Skip to main content
Games Radar
  • Newsarama
  • Total Film
  • Edge
  • Retro Gamer
  • PLAY
  • SFX
Total Film The smarter take on movies
Subscribe
(opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)
flag of UK
UK
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of Australia
Australia
Gaming Magazines
(opens in new tab)
Gaming Magazines (opens in new tab)
Why subscribe?
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12.99
(opens in new tab)
View (opens in new tab)
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Subscribe
  • Podcast
  • Newsletter
  • Magazines
    • Retro Gamer
    • Play
    • Total Film
    • Edge
    • SFX
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best Netflix Shows

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

  1. Home
  2. Movies
  3. Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Movies to watch this week at the cinema: Star Wars: The Force Awakens, more...

By Total Film Staff
published 14 December 2015

  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
  • Comments
Out on Friday 18 December

Out on Friday 18 December

Star Wars: The Force Awakens isn't the only film out. (Although your cinema listings may say otherwise.) Yes, heres this weeks new releases. Click on for our reviews of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Sherpa and Sparks & Embers. For the best movie reviews, subscribe to Total Film.

Page 1 of 4
Page 1 of 4
STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS

Blue letters on black: A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away And then: STAR WARS. And if that doesnt elicit goosebumps, the receding crawl that follows straightforward, enticing, with not a jot of gobbledegook about trade tariffs thrillingly echoes the openers of the original trilogy. This is old-school stuff, pitched just right, and so it is with most of the film that follows. Forget the overstuffed, over-polished, over-pixelated, underwhelming prequels by George Lucas. The look and feel of J.J. Abrams seventh episode in the beloved space saga is just what fans have been waiting for since 1983s Return Of The Jedi. Its time to party like an Ewok: the Force is strong with this one. But back to that crawl. The First Order has risen from the ashes of the Empire; and the Resistances (nee Rebellion) General Leia Organa has sent her most daring pilot to the planet of Jakku on a desperate mission (were paraphrasing here). That pilot is Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac). Hell team up with Finn (John Boyega), an AWOL Stormtrooper, and the pair will go in search of Damerons BB-8 droid, conveyor of a vital piece of a vital map... On Jakku, scavenging to survive, resides Rey (Daisy Ridley), the at-first-dubious-but-increasingly-proud owner of (you guessed it) a BB-8 droid. But no sooner have Rey and BB-8 started to roll together than they find themselves targeted by a death squad. Stop holding my hand! Rey yells at Finn, whos turned up in the nick of time to drag her to safety. Pointedly, thrillingly, she then grabs his hand to haul him into a rusting ship, their only hope of escape If any of this sounds convoluted and we havent even mentioned the First Orders Big Bads General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson) and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), and its even Bigger Bad Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis, mo-capping once more) its not. Abrams and co-writers Lawrence Kasdan (who co-wrote The Empire Strikes Back and Return Of The Jedi) and Michael Arndt (Toy Story 3, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire) bring clarity and purity to the storytelling, returning to the part-mythological, part-Saturday-serial vibe of A New Hope. The images, too, are uncomplicated and unfussy. Just as Abrams jettisons the antiseptic sheen of the prequels in favour of the clunky, lived-in world of the originals, and uses CGI more to take away than to add (opting for practical effects and props wherever possible), so he refrains from the kamikaze camera and ADD-cutting of so many modern blockbusters. Yes, theres a mobility and immediacy to the battles that wasnt possible 30 years ago, but it never jars, always serves story. The use of irises and wipe-edits, meanwhile, is adopted for house style. Of the new triangle of characters, Boyega brings intensity and a surprisingly honed comic timing (I love the Resistance, he gabbles when Rey asks him if thats who hes with); Isaac is amiable and handsome and a welcome throwback in his effortless derring-do; and Ridley, always likeable, overcomes some initial woodenness to handle the heavy lifting of later emotional scenes. Of the old triangle, here making fan-pleasing returns, Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Leia (Carrie Fisher) set bottom lips a-trembling whenever they share the screen, while Luke (Mark Hamill) well, that would be telling. Lets just say theres good reason J.J. has guarded this aspect of the plot with the tightness of a Force choke, and instead focus on Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew), still rocking the greatest backcomb in movies. The hairy guy has also sharpened his sense of humour over the last 32 years his bickering double-act with Han will have you choking laughter like youre bringing up a fur ball. But its Drivers Kylo Ren who steals the show, a match for Darth Maul when sporting his car-grill mask, and something else entirely when he removes it. Star Wars, in many ways, is all about clearly defined lines and black and white, but this is the kind of anguish and soul-searching youd expect in an Ingmar Bergman movie. Albeit with a really cool lightsaber. Star Wars: The Force Awakens is not perfect nor could it ever be. But for every niggle (Snoke is pure Voldemort, one tentacular beast better belongs in Men In Black 3) there are 10 things that are exactly right, and it says much that no one will leave disappointed despite going in with hysterical levels of expectation. There are images here that brand the brain: Rey dwarfed by a crashed Star Destroyer as she toboggans down a huge hill of sand; Hux addressing thousands of Stormtroopers like its some Nazi propaganda rally filmed by Leni Riefenstahl; Starkiller Base, boasting firepower to make the Death Star(s) look like a Zippo lighter, destroying multiple planets. And if Episode VII is almost too slavishly reverential, its every sub-plot mirroring or reversing those that have gone before, and its nods and winks so plentiful as to border on the distracting, it is better this than to repeat Lucas prequel mistakes. This, undoubtedly, is the movie that fans wanted, the movie that fans deserve. And its only fitting that it is, beneath the scintillating action and striking world-building, a film about parents and children, about the effects of one generation on the next, about legacy. Star Wars: The Force Awakens will be viewed and passed down for many years to come. THE VERDICT: No need to have a bad feeling about this. J.J. Abrams movie will thrill youngsters and transport millions more back to their childhoods far, far away. Director: J.J. Abrams Starring: John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, Domhnall Gleeson, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill Theatrical release: 17 December 2015 Jamie Graham

