Okay, so this is a first for me. I've yet to make a post about my reaction to a trailer, let alone an 88-second teaser, but come on guys, it's STAR WARS!!!! Like many, Star Wars was my childhood. I had a yellow wiffle baseball bat that I pretended was my special yellow lightsaber, because I didn't have the toy. I would sit at the table and try to move a pencil towards me using the Force. Sometimes, I would close my eyes and strain my brain so hard that I actually thought that it would work. Star Wars has been a big part of my family, particularly among the boys, and it's been fun to introduce the films to a new generation of nephews and nieces. I look forward to sharing this wonderful universe with my own kids someday.
After the conclusion of the prequel trilogy I really believed that the saga was concluded. It's no secret and not really debatable that the prequels disappointed a lot of fans, myself included. They did have their shining moments, mostly the intense lightsaber duels and the addition of Darth Maul, but as a whole they failed to recapture the magic, adventure, and drama that the original trilogy so perfectly delivered to fans everywhere. I always believed that George Lucas should let go of his baby and allow other talented filmmakers continue his legacy with new films. When I heard that Lucas sold his life's work to Disney for a new generation of movies I was thrilled! And now here are we are, thirty years after Return of the Jedi and nearly ten years since Revenge of the Sith, and we have the first teaser to the first of many Star Wars films, Episode VII - The Force Awakens.
I'll try to be brief and contain my nerdism to a minimum, but I just wanted to talk about a few moments that really made me feel like a kid again. First, we return (presumably) to the planet that fans know the best, Tatooine, and we get a mysterious voice-over. "There's been an awakening. Have you felt it?" At first it sounds a lot like Benedict Cumberbatch, but I've since heard from many reliable sources that it is Andy Serkis' voice. Serkis is, indeed, a confirmed cast member and is a voice chameleon, so I wouldn't be surprised if it turned out to be him. Next, up pops new cast member, John Boyega, in Storm Trooper armor. Is he a Storm Trooper or simply masquerading as one? We don't know, and I love that we don't know. Whoever he is he looks startled and shocked.
Speaking of Storm Troopers, we get a brief glimpse of the new Storm Troopers preparing for deployment. I love the look of these guys. Their design is completely familiar with the original trilogy, but different enough to feel new and exciting. This shot is simple, but very effective and wholly within director J.J. Abrams' creative talents behind the camera.
What really began to get me excited was seeing the familiar X-Wing fighters zooming across a lake with actor Oscar Isaac as a Rebel pilot. Is he simply a pilot or is he perhaps a Jedi pilot, like Luke? Maybe he's a good pilot that goes bad? So many questions!
Next was one of the things I wanted to see most in this first teaser: a Sith Lord! It is the Dark Side of the Force that adds that next level of mystery and intrigue to these films, and I'm so excited to see where the evolution of the Sith will go. It's all new territory since the Emperor and Darth Vadar are both gone. Here, we get a mysteriously cloaked figure who suddenly ignites the familiar red lightsaber, but wait! It's got a hilt that makes it look like a broadsword! WHAAAT?! I know there's already been some criticism about the look of this lightsaber and the necessity for a hilt, but I bet that when we see this bad boy in action all concerns will be vanquished. Who is this character? Is he alone? Does he have a Master? An Apprentice? Will there be multiple Sith?
The screen goes black, then that familiar John Williams' theme blasts through the speakers at the sight of the legendary Millennium Falcon flying up in the air, twisting and turning, before swooping down to the desert surface as two TIE Fighters come screaming towards Han Solo's ship. This shot is where you really feel J.J. Abrams' fingerprint. It is already one of the coolest shots I've seen in any Star Wars production.
What I love about this teaser is that it feels like the original trilogy, but you can tell that George Lucas did not direct it. It feels like Star Wars, and simultaneously, it feels like a J.J. Abrams film. This is what I wanted. I want Star Wars films that allow new filmmakers to use their unmistakable talents to continue the saga. George Lucas has taken a lot of heat ever since he began adding scenes to his original trilogy and directed the lackluster prequels. But let's take a moment and thank him. He gave us Jedi, Sith, the Force, the Millennium Falcon, Han Solo, Chewie, and an enormous universe and mythology that will continue to live on for generations. Let's thank him for passing on his story and his beloved characters to new filmmakers. Thank you, George!
Some are bummed that we did not get to see Han, Luke, or Leia, but I love that we didn't. J.J. and Disney are totally saving their appearances for the first full trailer, and fans will absolutely lose it! It's smart, people. The movie is still a year away, so we don't need to see everything all at once. We got to see new characters, new Storm Troopers, a new Sith Lord with a new lightsaber, and our favorite ship in what looks like to be a wild battle with TIE Fighters. It's perfect!
If you haven't seen the teaser, watch it here. And if you want to see more teaser stills like these, then head over to Collider for all the best images from the teaser.
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