The full-length trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens dropped last night. It feels like we’re getting this longer look at the film kind of late, but never second-guess JJ Abrams’ ability to stoke the craziness of the fandom. I will say this… I’m relieved after watching this. Not that I was incredibly worried before, but there were concerns that Han Solo and Luke would simply be dragged out for what amounted to extended cameos. After watching this, I have a feeling that Han is central to the story in a vital way. I also feel like they’re saving Luke for something powerful, like maybe all of the central characters are searching for him (as he sits by a fire with R2D2?). Here’s the trailer:
Kylo Ren/Adam Driver is the one in the black mask which looks sort of like an anteater. We also get a glimpse of Poe, played by Oscar Isaac. And I feel comfortable saying that Daisy Ridley and John Boyega are truly the leads, that they are centering the story and that they can handle it. I hope.
Anyway… I’m impressed and intrigued. I’m sure this will be massively successful!
Photos courtesy of ‘Star Wars’, Disney.
Boyega!
“I’m in the movie. What are you going to do about it?”
He’s so bad ass.
He looks good. Daisy, on the other hand is very wooden. A casting fail there. A big casting fail.
Oh yeah woo hoo yee hah!!!!’ I have loved Star Wars since I first saw it as a wide-eyed 7 year old in 1977. We are going with our young padawans…oops kids.
Am not going to read any spoilers or reviews…I want no knowledge prior to seeing it. And genuine surprise at the storyline.
Please don’t screw this up JJ, please.
LOL, my thoughts exactly. I remember being super excited for the prequels and man, what a mess that was. As a fan since childhood (ohhh I wish I still had my toys! My kingdom for my Imperial Walker!) I was so heartbroken but now I have hope again…please let this movie be awesome.
If only I’d known how much the original toys were would be worth I’d have bought two of each. 🙂 I could have paid for college!
Regarding the trailers, I remember enjoying the Phantom Menace trailers. And the actual movie came out.
And when the first teaser for this came out I was watching, thinking ‘ok, that’s alright. But remember Phantom Menace. Don’t get to hopeful. Oh, here’s the theme and the Millennium Falcon, I’m in!’.
Whoever is putting together these trailers is very, very good at their jobs.
My son still has all his original action figures.
In worried because his Star Trek was so bland and forgettable. If he ruins this I will hate him forever!
My thoughts exactly. JJ knows how to deliver a good trailer but many of his movies fall short of the trailer. However, I will say he is a big Star Wars fan and he wants to do right with the property, so my hopes are high.
The trailer looks good. Honestly, the person I was most impressed with: Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). Hate to say that Daisy Ridley and John Boyega’s characters come across basic in that trailer, hoping the movie proves me wrong on those two characters.
They could have put up a test pattern, though, this movie is making all the money no matter how good or bad it turns out to be.
Trailer was the best thing about the crappy football game I was watching!
I think the majority of the people disagree with you on that. Seeing the box office and the home sales when the DVD/Blu-Ray came out. It was very good. I loved it! Can’t wait for the third. JJ is awesome. Trekkers loved it. Even non Trekkers loved it. The nerd fandom loved it and will love The new Star Wars.
@Addison: Not all of us Trekkies loved it! I hated them both. On the other hand, I have never been a Star Wars fan but I this looks moderately interesting. We’ll see.
That’s how I feel! I’m now wondering if Luke has turned to the dark side – or pretending to do so. “I’m going to finish what you started” sounds like something a son might say to a father.
That would be an interesting angle!
My faith is not there. He loused up Superman too. Why do people keep giving him projects? Surely he cannot be the only sci-fi director in town. Every hardcore fan of any franchise he touches HATES him.
Secondly, I don’t know if I want to shell out the money and fight the crowds to see the film when it opens… the last three Star Wars were SO BAD.It’s like going back to a bad boyfriend….
Oh, we will see. There are bigger issues in the world..
