After 31 years, we finally get a teaser for the
sequel to Return of the Jedi. With a new young director and a whole new cast
with old characters coming back to more than say hi, a waiting world gets a
teaser trailer to possibly the most anticipated film of all time, Star Wars:
The Force Awakens.
[Skip to second paragraph skip the
author’s boring history with Star Wars]
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| I'm probably not as big a fan as this guy. |
Star Wars is one of the most recognisable
franchises in film and due to its history with the original and prequel
trilogies and also its extensive lore due to its exploits in various other
media, Star Wars is something that means very different things to many
different people. From Star Wars fanatics to the casual moviegoer to, dare I
say it, people who have never seen Star Wars, the franchise splits people’s
opinions in every aspect based on how much it means to them. That is why,
before going through this teaser, I think it is important to know what kind of
Star Wars fan the person watching the teaser is. I did not watch the Star Wars
films at a very young age like most others and in fact only watched them about
2 to 3 years ago. I am, therefore, in a unique position of seeing this new film
and trailer as a person who is uninfluenced by nostalgia but is still a fan. I
do not think they are the best films of all time and I, personally, do not
consider them my favourite trilogy ever, though they do come close. I think the
original trilogy (IV, V & VI) is classic story telling with great
characters and the way it is shot is genius. The images on screen tell of the
story as much as the dialogue does and it is amazing filmmaking. I also think
the prequel trilogy (I, II & III), which I actually watched first, contains
one of the most boring and cringe-filled films I have ever seen in my life and,
though I don’t hate it as much as most people, I think they are loud, stupid
and a waste of time. Though I share consensus with many fans, I do not consider
myself a fan to the extent of some, but am more of a general audience fan. In
terms of lore, outside of the films, I have little knowledge of the Star Wars
universe. I have played and loved Bioware’s first Knights of the Old Republic game, perhaps even more than the films,
and this along with the films are the only aspect of lore I know about the
universe, making me, yet again, fall into the category of the general audience who
still loves Star Wars. This is most likely the category the new film will be
looking to most appease.
With that out of the way, we can finally talk
about the teaser. I thought this was the perfect teaser. It showed little but,
at the same time, so much, and it made statements that we will discuss in the
little it showed. The teaser showed us just enough to bring us back into the
Star Wars universe, bringing us into a world with just enough old elements to
make it feel familiar and just enough new elements to make it seem fresh. It
looks exactly like what the original Star Wars films would look like if they
were filmed today. It has heart, it has intensity and I believe every shot was
very cleverly manufactured to show just enough. So, let’s go through them
scene-by-scene because there are a few bold decisions made by Disney here.
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| The new storm trooper helmet looks sick! In a good way. |
1) Our
first shot is a shot of what we can assume is Tatooine. After a monologue from
someone, John Boyega pops up in a storm trooper uniform. This is a very bold
statement by Disney. This new Star Wars film has created one of the most
diverse casts in Hollywood at the moment and to have John Boyega be the first
person who appears in the first trailer of the new franchise is a very bold choice
to let people know of the diversity in this film. We still do not know who is
to be the main character of the film but to have him be the first character we
see defies that white male characters category that Star Wars used to always
seem to have. And I think it’s great and worth commenting on. Now as for what
he is wearing, he either stole the uniform or he is an actual storm trooper. I
think it would be great if Boyega’s character ends up being a storm trooper who
realises he is on the wrong side. I think that would be a great story arc for a
character. Other than that, I think Boyega looks great and looks like a
character I can’t wait to meet.
2) The
second thing we see is like a little R2D2? Nothing much to say about it. It is a
little kiddy but it reminds us that this is a new film in a franchise which was
originally made for children. It is nice to see that Disney isn’t making it a
gritty film and sees it as a Star Wars film for a new generation of kids as
well as the old generation of fans.
3) The
third scene is the obligatory storm troopers scene. Very, very cool. It’s even
possible that John Boyega’s character is in this scene and it came right before
that first shot. The storm troopers have a new look that looks like a natural
evolution of the helmet. It looks slick and very smart and kind of like an
iPhone. The scene itself also looks very well shot and I could feel the
intensity of the moment in the few seconds we saw of it.
