May the SQUEEEE be with you!

So of course I watched it:

:: Interesting how the first couple of trailers were about revving up the excitement level for the return of Star Wars, with money shots like the crashed Star Destroyer, the Millennium Falcon in combat, and Han Solo’s line, “Chewie, we’re home.” This time the focus is on setting the mood that this is a new story and that our heroes of old are just that, heroes of old. We’re into Star Wars: The Next Generation territory here.

:: First dialogue exchange in the trailer, via voiceover:

“Who are you?”
“I’m no one.”

Was anyone else expecting the first voice to reply, “A lie!”?

:: I like the quiet mood at the start. Interesting choice. Muted music, the creaking of the rope as our masked heroine descends into what looks like an abandoned landing bay.

:: Setting up characters: an anonymous junk collector on a desert planet. A stormtrooper whose ship has crashed. A villain who seems to be worshipping Darth Vader (wonder how he got the mask — was he on Endor at the time of the battle?).

:: The music swells and suddenly we’re seeing the Falcon as the old Love Theme from The Empire Strikes Back surges. Cool.

:: Han Solo is bearing witness about the events he witnessed. He is bearing witness about The Force. Remember how he was when we first met him, blowing off the Force as “simple tricks and nonsense”? Calling it a “hokey religion”? This is the weathered, wiser Han Solo.

:: And speaking of that, anyone now agreeing that Han should have died in Return of the Jedi can shut it.

:: Lots of interesting action shots….

:: Very brief shot of a droid that looks like a direct homage to the robots from Castle in the Sky. I’m interested to see this film’s visual look. Might Hayao Miyazaki have been an influence? How awesome would that be, to see another Japanese master’s work echoed in Star Wars!

:: “The Force is calling to you. Just let it in.” I wonder who is hearing this?

:: No Luke Skywalker. We know he’s in the movie, but he’s been almost completely absent from the film’s marketing. Obviously there’s some kind of surprise in store regarding Luke.

:: The trailer ends, musically, with an ethereal chord and a single French horn sounding the Star Wars theme. Great moment.

Obviously, a trailer isn’t a movie, so we won’t know if JJ Abrams has delivered until December. But this trailer sure gave me the old familiar goosebumps. Man, what a great couple of months November and December are shaping up to be! James Bond, Star Wars, and The Song of Forgotten Stars all get new installments! Wow!