I’m going to be hopeful for this project. JJ so far has been somewhat questionable with his reboots, but his original material has been pretty good. Since this isn’t either, let’s hope for the best!
He has nothing to do with Superman.
“Dear JJ Abrams, Please don’t mess this up”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=136&v=_joDNOpeWWo
I feel quite comfortable in betting that this movie will make all the money. All of it. We’ll have to move to a barter system after this movie comes out because of the lack of money left in the world 😉
As for the actual trailer, I’m basically Kermit excitedly flailing over here. Can’t wait.
^ This, so much!! I can’t wait. I’m doing the Kermit dance quietly at my desk!!!
I’m with you. Just take all my money. I’m so excited!!!
Am SOOOOO stoked for this – and yes Rylo Ken is a Skywalker, am in the camp that he’s either Luke or Leia’s son.
Boyega is going to be huge – his character is being lined up to be the new Luke.
I’m with you on this one
In the books, one of Han and Leia twins goes dark side, so I’m with you on the premise that Ken is a Skywalker.
OK, I’m excited. I’ll admit it.
That actually brought a tear to my eye! The original trilogy was a staple of my childhood (I remember seeing Empire and Jedi in the theater…not Star Wars–too little). My husband and I are beyond excited to see this. Can’t wait!
Yep, made me sob with happiness.
I remember Christmas when I was 4 or 5- my parents bought me all the Star Wars action figures and a Death Star playset. Star Wars had a HUGE impact on me growing up. Unashamedly still a huge fan.
My son had all the action figures plus the big model of the Millennium Falcon. I had to go to ten different stores to find that thing in 1977; it was sold out absolutely everywhere.
I was so relieved to read your post, smcollins. I was truly surprised by my reaction. Huge lump in my throat and tears in my eyes – I thought wtf? I was a young adult, I think, when I saw the first Star Wars, but the sights and sounds gave me one of those intense memories you sometimes have where you feel entirely back in the place. I hope I don’t sob through the whole movie, because I’m definitely seeing it!
Jonathan and GNAT:
I’m glad to know, too, that I wasn’t alone with my emotional response to the trailer! I wasn’t expecting to have that kind of reaction, but it definitely left me feeling childlike giddiness. ☺️
Tears here too, are you kidding? Han Solo is everything😘, forever. Thus series spurred my love of sci fi and geekery and honestly I don’t think JJ can mess it up. I know there will be some grumbles no matters what he does or doesn’t do, and I couldn’t care less. (And I loved his Trek movies, but I admit that my first a Trek experience so I am not as invested as the original fans).
I feel the same way as you all. I’m so emotional about it. Star Wars was the defining film for me as a kid.
I even had the full-length LP of the audio of the movie*. I sat in my room and listened to it over and over again.
*for those younger fans, this is how we did it in the just-before-videotape days.
@Miagirl- I had it on tape and my whole family used to listen to it on car trips.
My parents very kindly let me recite all of Princess Leia’s lines. My brother was Luke. Mum was Darth Vader!
Thank you for reminding me of that!!!
Once I saw Hans, I felt emotional too. Star Wars was such a defining moment of my adolescence. I’ll be there with my huz and 8YO to watch. I hope JJ doesn’t f*ck it up, cause there’ll be hell to pay.
I’m not even that big a fan of Star Wars….but even I wanted to cry with the first teaser they released, when Han said “Whoa”………
Same here! It came out before I was born, but my dad was a huge fan so I watched the original trilogy multiple times growing up, to the point where I could recite every word. Like everyone, I was so disappointed by those god-awful prequels. George Lucas should never be allowed to write a script again.
I’m so excited, I’ve already booked my IMAX 3D tickets!! 🙂
Hearing the sound of it made me mist up! I was working and and some grown a*s men were cheering out loud when the trailer came on. Reminds me of being that 6th grader seeing Empire strikes back and being in complete awe.
I’ve always been meh about Star Wars; the first Star Wars movie I watched was Episode 1: The Phantom Menace and it was so awful I nearly walked out of the movie theatre. Since then I’ve caught up with all the other movies but none of them are amazing to me.
