“Have you seen the new trailer for the new Star Wars movie yet?”
It’s an important question you may be asking your friends and family. Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens will be a continuation of the saga, more than thirty years after Return of the Jedi (1983), and it may be one of the most anticipated movies of 2015.
During the Thanksgiving weekend, the world was treated to the minute and a half trailer that revealed very little aside from a new lightsaber, a soccer ball droid and the Millenium Falcon. It is a teaser trailer, and there really isn’t that much in it. There is more time in the trailer of a blank screen than anything else, with short flickers of scenes, and a voiceover of an unidentified man talking about an awakening in “the Force”.
Though there is very little content in this trailer, and it is merely a preview for the full length trailer, this fact has not stopped individuals on social media from saying that it will be the death of Star Wars. Flip through the Youtube comment section, and you will see comments that say that the movie looks “disappointing” or even “stupid.”
The new lightsaber design has been the source of much controversy. Some believe it is impractical due to the fact that the two smaller beams protrude from the end of the hilt, to maybe act as cross guards. However, there is still part of the metal hilt left unprotected, which could be the source of some danger for the user, leading to speculation as to how the new lightsaber even works.
“Three focusing crystal activators to split the plasma into three perpendicular blade energy channels,” Stephen Colbert said. Colbert is not only the host of his self-titled show, The Colbert Report, but an avid Star Wars fan as well. He also uses this explanation to describe that all three beams are connected and do provide protection for the user.
Here’s what is known at this time: the movie will be directed by J.J. Abrams, much of the original cast will appear, and it will feature a completely new storyline, not from any of the expanded universe books or comics.
Many of the characters have not been revealed yet, and at least according to IMDB.com, George Lucas has not had as large a presence in the creation of this movie as he had in the creation of the Prequel trilogy. Still, he is acting as a creative consultant, overseeing the story.
“I mostly say, ‘You can’t do this. You can do that.’ You know, ‘The cars don’t have wheels. They fly with antigravity.’ There’s a million little pieces,” George Lucas said in an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek. “I know all that stuff.”
Though many of the character names have not been revealed yet, we know which actors and actresses will be starring in the movie. Returning are Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, Carrie Fisher as Leia Skywalker, Harrison Ford as Han Solo, and the original actors for Chewbacca, C3PO, and R2-D2. Newcomers include Andy Serkis of Lord of the Rings fame, John Boyega, Gwendoline Christie, and Oscar Isaac. Again, the details of the characters these actors portray, as well as their names, have not yet been announced.
With so little known about this movie, any feelings about it besides curiosity or confusion may be a case of judging a book by its cover. Many people do not like the fact that the movie is neither an original, nor a prequel. The only way to make an educated judgement about a movie is to watch it in its entirety, and many will be waiting impatiently for that opportunity.