Previews: Peter Rabbit Featurette, Ferdinand, More!

Lots to see in this week’s preview of coming attractions, including a new Peter Rabbit featurette, Ferdinand, Smallfoot, and more…

Peter Rabbit Featurette

This Peter Rabbit featurette wisely introduces the wider cast of the film. With James Corden receiving bad publicity recently, Sony uses this feature to shift focus to other cast members. Corden is joined by Daisy Ridley, Margot Robbie, and Domhnall Gleeson in this big-screen adaptation of Beatrix Potter’s work. Peter Rabbit will be released on 16th March 2018.

Ferdinand Clip

This is a clip from upcoming animated adventure Ferdinand. The film is about a bull who is mistaken for a dangerous beast, and taken from his home. The voice cast includes John Cena, Kate Kate McKinnon, and Gina Rodriguez. Ferdinand will hit the big screen on 9th December 2017.

The Greatest Showman Featurette

This featurette for The Greatest Showman focuses on Zac Efron, and what attracted him to work on the film. The Greatest Showman is an original musical about P.T. Barnum and the birth of show business. Hugh Jackman leads the cast, and is joined by Efron, Michelle Williams, and Zendaya. The Greatest Showman will be released in cinemas on 26th December 2017.

Smallfoot Poster

Here is the new poster for Smallfoot. The film is an animated adventure about a yeti who finds something he didn’t think existed – a human. The film is directed by Karey Kirkpatrick, director of Over the Hedge. Smallfoot features the voices of Channing Tatum, Zendaya, Common, and Danny DeVito. The film is set for release on 5th October 2018.

The Mercy Trailer

The Mercy is director James Marsh’s (The Theory of Everything) latest film. The film tells the true story of an amateur sailor in the late 1960s, who hopes to be the first person in history to single-handedly circumnavigate the globe without stopping. The film stars Colin Firth, Rachel Weisz, and David Thewlis. The Mercy will be released on 9th February 2018.

Film Review: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a throughly entertaining instalment in the franchise, which lovingly pays homage to Star Wars: A New Hope.

Many years after the defeat of the Empire, a new threat is rising. The First Order wishes to rule the galaxy. It is down to an unlikely group of individuals to stop them, along with help of the Resistance…

The long-awaited sequel to the original Star Wars trilogy lives up to expectations in terms of entertainment and nostalgia. Star Wars: The Force Awakens is an enjoyable blockbuster that should satisfying fans and new viewers alike. The film reminds the audience how entertaining an action adventure can be.

Director J.J. Abrams is clearly a fan of the original films; this shines through in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. There are a lot of overt references to Star Wars: A New Hope in particular, in terms of characters and sets. Even in terms of narrative structure and set-up, there are allusions to the first trilogy.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens introduces new characters to the franchise, and a new battle to fight. The film follows a similar premise to the 1977 film in bringing these characters together, and setting up their mission. Star Wars: The Force Awakens is well paced. The film opens with an action sequence, and continues to build momentum whilst allowing for exposition.

The new characters introduced in Star Wars: The Force Awakens are a good fit for the franchise. These characters have good chemistry, particularly Finn and Rey. Abrams eschews the trap that the prequel films fell into by having supporting characters that aggravate. Droid BB8 is a delightful addition to the cast.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens has the look of the original series in terms of settings and props. Production values are great; with CGI used sparingly. John Williams’ score is very memorable. John Boyega and Daisy Ridley have a little bit of the hokeyness of Luke Skywalker in the original, with their line delivery. However, even this is disarming; the pair bubble with enthusiasm. Adam Driver and Oscar Isaac also do well.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a most fitting follow-up in the Star Wars franchise. The film works well on its own, and will ignite zeal for the next instalment.

Star Wars Celebration – London

I was very excited to be invited to the Star Wars celebration in London yesterday evening, an event which featured a live stream to the Anaheim presentation of the brand new trailer for The Force Awakens, plus a q&a session with J.J. Abrams, Kathleen Kennedy and others. Here is what happened…

We were greeted by two ominous-looking Stormtroopers, however Any apprehension was soon eased by the appearance of everyone’s favourite robot duo. C3PO and R2D2 were on hand at the Star Wars Celebration to offer a more friendly welcome. Despite 38 years passing since the release of the first Star Wars film, these two looked sprightly as ever.

Before too long, the show began, with Willow Ofgood himself (aka Warwick Davis) presenting the Star Wars Celebration event for the London audience. Davis makes an excellent host; he was highly amusing throughout the evening. After some events for fans, the presentation was about to begin.

Director J.J. Abrams and Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy looked genuinely thrilled to be at the Star Wars Celebration event in Anaheim. The emphasis was definitely on going back to Star Wars’ roots with The Force Awakens. Numerous times, J.J. Abrams, mentioned going back to the original trilogy with both the look and the feel of the new film. It definitely felt as if both Abrams and Kennedy wished to steer away from memories of the less well-received prequel trilogy of the late nineties/early noughties.

After answering some questions, it was time to bring out more guests including the makers of the new R2D2, plus the robot himself and B8, a new robot addition to the Star Wars franchise. Fans at the Star Wars Celebration then got to meet the main stars of The Force Awakens; John Boyega (Finn), Daisy Ridley (Rey) and Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron). All three spoke of their memories of Star Wars growing up, and their excitement of working on the film at being at the Star Wars Celebration.

Next, it was time for some old faces to appear, in the form of Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia), Anthony Daniels (C3PO) and Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca). The cast from the original franchise spoke of their affection for the films and their joy at coming back for the new films. The main event arrived at the every end of the presentation, with the first screening of the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens teaser trailer.

Reception to the trailer was extremely positive. Earlier spoken of “retro” aspects are apparent at this new glimpse, with the look of the film a great reflection of the original franchise. There are some wonderful shots, including the desert landscape opening shot, the image of Pol Dameron in the pilot seat (echoing Luke Skywalker) and decaying helmut of Darth Vader. The teaser also posed some interesting questions, particularly in who Luke is speaking to when he talks about family. I would assume it is a child or nephew/niece of his, which posits Rey or Pol Dameron as the likely audience of this speech. Then again, this teaser gives away so little that this may be a red herring. The final shot of Han Solo and Chewbacca, unsurprisingly got the biggest cheer of all; fans were certainly glad to see the return of this duo.

After the excitement of seeing the new teaser on the big screen at Empire Leicester Square, it was time for the Star Wars Celebration to conclude. There was a definite air of excitement about the new footage at the event; the venue was buzzing with discussion of what was screened as I left, goodies in hand.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is released in cinemas on 18th December 2015.