This looks kinda generic space opera fare, though I think partly it’s cos JJ Abrams is keeping the plot under wraps. They are really banking on the nostalgia factor here for people to turn up in droves to see this, and they’re probably right. I like that it is more contemplative and quieter than what I would have expected. But otherwise, none of it gets me excited.
I’m so sorry that Phantom Menace was your first intro into the Star Wars world 🙁
Really, that’s so sad, I loved the first trilogy, hated the other movies… The first were great…
I also saw Phantom Menace first, but quickly went to my local library and got out the original trilogy on VHS (it was 1999 after all). I have to say though, if it weren’t for Yoda being in Phantom Menace, I might not even have bothered. So thank you Frank Oz.
I agree with you, even though I saw the original 3 movies on TV as a kid, then the prequels in the cinema.
None of it impressed me.
OK story, but IMO there are so many better, more interesting sf/space films out there, I never understood the fascination and popularity of Star Wars.
Maybe it’s a generational thing?
I think part of it is a generational thing, if one grew up in the 1970s when the original trilogy was made I suppose you’d be blown away by the special effects and such. My generation’s greatest trilogy is Lord of The Rings and I absolutely adored that and love the special effects.
For me, my first SW experience was The Phantom Menace and I hated it so much. I only watched the original trilogy sometime in the 2000s when it aired on telly, and by then the special effects have definitely regressed so the wow factor is gone for me. And the story is basically the same generic good vs evil throughout the movies so that didn’t stick with me either.
Totally with you there, I was 13 when I saw Phantom Menace, and I was bored out of my mind. Thinking back on it, it was around the time when The Matrix came out, and there was just no comparison.
Then LOTR came out a few years later and blew my mind.
So beyond excited for this, along with the rest of the world. Although I fear that if this movie doesn’t deliver there will be riots!
Where is Luke freaking Skywalker?!
I was wondering the same thing…
Being kept under wraps. I bet we don’t see Mark Hamill doing promo for this either.
We can hear him…. He will be there!
I wouldn’t be surprised if we don’t see him in any of the trailers. They’re keeping him shrouded in mystery and I personally love that.
Under the anteater mask.
I thought where is Luke Skywalker? Then I thought oh no don’t tell me he is a bad guy under a mask.
If he turns out to be the baddie, don’t think my heart could take it….but the bad guy seems to have the force like Luke.
I have read a lot of speculation that he is a Sith lord/dark side today. I just don’t buy it!
Maybe that is him touching r2d2? Didn’t he go into hiding after he found about his dark-side so he wouldn’t turn?
It is him touching R2, rumour has he’s going to be a mentor to the new Jedis in the next two films
I get chills every time I see these trailers. Can’t. Wait.
you said it sista!
The trailer seemed rather lacking in Lupita and Gwendolyn.
Not sure about Gwendoline, but my understanding is that Lupita has a small role in this one, with the role to get bigger in future installments.
Domnhall Gleeson was also not present in the trailer either.
Gwen was in it – she’s the shiny chrome stormtrooper. You see her in a few shots.
The voice over is Lupita and Gwendolyn is in the platinum armour. They’re more of a presence than Luke freaking Skywalker!
Still not enough Oscar Isaac…but I’d be saying that if he was the only person in the trailer! 😉
I’ll have to watch it again but i thought the female voice overs was a mix of Daisy and maybe Lupita (but i thought I heard Carrie as well).
I didn’t hear Carrie but yes Daisy speaks briefly. The end is Lupita.
Whose voice was used for the voiceover towards the end? That sounds like Lupita.
It’s her. The only other woman you her briefly is Daisey (she’s British).
Rumour has it Lupita’s character is on the poster, just above BB-8. A bit Yoda-ish?
The character right at the beginning – peering into the camera and climbing down a rope – is Lupita’s character, Maz Kanata, going by what I’ve read. Sounds like Lupita saying “Who are you?”, too, and possibly the voiceover at the end. Gwen Christie is the chrome stormtrooper seen in a few shots.
