Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Breathe, Just Breathe: Our Reaction to Star Wars: The Last Jedi Teaser Trailer


Last Friday, during the annual Star Wars Celebration in Orlando, a teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi was released and left fanboys and fangirls scrambling to force every bit of information out of those two glorious minutes of footage. What did we think of the trailer? Let's find out!



Anna Gensimore
This trailer caught me by surprise! I thought that they were going to wait until May 4th to release it... but I'm glad that they didn't wait.

The trailer has given me so much to think about: Why is Kylo Ren's helmet smashed? Am I getting hints about Grey Jedi? Is this what bringing balance to the force truly means??? Luke... what are you doing? Where are they that has red space dust? What's going to happen to General Organa? And most importantly... IS FINN STILL IN A COMA?

But overall, I'm hoping that Rian Johnson's contribution to the Star Wars Saga answers these questions while managing to create more. Who knows, maybe we'll get a "Rey, I am your father" moment in The Last Jedi, maybe not. Either way I am so excited!!


Alex McCarron
Oh, this is going to be fun! And so beautiful. Whatever happens in The Last Jedi (and, let’s be honest, that title does not bode well), I have the feeling that it’s going to be a wonderful ride. Here are some more thoughts, roughly in order.
  • Is that a real island? (Yes. Yes it is.)
  • Rey and Luke bonding! Honestly, that’s all I’m here for.
  • Gorgeous scenery. Gorgeous music. Everything is gorgeous.
  • No sign of Han Solo, which means that he just might… you know… be really, truly, completely dead. But who knows! There’s hope yet.
  • God, I hope Finn wakes up during this movie.
  • “It’s time for the Jedi to end.” Sure, that’s why you still have one more movie to go.
So, yeah, you could say I have high hopes for this one. And the trailer didn’t lower them at all.


Izzy Stevenson
Ah, it’s good to be back! Star Wars is one of my very favorite cinematic universes. So, of course, I couldn’t be more hyped about the teaser trailer release! Here’s my thoughts on it.

Of course, it’s great to see everyone again. It’s great to see Poe in action. I was afraid he would have too small a role in the film to appear in the teaser, so it’s great finding out that’s not the case.

The smashed helmet/mask. Is it Vader’s? Is it Kylo Ren’s? Who smashed it? And why?

LUKE. My son. My son is a teacher. So proud. *sniffs* Seriously, though, I cannot wait to see the training scenes between him and Rey. We’ve already seen Luke as the student, so it’ll be interesting to see what he’s like when the roles are reversed.


I’ve seen a lot of people speculating that Luke might be going to the dark side, due to his comments about the Jedi needing to end. While no one can know for sure until we see the actual movie, I really doubt that’s the case. I’ve talked a lot in previous Star Wars articles about how the Jedi are Actually Terrible. Yoda was one character in particular that I complained about in my Star Wars commentary series. Anakin most likely would never have gone to the dark side if it weren’t for Yoda’s ideological extremism – an extremism that all Jedi seem to adhere to. And I talked in a previous article about how Luke is often unfairly maligned for rebelling against Yoda’s advice and choosing instead to rescue his friends. Luke is a person who chooses love over Jedi doctrine, so it wouldn’t surprise me if he sees the Jedi as something dangerous that needs to be stopped. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me to find out he had temporarily adopted the Jedi’s stances, failed Kylo Ren in the process, has now come back to his old mindset, and is now trying to right his wrongs by bringing a balance between light and dark through Rey. I was with him all the way in the Original Trilogy, and I have a feeling I’ll be with him in this movie too.

Speaking of the balance between light and dark, that’s another thing I’ve written about in previous articles. As a big Reylo shipper, I’ve long wondered if the struggle between the light Rey and the dark Kylo might eventually lead to some kind of balance of the Force through them. Whether it ends up validating my ship or not, this is definitely a theme I look forward to the film exploring. Anyone who, like me, has looked up the Jedi Codes will notice there is such extremism in both the Jedi and Sith ideologies. Whereas Grey Jedi have a balance I would love to see finally portrayed on screen.

Overall, I am, of course, super psyched about this movie. December can not get here fast enough!


Jaime Heller
When I first watched the trailer, I had one reaction:


But then, I watched it again. And again. And... too many times to keep track. Each time I watch it, I notice something new and my fears of this movie completely ripping out my heart are a little relieved. I have no doubt it will still ruin me, especially with the red logo, the foreboding title, and the glimpses of destruction that were shown in the teaser. But I also have this sense of... hope? This movie is going to change Star Wars; I can feel it. Everybody is worried about Luke because of his narration in the trailer, that the Jedi must end. But I think there's more to it. I don't believe it's Luke turning to the Dark Side and demanding the annihilation of the Jedi (which don't really exist now anyways). I think, like Izzy mentioned, that Luke is working on something more--on a balance--through Rey. And I'm stoked to find out how it all pans out.


In addition, here is a short list of my reactions to the rest of the teaser:
  • Sneaky camera guys making me think we're in outer space when we're just on a rock! 
  • Look! It's Rey! And she's breathing heavily at the beginning of the trailer just like Finn in The Force Awakens trailer. Suspicious... 
  • (Does this mean Poe will show up breathing heavily at the beginning of Episode XI? Please say yes.)
  • (Also, the fact that I get to say Episode XI still sends a thrill through me.)
  • Luke! The island! Aaaahh!
  • Seriously the footage is glorious. Look at those rocks hovering in the air. I'm already in love. Because of CGI rocks.
  • Is that Leia in front of the hologram of the star system? I think it's Leia. (Who else could it be?)
  • (This movie is going to be the worst.)
  • All those voices in the background are interesting. I've had to rewatch this trailer like 8 bazillion times to figure out who is saying what. So far I've learned there is dialogue from Leia, Palpatine, Darth Vader (well, his breathing), Yoda, and Ben Kenobi.
  • The aerial shot of Rey practicing with the lightsaber is my favorite moment of the trailer. Chills. Every time. 
  • Finn! Poe! BB8! The Falcon! Rey! Kylo Ren!
  • You can see Kylo Ren's scar. I repeat, you can see Kylo Ren's scar.
  • Why is something burning?!?! NooooOOooooo!
  • Red logo! Abort mission. It's going to be too much.
  • The music. JUST THE MUSIC. I can't.
  • I think I need a minute to... breathe. 
Basically, the trailer slayed me. There is so much coming at us this December, and I'm excited for every minute of it. I might be worried, only because of the title and the red logo which signify a much darker turn of events, but I am also insanely stoked for this film.


Sky Destrian
I was sitting in the doctor's office when I found out the Last Jedi trailer had dropped. I eagerly watched it, even with the sound turned so low I couldn't hear it. I was glued to my screen, looking for first glimpses of the characters I loved so much. (In particular, I looked for Leia--she was there. ♥) Ultimately, though, I was just left with questions. And when I rewatched it with sound on, my questions still weren't answered! Like, is Finn okay? What's Poe doing? Is Rey doing okay? Whose mask is that? Who is even speaking? If Ben Kenobi is speaking, will he be involved in the movie/get a solo film (please)? Why does Luke want the Jedi wiped out? (Because that's not ominous or reminiscent of your father at all...)

These are all the questions I have, and they'll be answered soon with more trailer footage and the movie itself. And let me tell you something: I can't wait. I'm so excited, and I'm sure you are too.

We'll be watching this movie soon enough. Until then, we just have to remember to breathe. Just breathe...


What did you think of The Last Jedi teaser? What are your hopes for the next installment in the Star Wars saga? React with us in the comments below!

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