Author Geeks Out Over New STAR WARS Trailer

You should definitely take this article's title at face value. I offer absolutely no new insight.

By: Josh McCormack

Did you see the new Star Wars trailer?

No?!

What the hell are you doing? Watch it!:

Done? Okay, good. I shall begin.

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Those who know me know that I'm somewhat cynical towards most major film franchises. While I enjoy a lot of them,  I'd much rather watch some weird piece of work by David Lynch or a grindhouse-era horror flick.

However, there is of course one fandom that I will always be loyal to even at its worst of times; the Star Wars nerds.

Star Wars is ground zero for my love of film and filmmaking, as I know it is for a lot of other cinephiles. It's the multi-decade long epic that has introduced me to story structure, familial drama, creature effects, space battles and much more. 

It has also become the most toxic fandom in the social media era. 

The reception of online fans after the release of 2017's The Last Jedi has been, sometimes, frighteningly negative. At its worst this is not just people having genuine issues with the movie itself, but rather a call to arms from the alt-right and internet trolls who use the movie as an example of the "horrors" of progressivism in Hollywood. 

These so called "fans" have led to a deep divide amongst the fanbase as you all know. Meaning that no one can like the movie without being an "SJW shill" or dislike the movie without being a "nazi". 

I'll make it clear now that I really like The Last Jedi and after subsequent viewings it has ranked quite high on my list of favorite entries in the saga, although I certainly believe it has a handful of problems ranging from baffling to slightly infuriating. 

So as someone who is pro-Star Wars even in its most divisive form, I want you all to be aware that this mostly positive article is written by someone who loves this franchise and already has a bias towards a galaxy far, far away.

With all that aside; I absolutely loved the teaser trailer for Star Wars: Episode IX-The Rise of Skywalker. 

Right off the bat, director JJ Abrams is proving his skills behind the camera. In this two minute trailer, the images are beyond gorgeous. Say what you will about how Abrams is just a cover band of filmmakers like Steven Spielberg and early era George Lucas (I certainly have), but there's no denying that the visuals in his movies stick with you.

In the buildup to this footage, many of the actors and participants behind the scenes were quoted saying things about how this film is a "culmination" of the all the movies in the saga and how this will be the epic end to the Skywalker story that began in 1977. To be perfectly honest, I kinda rolled my eyes a bit whenever I read this. 

As much as I've genuinely enjoyed both The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, neither of them have proven to me that this trilogy is a story that needs to be told. The main conflict was resolved in Return of the Jedi and everything since, no matter how fun or well-told kinda feels like fluff.

However, this trailer signifies a movie in which all elements come together to show that this endeavor might be more than just a cash grab (I mean it still is, but I'm just getting philosophical if you don't mind) this could be the bookend to a forty two year old franchise that I never knew I wanted until now.

On that note, I love how the trailer makes subtle callbacks to the teaser trailer for 1999's The Phantom Menace of all things with its taglines like "Every Generation Has a Legend" or "The Saga Comes to an End". 

With appearances from Billy Dee Williams' Lando, Carrie Fisher's General Leia (being brought back via unused footage from The Force Awakens), and a narration from Luke Skywalker, this trailer seems very rooted in the culmination of stories from the past, but I was also very happy to see the excitement around this new trilogy's core cast of characters. 

With the original cast now at the sidelines, The Rise of Skywalker seems to focus on the conclusion of the story arcs of Rey, Finn and Poe as it should. This is their story, like it or not, and I'm glad the trailer still put emphasis on them even after some falsely negative fan reactions.

As we get to the end of the trailer though, there's the big reveal that left the entire internet divided yet again.

The heavily implied return of Emperor Palpatine.

The trailer ends with one of its most gorgeous images. Our heroes looking off into the ocean where it seems that an exploded chunk of the second death star is seen lying in the ocean. There's then a hard cut to black and the evil laughter of the infamous baddie of the Star Wars universe.

Will this work? Should Palpatine be brought back? How will he be brought back?

No idea. But it's a hell of a good trailer stinger.

A lot of pro-Last Jedi fans (as I said, I consider myself one as well), find this kind of reappearance to be leaning far too heavily on fan service, especially after director Rian Johnson worked so hard to forge a new path for the franchise in his previous installment. 

Perhaps they're right, but only time will tell. Personally, I feel that there's a lot of ways the Emperor's return could fall on its face, but yet I kinda love the idea of everything in this saga leading back to the villainous grip of Ian McDiarmid's infamous Sith lord. 

I'm all for changing things up and not wanting this universe to feel smaller, but if this is to be the last of the Skywalker saga, why not build this final conflict off the back of the baddie who started it all?

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker won't be released until December 20th, but until then I'll be eagerly awaiting this final chapter in the franchise that began my love of film.