Maz Kanata’s face will be motion-captured/CGI, by the way. Shame Lupita’s real face won’t be in the film.
I want this to be awesome so I’m staying reserved. If it sucks jj will be paying for this error for some time.
true! and star wars fan will not let him live it down either. I think based off of the trailer that he probably hit it out of the park
People said that about Star Trek and Superman– and yet, here he is. Again.
It was just enough to tease but not nearly enough to spoil the whole film. I am so excited. Bought my tickets before Fandango crashed. I’m all set!
So long as it doesn’t go the way of Indiana Jones 4, then, yes, I’m stoked!
Oscar Isaac, that’s all I’ve got.
can we share? ever since I saw him in Drive…mmm. Ex-machina was great too with that face full of hair…*swoon*
Yes, of course. I think he’s such a talent. I don’t think Ex Machina would have had that effect without him. He’s brilliant. So, yeeeeiii to more of Isaac supporters!
I still watch the original trilogy at least once a year. I have properly blacked out the prequels. This trailer is good, but not as amazing as the first teaser released. Regardless, there are going to be multiple trips to the theater for this one.
The prequels doesn’t exist. It was just a figment of our collective nightmares, lol.
+ 10000000 !!!!
The prequels doesn’t exist. It was just a figment of our collective nightmares, lol
I love this!
But not everything was that bad in the prequels! 🙂
@Nephelim – if by “not everything was that bad”, you mean Ewan McGregor, then all the YES.
Fallon, I concur wholeheartedly!!!
What George Lucas did to the original Star Wars is a travesty. Han shot first, dammit! I’m not watching it again until Lucas puts it back the way it was.
Hmm. The images look good but I’m kind of unmoved by it. Lacking in something, passion? The female lead reminds me of Natalie Portman. So I guess she is Princess Lei’s daughter.
Yes! Not in the looks , in her lack of on-screen presence . She is like an animated doll.
Natalie Portman has screen presence. The Padme role was just awfully written.
It didn’t make me choke up the way the first trailer did (that was a master stroke on someone’s part), but it still has all my fangirl senses tingling,
I’m cautiously optimistic-it would be hard to screw this up the way Lucas did with the prequels. JJ does loves his effects, but I’m hoping he is coming at this more from a reverent fanboy angle than the “this is my dream that you peons (that made this a legendary franchise) simply don’t understand, and it doesn’t matter if it is a sloppy effects driven-at-the-expense-of-story mess”.
Now if I can just get tickets.
The British accent is throwing me off. Daisy is gorgeous (literally the only requirement for the part, I read the casting call) but I’m not a fan of the accent if she is supposedly Han/Leia’s kid. (Okay, I may be biased because I’m tired of the Brit invasion in Hollywood right now). But, serious question, shouldn’t the villain want to finish what the emperor started?
I don’t think she is Han/Lei’s kid – seems she has been born and raised on the planet they find her on. Rylo Ken however….
I think the only reason Daisy was cast was because of her resemblance and mannerisms to Keira Knightly – she looks and sounds just like her.
Boyega – he has talent and a great career ahead of him.
“(literally the only requirement for the part, I read the casting call)”
Wait, what!? Tell us more!
I was glad to see Leia alive and older in this movie, some spoilers said she died young a year after Endor.
Me and my friend have been talking about this since this spring so….whether or not it was crap it would have pried open our wallets. Happy that it is not.
Totally stoked!!!!
Can’t wait!!!!
Thank God for J.J. Abrams. The story deserved a better director than George Lucas. The trailer felt a little Star Trek-ish to me, but that’s okay. So, so excited to see this.
Exactly,. People are criticizing J.J. up the thread but , really, he is on a whole other level entirely than Lucas.
