Star Wars: The Force Awakens will hit theaters in less than 2 months! The hype for this film could not be any greater since the newest (and final) trailer hit the web. J.J. Abrams will bring young and old fans alike to watch part one of this newer trilogy. Speculation has run rampant and will continue to do so as we inch closer and closer to December 17.
After viewing the trailer at least 100 times I can honestly say that there are quite a few comparisons when it comes to the story that unfolded all the way back in 1977. That’s not to say that this story won’t be fresh with new characters and plot points however there appears to be a great deal of similarities between both The Force Awakens and A New Hope. While this may not all be true (and may not be a bad thing), one can’t help but overlook the possible story plots we are viewing based on these trailers alone. With all that in mind, I’d like to discuss with you “5 Ways The Force Awakens Might be Similar to A New Hope.”
#5. A Droid to Overshadow R2-D2
R2-D2 isn’t going anywhere. With both C-3PO and R2-D2 the ONLY two characters to appear in every Star Wars film, they are bound to still play a vital role in the coming films. However, with that being said the fandom of a certain droid named BB-8 cannot be overlooked. We have gotten many glimpses of this droid throughout various clips and the movie trailers. We also learn that BB-8 is Poe Damerons’ go to droid for his X-Wing. That’s not to say that R2-D2 won’t be crucial to this story, but it looks as though he won’t be beneficial to any battle like before. He may instead have a more important mission and that is to find Luke Skywalker.
As we have seen in the trailer, someone places their robotic hand onto R2-D2. Unfortunately we do not see the man’s face but we all presume it to be Luke Skywalker. Perhaps Leia placed a message in R2-D2 to go and find Luke and relay that message to him like she first did in A New Hope to find “Ben” Kenobi on Tatooine. Either way, it appears that R2-D2 will have a limited role in order to give the spotlight to the newest droid. We expect both of these droids to meet and butt heads together so Abrams better make that happen!
#4. The Rebels Prepare for Battle
Does this above photo remind you of a certain scene from A New Hope? That’s right, the preparation for the Battle over Yavin. The Rebels are scattering for what appears to be an attack from the Empire or excuse me The First Order. We also see Dameron and Finn meet together giving us a peek of a possible friendship. We also saw this multiple times in A New Hope when Luke meets up with both Wedge and Biggs. The similarities here are minor however Abrams appears to pay tribute to the Battle over Yavin when this forest looking planet (or moon) could actually be Yavin.
We never saw Yavin again in any of the future Star Wars films so it would be nice to pay tribute to such an important time in the Rebels victory against the first Death Star. After all, Yavin IV was never destroyed (or so we’ve seen or heard) so the Rebel base (now known as The Resistance) could still take place on this moon. We won’t know until the film is released as to where this base is held, however we can’t deny the similarities between both of these films.
#3. The Re-Introduction of the Force
This one may be cheating a little but we must all be aware that it has been at least thirty years since the events of Return of the Jedi. The Force has never gone away but it appears to have been dormant for sometime. The meaning of the title The Force Awakens bring to mind a few things: First, it tells us that we are entering a new era of Star Wars and the franchise is being re-awakened. Second, it also tells us that no one is truly aware of the Force or has been over the past thirty plus years. In the trailer, Rey mentions to Solo that, “Those stories about what happened…” in which Solo responds, “It’s true, all of it.”
Apparently the Force has been a myth or legend for many years since “the fall” of the Empire. As we see in this film, the Force will play a pivotal role as it has done so in all six of the films. Abrams will surely not go into detail about what the Force is since it has already been explained to us multiple times throughout the films but that doesn’t mean he won’t remind us the capabilities of what the Force entails. Abrams will definitely admonish the ways of the Force like Obi-Wan Kenobi once did in A New Hope which leads me to my next point…
#2. Han Solo is the Obi-Wan Kenobi in this Film
The new trailer does not give us a ton of dialogue as far as the story goes. But you know who has the most crucial diaglogue in the entire trailer? That’s right, Han Solo. Going off of my last point, the Force appears to have been made a myth however Solo is here to remind the audience and the main characters that “The dark side, the Jedi, their real.” Solo also has the most screen time in the trailer which shows us that his character is extremely important. We also see him with Rey and Finn for most of the scenes as he will be the one to help guide them along this journey just like Obi-Wan Kenobi did with him and Luke from A New Hope in search of Princess Leia.
There is no doubt in my mind that Solo will be heavily used in this film from start to finish. His willingness to put his selfish demeanor aside has brought his character full circle. He has learned over the years to be humble and this will greatly show in the upcoming film. We will be getting a much wiser and generous Solo in The Force Awakens and I cannot wait to see what Abrams has done to pay tribute to this beloved character.
#1. Rey is the New Luke Skywalker
Whether Rey is a Luke Skywalker or Han Solo child, one thing is for certain: She will be the focal point of this new trilogy. Rey is a character who will be heavily utilized in these next three Star Wars movies. Though it remains to be seen, I believe Rey is part of the Skywalker lineage. All six of these films ultimately encompass the Skywalker story. Therefore, Rey will be the one to continue this legacy and bring “a new hope” to the galaxy. But how well does she compare to Luke Skywalker other than actually being a blood relative?
Well, for starters she doesn’t appear to know what her destiny lies. When asked, “Who are you?” by an unknown character Rey responds saying, “I’m no one.” This rightfully establishes that she may not know who she truly is or what her future holds.
Another similarity between her and Luke is that she lives on what appears to be a desert planet called Jakku. What kind of planet did Luke come from? That’s right a desert planet named Tatooine.
A third and final similarity is that she appears to be working for some sort of pirate group. She is a scavenger searching for items to perhaps sell and make for a profit. Even though Luke wasn’t a pirate or scavenger, he was a farm boy who wanted something more than to be with his Aunt and Uncle for the rest of his life. Rey is in the same circumstance as Luke was and wishes for something greater. There is no doubt that her wish will be granted seeing her with both Finn and Solo away from her home planet.
Even though there are plenty of similarities between both of these films, that’s not to say that Abrams is copying the other. It is ok to use elements from the other films since the director has to have some sort of blueprint to work with. Abrams cannot stray too far away from the source material because it must be cohesive to the story.
December 17 is not to far away as we will finally be given the answers to the many questions we have for The Force Awakens. Now that you have read my comparisons to both of these films, what similarities have you noticed from the trailers? I’d like to hear your thoughts in the comment section below and please share!
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