Following a full-on Christmas with family in London – all fun and no ceremony – the drying out time before the New Year’s festivities was a welcome respite. What better way to recharge the batteries than a Monday matinee at the flicks, taking in an energising blockbuster in the form of the latest Star Wars extravaganza? Generally, I’m not a big fan of your run of the mill, mass appeal, CGI-packed Hollywood juggernaut – all video game and no story. And while I loved the three original Star Wars films, the subsequent prequels were terrible. I feared the latest reboot of the franchise might be too. But the Force was with us and we were richly entertained by a crash, bang, wallop of galactic proportions. With a witty script, some familiar old faces, engaging performances and edge-of-seat special effects, the old fashioned good versus evil epic bursts with menacing Third Reich imagery and triumph over terrible odds. There are some delicious new baddies and a Supreme Leader with more than a passing resemblance to Harry Potter’s Voldemort. Roll on episode VIII.
No doubt, merchandising will break all box office records judging by the window display in our local Disney Store.