The moment we’ve all been waiting for is here. Here is the first look at the new “Star Wars” film, “The Force Awakens.”
There’s a lot to digest here, but I think the most important thing to remember is that this is a teaser. We know nothing about this film and the trailer illuminates next to nothing concrete. Thanks to the words of the narrator, we’re told that there’s been an awakening in the Force, both for the light side and the dark side. We know that there are still remnants of the Empire, clearly, and the Republic is fielding a military presence as well.
Technology in droids has certainly jumped, based on the soccer-ball droid we were given a glimpse of. The trailer seemed to introduce the actors that we’re told are the leads of the film, and the droid was given the same treatment. Could it play a major part? I hope so. I think it looks adorable and it bodes well for those of us worried that Abrams would turn the playful tone of “Star Wars” down for some reason.
I think the first shot of the trailer is the most telling, though. Our first glimpse of a new character in a “Star Wars” film is a young black man set to “Return of the Jedi” like sound-cues and the sound of a probe droid in the background. Juxtaposed with the narration about an awakening in the Force, it makes me wonder if John Boyega’s character suddenly wakes up to Force abilities, thereby confusing and terrifying him.
Who knows?
Though some people might be more enamored with the Millennium Falcon back in all of its glory outrunning TIE Fighters, I’m more impressed with Oscar Issac’s introduction here. He’s clearly an X-Wing pilot of some kind and then we’re treated to a trio of X-Wings skimming along the foggy surface of a lake. It’s beautiful and right out of “The Dam Busters.“
There’s already controversy brewing over the red lightsaber featured in the trailer, but I’m unconcerned about it. Look closely at it and it looks much more primitive than the lightsabers we’re accustomed to. It looks like a massive claymore, savage and barbaric, but primitive. We’ll see what the story is here, but my guess is that we’re not dealing with someone with the same sort of mastery of the Force that we’re used to.
As I said in my piece on the history of “Star Wars” trailers yesterday, I predicted that it would feel very much like that first breathing teaser for “Attack of the Clones,” and it did. It gave us, I feel, more information though, which is hard to do in a situation where you’re revealing next to nothing.
This trailer was a scant 88 seconds, but it told us everything and nothing. We’ll see what happens next.
But in the meantime, I’m a very happy boy.