Source: iTunes Trailers | Posted By: Dan Geer
The trailer to end all other trailers is here.
Today, Black Friday, we get our first glimpse of official footage from J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Episode VII of the Star Wars Saga). Until now, we knew next to nothing about this film when compared with any of the other sequels/prequels in the Star Wars Saga. Today, that all changes.
It’s best if I say no more, so just head on over to iTunes Trailers to watch 88 seconds of footage from the most anticipated movie since The Phantom Menace, then head back to this article for my initial reaction to the trailer.
Update: Trailer also embedded below in HD, along with my initial reaction.
So, my intial reaction? Well, while I think this looks cool, it was disappointing to not even get a glimpse of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, or any of the original trilogy characters. It was a great tease, and it is all right and proper to show us some of the new characters that are probably more a part of the story than the original trilogy cast, but come on now! Not even Chewie, 3P0 or R2?! But hey, we did get to see the Millennium Falcon in action!
This footage has J.J. Abrams all over it. This could go either way. While his style of film-making should be infused into the film, this is STAR WARS, so there’s a certain pacing and style that comes with the territory. Even Irvin Kershner and Richard Marquand – who directed The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, respectively – still knew how to make their films feel like Star Wars. Episodes I-VI, love them or hate them, feel like the serials of the 1930s and 40s. The trailers for those films felt the same way. To me, this trailer feels more like something from the newer Star Wars video games or fan films, which has me a bit worried.
However, this is only the trailer, and doesn’t really show us what the film will actually look, sound, and feel like when all is said and done. I do like this trailer. The film does look great. It just doesn’t feel like Star Wars to me yet.
Update #2 (11/30): My reaction you just read above is what I thought immediately following viewing the trailer for the first time two days ago. I believe I had only watched it twice. It was meant to dish out my immediate reaction to seeing the first footage from Star Wars: Episode VII. Just pure, raw emotion. I loved it then, but also had mixed feelings.
Now that I’ve had time to process what we all saw two days ago, I thought I’d also expand upon that initial reaction. To put it plainly, the more I watch the trailer, the more it feels like Star Wars. Sure, I’m still a bit let down we didn’t get to see any characters from the original trilogy, and the shaky cam shots are still a bit off-putting. But overall, I love what I see here more and more. Sometimes it just takes time to get used to seeing something new, particularly for the Star Wars franchise (although, as far as trailers go, it took a bit more time for me to get used to this than the trailers for the prequels when they first premiered).
In addition, while we do know more than we did before the trailer hit those 30 lucky theaters and the web, we still don’t know much at all – which is great! This movie is still pretty much a complete mystery. It’s just so cool to have a Star Wars film where we really don’t have a clue as to how it will play out.
Next year, we will have so many great blockbusters hitting theaters. So much to look forward to. But this film is the one that we’re all the most anxious to see. My brain is now in full Star Wars mode through the end of next year after seeing this teaser, and probably far beyond that. Once we actually see more trailers, and then finally the movie, we probably won’t be able to think about anything else until Episode VIII. Hopefully we can all lower expectations so as not to ruin the experience, but let’s face it: People cannot help but get insanely excited for a new Star Wars film, let alone one we hardly know anything about!
Star Wars: The Force Awakens, directed by J.J. Abrams, stars Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Lupita Nyong’o, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, Gwendoline Christie, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Christina Chong, Pip Andersen, Crystal Clarke, Dixie Arnold, Andy Serkis, John Boyega, Max von Sydow, Peter Mayhew, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker and Warwick Davis. The film hits theaters nationwide December 18, 2015.
