Abrams shows respect for the ways of the 'Force'

Diposkan oleh silent aja 12:39 AM Post a Comment

In a matter of 88 seconds, director J.J. Abrams gives new hope to Star Wars fans sorely missing certain aspects of George Lucas' original movie trilogy.

X-Wing Fighters, TIE Fighters, the Millennium Falcon and even a helmet-less guy running around in a Stormtrooper outfit all are showcased in the Star Wars: The Force Awakens teaser trailer that premiered in 30 theaters and online Friday morning. And in just under a minute and a half, Abrams showed how much of a Star Wars fan he really is.

While there were no discernible plot threads, one gets the sense that this movie continues the mythology of those original films. While the prequels told of how Anakin Skywalker would ultimately become Darth Vader, that legend has passed, and a new generation growing up on Star Wars needs a new tale with their own beloved characters to follow.

There are many callbacks to Lucas' first three movies, but instead of letting the Star Wars faithful see how Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill look now in that galaxy far, far away, Abrams introduces three of his new stars: John Boyega, the Stormtrooper we see in the beginning of the trailer, looking like he just woke up on the sandy planet Tatooine (where the original 1977 Star Wars began); Daisy Ridley, who is seen piloting some sort of speeder crate; and Oscar Isaac, who's in the cockpit of a ship in the familiar helmet, logo and red-orange flight togs of the Rebel Alliance.

The Empire was defeated at the end of 1983's Return of the Jedi, so why the continued need for Rebels? That's a question fans seemingly will get answered when the new movie opens Dec. 18. 2015 - or perhaps even learn in another trailer. In the meantime, this teaser has a voiceover with a mysterious voice saying, 'There has been an awakening. Have you felt it?' and the reveal of there still being a dark side of the Force.

There was always some Arthurian legend in the the story of Hamill's Luke Skywalker growing from farm boy to heroic Jedi Knight, and there is one cloaked figure in the teaser with a lightsaber that is Excalibur-esque - though it shines red, the color of Darth Vader and the evil Sith.

Aside from the much-maligned Jar-Jar Binks, Lucas' Star Wars prequels always felt too fake for some fans given the generous amount of computer-generated effects. Abrams, again, seems to be embracing a more old-school style - he has Stormtroopers jumbling about in their armor, readying their blasters to go off into battle, and mountainous backdrops that make the X-Wings seem real as they whoosh across water.

Abrams has long talked about how much he loved that original trilogy, and the last two Star Trek movies seemed more like Lucas' universe than anything William Shatner was ever involved in. Only someone who watched The Empire Strikes Back a lot would put in the little beeps and bloops of that Imperial probe on Hoth in a Star Wars film more than 30 years later.

There are enough little details and new things in the 88-second teaser - such as that rolling droid that could be the cutest thing since R2-D2 - to keep people speculating and chatting about what's to come.

Many will also recall that the teaser for The Phantom Menace in 1998, the first Star Wars seen on a big screen in 15 years, also looked pretty good. Yet, for those who grew up watching Ewoks celebrate three decades ago, seeing the Millennium Falcon strafe a couple of TIE Fighters makes all seem well with the Force again.