Page 2 of 4
Page 2 of 4
SHERPA

SHERPA

Jennifer Peedoms documentary explores Everest from the point of view of local Sherpas, for whom undertaking the dangerous ascent in assistance of travelling westerners is simply part of the day job. Theres a damning political undercurrent here, highlighting how the now-huge Everest industry mistreats and takes advantage of the Sherpas. Peedom does a great job of building tension to subtly demonstrate how low-paid, non-white workers are expected to be submissive and, via candid footage, exposes the shockingly self-centred and entitled attitudes of some of the western climbers. Director: Jennifer Peedom Starring: Phurba Tashi Sherpa, Russell Brice, Ed Douglas Theatrical release: 18 December 2015 Stephen Puddicombe

Page 3 of 4
Page 3 of 4
SPARKS & EMBERS

SPARKS & EMBERS

A lack of charms the harm in Gavin Boyters seasonal romcom, despite its nifty two-timeframe plot. When sacked record-label schlub Tom (Kris Marshall) gets stuck in a lift with corporate downsizer Eloise (Annelise Hesme), he ogles her bra, she huffs and love ignites. Five years on, they meet post-relationship as shes about to leave town. A classic will she/wont she scenario emerges, with game leads and Richard Curtis-esque draws (London landmarks, comedy carol singers, bantz): but we dont care because hes a regressive dork, shes an out-of-touch cipher and the chemistry never sparks. Director: Gavin Boyter Starring: Kris Marshall, Annelise Hesme Theatrical release: 18 December 2015 Kevin Harley

Page 4 of 4
Page 4 of 4
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
  • Comments
Total Film Staff
Social Links Navigation

The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, New Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Jack Shepherd. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine. 

See comments
Load Comments
Recommended
New games for 2023 and beyond to add to your wishlist
  1. Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 Pro gaming router
    1
    ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 Pro review: "Does exactly what it was designed to do - and more"
  2. 2
    Hi-Fi Rush review: "An undeniably wild ride that shouldn't be ignored"
  3. 3
    Elgato Wave DX review: "An excellent choice for streamers looking for a high-quality dynamic XLR microphone"
  4. 4
    Herman Miller X Logitech Vantum review: "A well-designed and comfy ergonomic chair but one that lives firmly in the shadow of its sibling"
  5. 5
    Season: A Letter to the Future review: "As beautiful as it is quaint"
  1. Knock at the Cabin
    1
    Knock at the Cabin review: "Shyamalan doing what he does best"
  2. 2
    Puss in Boots: The Last Wish review: "The cat's pyjamas"
  3. 3
    The Fabelmans review: "Spielberg's period drama evokes wonder"
  4. 4
    M3GAN review: "A lot of fun but short on frights"
  5. 5
    Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery review: "Almost as sharp as the first"
  1. The Last of Us
    1
    The Last of Us episode 3 review: "An early contender for one of 2023's best episodes"
  2. 2
    Poker Face episode 1 review: “Takes the hardboiled detective story to a new level”
  3. 3
    The Last of Us episode 2 review: "A more calculated entry that focuses on Joel and Ellie"
  4. 4
    The Last of Us episode 1 review: "Expands on the games – and often betters them"
  5. 5
    Vikings: Valhalla season 2 review: "Has lost some of its feverish intensity"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab).

  • About Us (opens in new tab)
  • Terms and conditions (opens in new tab)
  • Privacy policy (opens in new tab)
  • Cookies policy (opens in new tab)
  • Advertise with us (opens in new tab)
  • Review guidelines (opens in new tab)
  • Write for us (opens in new tab)
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers (opens in new tab)

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.