Time for a reunion, you guys
And that trailer.... whoa! And I thought the first teaser looked great. This nearly two-minute glimpse into director J.J. Abram's upcoming addition to the Star Wars universe is a thrill ride. The eerie intro visuals on the desert planet; the mysterious narration by Luke; the heart-pounding action scenes showing us our new heroes and villains; and last but not least, the warm and fuzzy quick shot of Han and Chewie.
Abrams has successfully captured the look and feel of the original trilogy while introducing new elements and slight updates. New characters are a must. I'm not sure if such a film could survive on oldsters Hamill, Fisher, and Ford alone. Chewie maybe, and definitely the droids. But the young blood Abrams has injected into Episode VII so far seems to fit the bill. Some are familiar faces, but not too familiar. These folks can slip into the brand new characters and hopefully grow with them in sequels to follow.
My tiny R2 unit guarding my router
The introduction of what we believe is the new robotic star, BB-8, is so well-executed that even the most die-hard R2-D2 fans are all over it. BB-8 seems to have a "young" personality, sort of cute (rolling and bouncing like a child's ball) and innocent and curious. Perhaps not quite as clever, saucy, and mischievous as R2 - at least not yet. I wonder if BB (baby?) will evolve into something like R2, or if this will be his (or her) programmed personality for the next bunch of Star Wars movies.
The new trailer raises questions: like who got their hands on the twisted remains of Vader's mask? Luke... after the funeral pyre scene in the Jedi film? Somebody else... malevolent or benevolent?
And Poe, the pilot who shouts from the cockpit of his dazzling X-wing fighter... how does he figure into the story? A main character representative of the Rebel Alliance? Will he become part of the lives of Rey and Finn (who according to the trailer become allied)?
You are getting sleepy....
Rey, the young woman who is purportedly the main character, or at least one of them, bears an unmistakable resemblance to Padme Amidala. Is she part of that lineage? Maybe Leia's daughter? Or some relation.
Finn, the always sweaty and frantic fellow in stormtrooper armour in the trailers, has a backstory that we simply don't know yet. How does he fit in? Just a chance encounter that throws him into the fray and into the adventures that'll follow - in Ep. VII and beyond?
The bad guys are pretty cool in their very brief appearances: is that villain in the medieval Japanese style mask and outfit a Sith? He does that Force gesture with his hand, and in his other he holds a light saber. Hm. The stormtroopers are gussied up in slightly remodelled armour: most notable is the odd grin and dark shades (they look like sunglasses) on the helmet. Another trooper sports highly metallic-looking armour with a snazzy cape. Now that's a cool new look. Not to mention the funky get-up on the T.I.E. fighter pilot... black armour with red trim. There is something familiar about all of this stuff, very old-school Star Wars, reminiscent of the constructions in the original 1977 feature and its two sequels. And yet we've got fascinating little updates that are the eye-candy that fans want to see.
And of course, good ol' Han and Chewie in the final shot. Ford definitely looks his age, over 70, yet there was an attempt to retain the Han Solo haircut, or at least something like that. Chewbacca hasn't aged a day in appearance, though Wookiees are known to live for hundreds of years, so thirty some years is nothing to him. Han's voice and Chewie's roar are familiar and reassuring. We know we are in for a wonderful treat here... nostalgic but with an eye to the future... with new characters who'll carry on the legacy. And I should think that Wookiees and droids will always be part of the picture in the Star Wars universe.
May the Force be with you....
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