By: Randy Soltero
It would appear everybody on the internet is sharing the same single thought: “It’s Finally Here”. During this year’s Star Wars Celebration event in Orlando, Florida, the first teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi was released to the masses. The heart drops, the shivers, and literal goosebumps were all intact for each of my viewings of the trailer (yes, there were many) and now, more than ever, I am absolutely psyched for December.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is the eighth installment of the epic space sage that started back in 1977. We now have our first glimpse into Rey’s training under the slightly dark, tutelage of Luke Skywalker. And from the looks of it he isn’t going easy on her. Rey is seen learning to use the force cut between several gorgeous shots of the island we last saw them on. As she is instructed to “just breath” and reach out for a vision. Rey claims to see visions of light, darkness and the balance. It definitely seems that Rey is getting closer to her force imbued destiny. We also get an amazing shot of Rey practicing her lightsaber techniques which appear to be far more advanced than the unruly, aggressive swings we saw in The Force Awakens. An image of a smashed black helmet, seemingly belonging to Kylo Ren, and a glimpse of the Jedi Symbol brought both chills to my skin as well as questions that desperately need to be answered. Could it be the cover of The Jedi’s Path? Possibly left by Obi-Wan and now being used by Luke? It definitely doesn’t look to have been kept in the best condition, so collectors beware. The opening moments also feature a seriously ominous voice whispering in the background of Rey and Luke’s conversation that I didn’t pick up on at first, but now that I have is still freaking me out.
After a personal intro focusing mostly on Luke and Rey with a dash of the back of Leia's head, the trailer slaps you in the face with some quick, but effective, action shots. Some new vehicles, that almost seem reminiscent of Episode I’s pod racers, appear strafing and smashing across the desert towards a fleet of menacing Walkers. The Millennium Falcon makes it’s much needed debut, shown in the midst of battle and pursued by Tie Fighters…again. A quick shot of an epic space battle whizzes by, showing imagery that is redolent of the original trilogy. These scenes were always amongst my favorites, so seeing X-Wings and B-Wings in the heat of battle was a real treat.
In what was probably my favorite clip from trailer, we see what appears to be a flashback of the night the Jedi Temple was destroyed. While Luke collapsed to his knees in front of a burning temple, my heart dropped straight into my own. We also got a few glimpses at some returning characters including John Boyega’s Finn, who appears to still be in healing stasis; Oscar Isaac’s Poe seen in a hangar dodging an exploding X-Wing; and of course Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren with an intense close-up of the Knight of the Ren twisting his distinct hilted lightsaber. As the trailer comes to a close we are left with some disheartening and seriously concerning words from Luke, proclaiming that “It’s time for The Jedi…to end." Luke is shown as a much darker, grittier, and grayer version than we have ever seen before. While that may put off some purists of the series, I think it will be great to see another side of everyone’s favorite moisture farmer. Oh man. Life is going to be good this Christmas.
If I wasn’t impatiently waiting for December before, I’ve officially decided that a South Park-ian approach to waiting for release day may be in order. The trailer fills you with so much dread for the future of these characters that it’s hard not to recollect back on The Empire Strikes Back. If the new trilogy continues to somewhat mirror the emotional gravity of the original trilogy, we can certainly expect a deeply personal and dark ride when The Last Jedi hits theaters. The feelings of legacy, lost hope, and the training of a new Jedi feel right at home in the universe, and seem to be shared by Star Wars fans across the world. Star Wars: The Last Jedi stars Daisy Ridley, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, John Boyega, Benecio Del Toro and is confirmed to feature, the late great, Carrie Fisher as Leia Organa. It’s being directed by Looper director Rian Johnson and is set to be released December 15th 2017. And not a moment too soon, because a trailer like this truly makes a guy feel like he could take on the whole empire himself.
What were your favorite parts of the trailer? Let us know if we missed something important in the comments!