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| New-comer Daisy Ridley ready to shock the world. |
4) The
girl! Main actress of the film, and basically the new Princess Leia, newcomer
Daisy Ridley looks great on film. She also looks like she is on Tatooine and
this may be the scene just before her character and Boyega’s character meet for
the first time. Ridley has never appeared on the international big screen and
has really only played small roles in single episodes on TV shows like Casualty. Her only real film before this
was a short interactive film called Lifesaver
(not lightsaber). She is so unknown to the public that the Internet has yet to
determine her actual year of birth. Yet again, we talk about Disney taking a
risk. Someone with so little experience being casted to be the lead female
actor of the new Star Wars franchise is mind-boggling and it really gives
people belief that anyone could be in a Star Wars film. And might I add that
yet again, the character we see on screen is not the white male protagonist. In
the little we’ve seen of her, Ridley looks great and here’s hoping she will do
an amazing job in the role. I think the whole world is hoping that she does an
excellent job.
5) Then
we have the cool shot of X-Wings. They look very nice and slightly altered but
still great. I’m not sure who it is piloting the X-Wing but many are suggesting
it is Oscar Isaac. Since his casting in this Star Wars film, Oscar Isaac has
become one of the most sought after young talents in Hollywood and deservingly
so. He is an outstanding actor and he has also been casted to play Apocalypse
in the next X-Men film.
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| Giving the film a very medieval tone. |
6) This
is the big one. The one that either made or broke the teaser for many people.
The new lightsaber. Obviously, the lightsabers of old will still be around but
this is probably the weapon that will be wielded by the main antagonist. I,
personally, see nothing wrong with it. I think it’s really cool. It looks like
a medieval sword and brings a very interesting theme to the film. A lot of
people forget that the Jedi are supposed to be knights, hence the game Knights
of the Old Republic. That new lightsaber is very reminiscent of the knights of
old and the fact that it looks like a cross also brings into play the religious
aspects commonly associated with knights. It also seems less calm and looks a
little fiery and unstable. Either that’s the new look for lightsabers or it is
a new form of an unstable crystal used to create that particular lightsaber. One
of the first things one would think of is the applicability of the parts that
look like the cross-guard of the lightsaber. Can it cut the hand of its
wielder? I’m not sure what the fuss is about. Everyone knows that not anyone
can use a lightsaber and it is important for the wielder to have the force.
Just like every sword, it is dangerous for anyone who does not have the ability
to use it. A person with the force and who trains with it will know exactly
where the three blades are at all times and we don’t have to worry about them
hurting themselves. And, let’s be honest here, who doesn’t want a toy of that
lightsaber right now? It looks great and I want it. Now.
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| People reacting to the Millennium Falcon. |
7) THE
MILLENNIUM FALCON!! The only old character to make it into the teaser. Aww man,
it looks so awesome! What else is there to say about it? It is what it is. Great
move by Disney to end on such a high note.
Before we end the review, there is one more
thing to talk about. The soundtrack by John Williams sounds as great as ever.
The slow build-up felt intense and very intimidating and the classic Star Wars’
theme sounds flawless and brings us back into the Star Wars universe
seamlessly. John Williams’ theme has been perfect in every film and is the
long-standing constant perfection in the Star Wars franchise despite its
hiccups. Outstanding.
Overall, the teaser is great in every way. It
is good that they did not show any of the old characters other than the Falcon
because if they did, that is all we’ll be talking about. This new cast needs a
chance to prove themselves and show that they can carry this franchise. Don’t
worry, Luke, Hans and Leia will all be shown soon. My guess would be on May the
4th. For now, let’s give these new guys a chance to show us what
they’ve got. We must remember that this is a teaser and not the full trailer. For
a film coming out more than 12 months from now, it shows quite a bit and is the
perfect tease, leaving everyone wanting more and everyone hungry for Star Wars.
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