I thought I was a Star Wars fan as a child - but some of its themes have made me reconsider as an adult

The emphasis on “feeling” rather than knowledge – on holding on to the ancient religion of the Force rather than relying on the evidence of technology – is a little bit too preachy for comfort

Convinced I was a huge Star Wars fan - due in part by the severe peer pressure from my brother to play Leia next to his Luke - there was never any room to question whether I actually liked the films as a child. After all, my older (and very persuasive) brother adored them. Of course I did as well – didn’t I?

Years later and Star Wars has re-entered my world through my children. Thanks to the premiere this week, it’s now generating a bigger impact than the destruction of the Death Star.

The Force Awakes opens this week, of course, and so we face a deluge of fevered fandom. But this time around it’s different: I’ve begun to see an alternate side to the franchise, and what ‘The Force’ really means as an underpinning theme to the franchise. Why does it suddenly make me feel so wary of the world’s best-loved fantasy film?

“May the force be with you,” is a phrase repeated countless times throughout each film, solidifying the integral part it plays in the plot; the phase is as synonymous with the brand as “I’ll be back” is to The Terminator.

Obi Wan Kenobi first utters the phrase to Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: A New Hope, and once he falls on his lightsaber and dies only to be resurrected as the spirit that bolsters our hero Skywalker at every turn, he is the voice in his head.

“Feel the force,” he whispers. “Let go, Luke.” And lo and behold Luke has saved the day, as predicted because he is the chosen one. It’s all very biblical, and it backs up most of what we were taught in the church as children. The emphasis on “feeling” rather than knowledge – on holding on to the ancient religion of the Force rather than relying on the evidence of technology – is a little bit too preachy for comfort. As more people nibble on popcorn next week while looking up at Luke than their counterparts singing hymns in churches, synagogues and other places of worship, it turns out they might be buying into the very same thing.

I’m aware that all movies hook up with stereotypical characters and old-fashioned dichotomies. And I’m willing to admit that some of my Star Wars aversion may be due to overkill. After all, my home has been infiltrated with Star Wars paraphernalia, posters adorn my son’s walls, a Lego Millennium Falcon rests in the self-styled Star Wars corner in his room, the excitement is set to culminate when both my children plan to dress up as Storm Troopers to see the film, we’ve booked our tickets in advance and the build-up has been almost as epic as the series.

Having watched every episode, it’s been like a joyous reconnection to my childhood, but revisiting it as an adult I have begun to see past Jabba the Hut, the Ewoks and the ahead-of-its time special effects, noticing instead more of the darker aspects.

There are plenty of positives available when you watch Star Wars: good always triumphs over evil, the force is a positive power, and Darth Vader and the dark side fail to master it in the same way as those who use it for moral reasons. But the religious references now seem so blatant that I’m surprised God hasn’t sued for copyright.

I’m not denying that we all are overdue a new hope. Since the atrocious attacks in Paris, fear and suspicion of our fellow citizens is heightened; these stories of good winning out are the morsels we need as a society to keep going.

We need to have a supreme hope that the world will wake up to the dark side that is Isis, we need to have faith that we have the right force to eradicate extremists that threaten our light and we need our belief systems to protect us and provide shelter in the form of our family and friends.

So maybe George Lucas was right to take a leaf out of the good book, because what he has created in Star Wars (besides a legion of die-hard fans) is a timeless story that speaks to us about the dearth of spirituality in the modern age and the way in which we can rediscover it in times of horror. Considering some recent global events, that message is more important than ever.