After a few days of false alarms — did you buy the fake (though quite well done) trailer that was circulating or were you Rick-rolled? — the real, official teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens is now online.
Fans in 30 selected markets will get to see the trailer on screen over the holiday weekend before a particular movie (believed to be Big Hero 6 in many cases), but it was only a matter of time before the teaser made its debut online. Perhaps wanting to avoid smartphone-filmed bootlegs showing up all over YouTube, Disney decided to release the trailer on Black Friday through iTunes.
So here is the trailer, in all 88 seconds of geek glory.
http://youtu.be/Je0ZEk_VMLw
Any question of whether or not this was the real thing was taken care of right away, with John Boyega (Attack the Block, 24: Live Another Day) seen in a Stormtrooper outfit without his helmet. A deserter Imperial soldier is the role he’d been rumored to be playing ever since production began on Star Wars: Episode VII. No video game footage or a clip from another film here.
We also get a glimpse of newcomer Daisy Ridley, whose character has long been rumored to be the daughter of Han Solo and Princess Leia, riding a boxy, industrial-looking land speeder that’s been revealed on much of the Star Wars concept art leaked online. (If you want to avoid possible spoilers, you may not want to click on that link, as there are some new characters and possible plot points shown.)
As thrilling as it is to see any footage from J.J. Abrams’ new Star Wars film, I might argue that this teaser lacks a memorable “money shot” that will get fans really excited. I’m thinking of seeing Darth Maul unsheath that double-bladed lightsaber in the Star Wars: Episode I trailer, released in 1998.
Of course, that’s purely a subjective opinion. For plenty of fans, hearing John Williams’ legendary theme music kick in could bring enough awesome.
There are many visual goodies. That new rolling droid looks like a cool upgrade to the likes of C-3PO and R2D2. We do see a new sort of lightsaber, presumably wielded by an evil Sith Lord. And then there’s the Millennium Falcon, streaking up into the sky. OK, never mind what I said in the previous paragraph: That was a money shot. Based on what we’re shown of that starship, along with X-Wing fighters, it does appear that the camera will shoot those crafts and aerial dogfights in a far more dynamic fashion.
Whew! Is that enough of a taste to fill that Star Wars appetite for now? Did this teaser meet your expectations? Star Wars: The Force Awakens will hit theaters on December 18, 2015.
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