I deliberately waited until today to post about the newest Star Wars trailer, mostly because I figured I was just getting caught up in the tidal wave of nostalgia that everyone else is flailing in. (Well, that, and it’s kind of fun to watch my husband completely fanboy over this!) So I watched it again today, and you know what? It’s even BETTER the next day. Kind of like Thanksgiving leftovers.
Why is this trailer so great? Let me count the reasons:
1) I will always, always defer to John Williams’ amazing and timeless score. Each musical motif is instantly recognizable, and it transports you simultaneously to all the other moments in the original films, evoking as powerful a response as any score ever has.
2) “Who are you?” “I’m no one.” The reluctant hero, already in place. In a span of seconds, you know exactly what kind of story they’re preparing to tell.
3) The Lucasfilm title screen. I’m sorry, but that just gives me goosebumps. Always will.
4) The reluctant stormtrooper, looking for meaning in his life, looking for a second chance–think Bicentennial Man or AI and it’s easy to see why this is the perfect character type to introduce here. Sure, we’ve had humanoid robots since the beginning, but we’re zeroing in nice and close on the essence of humanity and what it means to be human.
5) The shot of Darth Vader’s mangled helmet. “I will finish what you started.” Simple. Evil. Done. I mean, really, what kind of Big Bad did you expect? But the extra dose of pure motivation lets us know that this quest is personal. The villian is truly a disciple of Darth Vader.
6) “There are stories about what happened.” “It’s true. All of it” HELL YES IT IS! WE ALL KNOW THE STORIES! But, y’know, if you’ve been living under a rock for the past twenty years, have a seat and hear all about them. From freaking Han Solo himself. Could NOT get better. No worries about an unreliable narrator here, because we’ve been with Han from the beginning, watching him live these stories. And now we’re going back. BAM–right in the nostalgia feels.
7) “The Force…it’s calling to you.” Bringing the viewer right into the heart of the story. Opening the door, waiting for you to “just let it in.”
And you thought I was just going to write about the gorgeous cinematography and cool explosions. Silly.
I AM READY FOR THIS.
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