It shows nothing. 2 second jump cuts of pretty visuals and loads of staring intently. Big deal. Showing nothing of the actual plot says to me that this movie can’t be any good. It stirred by pretty visuals to see ANYTHING. JJ and Disney is counting on the fact that people are gullible. It will make tons of money, but I doubt if will be any good.
I am stoked. But I took an immediate dislike to Daisy, Granted, it is only a trailer but she doesn’t have the acting chops from what I see.
I liked John Boyega a lot.
LOL – me too. I was instantly irritated by her, don’t know why. She seems to have a perm constipated face in most of the clips i’ve seen of her.
Love Boyega – guy has talent and a great career ahead of him.
I read that there is also going to be a spin off with a female lead and they cast Felicity Jones in that.
Felicity is a good actress, I am looking forward to that one.
Ok. Here are my theories after watching this trailer and a headline which asked why Luke isn’t on the movie poster:
– Luke is the new Darth. I don’t know why he went over to the dark side. I thought he’d be the head of a new Jedi academy. Why would anybody have the helmet of Vader if he was burned on that funeral pyre? Who would take it out and keep it as a memento? Luke? Because wasn’t he the only one there?
– The girl is either the daughter or granddaughter of Han and Leia. I don’t think Luke ever got married or got with a woman, so I don’t think she’s descended from him.
Anyhoo, I hope this movie isn’t as bad as the three (or four) previous to it. I hope it’s not a nearly 2 hours-long retail commercial for selling new products with the story being secondary or tertiary, like the other 3-4 movies were. I hope it’s as good as the first or second. But then I’ve lost hope in Lucas’ storytelling sensibilities.
In Jedi, he left remember? He left to go into hiding so he wouldn’t turn to the dark-side. So its very possible. He was in exile for most of the time. So it possible he flipped anyway.
I think the only reason Daisy was cast was due to her resemblance to Natalie Portman. She looks a lot like a young Natalie Portman from the prequels we’d like to forget exist. She’s probably Han and Leia’s daughter, it would make sense. So Amidala would be her grandmother.
I’m not too worried if this is terrible because my company is paying for all of us to see it so I won’t be paying for the ticket. Sent the e-mail around this morning (tickets went on sale last night).
As for Luke not being in the trailer or in the movie poster that was just released, I see only two possibilities: either he is dead or dies early on in the movie and shows up in flashbacks or he is now the Head Honcho of the Dark Side and they’re trying to keep it under wraps.
I don’t think Luke is the head honcho bad dude. Mark Hammill is just not a good enough actor, nor is he enough of a box office draw, to have such an important role — one that would presumably continue into at least two more movies (I’m assuming we have a new trilogy in the works).
I think the masked person is Han and Leia’s child. I’m going to guess that Luke plays the Yoda role, and trains the young Jedi(s) who eventually kill the masked bad guy.
I have no idea, but, just guessing from what I’ve seen in the trailers, I’m thinking that the original
cast are only doing cameos in this film. I just keep seeing lots and lots of the new young actors.
I hope I’m wrong. I am not in the least interested in the young cast.
I am gonna be checking the reviews before I pay to see it. If the reviews suck-forget it.
Cannot. Freakin. Wait.
My husband and I are doing the midnight showing thing, I’m using personal time in lieu of work the next day to recover, and I will be freakin be there.
Palpatine/Vader ’16 shirt and all…
The science for this SF universe is a bit naff but I’ll watch it anyway. Good to see some fresh faces and familiar ones too.
I am thinking that with the tremendous crowds this one is going to draw, I might not get to see it until it makes it to video. I hate crowds.
I’m excited and scared. My hopes are so high that I’m worried I’ll be easily let down! Those prequels ruined everything, and now with the original cast, I’d be heartbroken if this didn’t live up to the hype. Fingers crossed. And I hope to two lesser-knowns are good in their roles if they’ve got such large roles?
Will forever be a fan of the first 3, but Phantom Menace caused something to die inside of me, and it has never grown back. I won’t watch any new Stars Wars movies. I don’t have it in me to care.