With the “Star Wars Celebration” event being held in Anaheim through this weekend (April 16-19), fans anticipated that a new teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens would be released to kick off the festivities.
Sure enough, we do indeed have a new trailer. And it won’t just be seen in Anaheim. The second look at “Star Wars: Episode VII” hit the internet Wednesday afternoon. Here are your two minutes of Zen.
In the first teaser, released last Thanksgiving, we got brief glimpses at new cast members John Boyega and Daisy Ridley. Both have a somewhat larger presence in this new preview. Perhaps more importantly, we get a far better view of rumored villain Kylo Ren, who was seen in the previous trailer wielding a cross-hilt lightsaber. This time, we see the frontside of this new Star Wars bad guy.
Other memorable images and new characters shown in this trailer include an abandoned Star Destroyer, shipwrecked in the desert (which provides a bit of a nod to the opening shot of the very first Star Wars). Some upgraded darker, sleeker Tie Fighters are buzzing through the air. We see more of the updated Stormtrooper armor. And speaking of Stormtroopers, who is that decked out in the chrome armor and black cape? (Rumors have Game of Thrones‘ Gwendolyne Christie under the helmet.) Magnificent!
But as with that old, busted-up Star Destroyer, something else reminds us of what has passed in the Star Wars movie mythology and that this is a continuation of what came before it. Will the image of Darth Vader’s charred, melted helmet give you some nightmares tonight? Or maybe a little sad?
However, the most exciting aspect of this new Star Wars trailer is that we finally hear and see a few of the characters we’re so familiar with. Luke Skywalker narrates the beginning of the preview, talking about The Force and how it runs through his family. That’s probably him reaching out R2-D2. Yet the best is saved for last, when we see Han Solo and Chewbacca.
Sure, Han looks much older, kind of like someone we haven’t seen in nearly 30 years. Chewie looks like he received a little bit of Botox, though. (Or maybe it’s some CGI wizardry.) Can Botox work on fur? There’s not even a little grey in that mangy coat? Are we overanalyzing this a bit?
By the way, is that a smile we see on Harrison Ford’s face? When was the last time you saw the corners of his mouth curl upward? He’s acting! Hopefully, playing Han Solo again feels like putting on a broken-in, comfortable pair of jeans. “Chewie, we’re home,” he says, which captures the vibe so well. Aren’t we smiling too, seeing an old friend?
Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens on Dec. 18, which just seems like too far away.
