG-13
Based on Nathaniel Philbrick’s 2000 nonfiction best-seller, this period film chronicles
the sinking of the Essex, a New England whaling ship attacked by a giant whale, whose surviving crew is forced to resort to cannibalism
after being stranded at sea for months. Ben
Whishaw plays crewmember Herman
Melville, who went on to write the legendary
tale Moby-Dick based on this tragedy. Director
Ron Howard is back with his first big effort
since directing Hemsworth in 2013’s Rush. The
cast also includes Benjamin Walker, Cillian
Murphy, Tom Holland, Brendan Gleeson and
Michelle Fairley.
Sisters
December 18th
Directed by Jason Moore
Rated R
The queens of comedy, Tina Fey and Amy
Poehler, play sisters (one loose and childish,
the other uptight and divorced) who decide to
recapture their glory days and throw one last
bash before their parents sell their childhood
home. The trailers look hilarious and these
two are comedy gold, so there are sure to be
some great lines here. The script was written
by former SNL scribe Paula Pell, and directed
by Northwestern alum Jason Moore (Pitch
Perfect). Supporting players include John
Cena, Kate McKinnon and Maya Rudolph.
Concussion
December 25th
Directed by Peter Landesman
Rated PG-13
Will Smith is back in a meaty, dramatic
role as Dr. Bennet Omalu, the Nigerian forensic pathologist/neuropathologist who discovers CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy,
the football-related brain trauma similar to
Alzheimer’s disease) while doing an autopsy
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