BLOG: Reacting to ‘The Rise of Skywalker’ trailer
“Confronting fear is the destiny of a Jedi.” Wow, where to begin. I am pretty sure I have already watched the trailer for “The Rise of Skywalker” more than 10 times. Who knows. You lose count when you’re having fun.
I must say, what I was really looking forward to with this trailer was seeing if it could rival the trailer for “The Last Jedi.” The night I saw the trailer for “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” is still one of the best memories I have from my first semester of college and 2017 as a whole. Even today, out of all the new Star Wars films that have come out, the official trailer for “The Last Jedi” is without a doubt the best trailer put together for the new films. Now, I find that “The Rise of Skywalker” official trailer can certainly give “The Last Jedi” trailer a run for its money.
In the long run, “The Last Jedi” trailer will likely be the best official trailer out of all the main three films, but I would not be surprised if months or years from now I decide “The Rise of Skywalker” trailer was ultimately the best one.
What really drew me into the trailer was the music. No matter what anyone thinks of the new Star Wars films, one thing almost all fans agree on is that composer John Williams never disappoints. The music that cues as the screen reads “This Christmas” before showing Poe, Finn and Chewbacca going to work on some stormtroopers practically reduced me to a puddle as it really dawned on me that the saga is ending once again.
It goes almost without saying that the trailer giving a look at the original cast was also one of the best parts. Hearing Luke’s voice in which he says what I already feel is one of the best quotes from the new films, is as thrilling as seeing the late great Carrie Fisher for a brief moment, making one more interested in seeing how Princess Leia is utilized in the film. It was of course also great seeing Billy Dee Williams again as the slick Lando Calrissian.
But, the biggest and best part of the trailer is the very unsubtle indication that the great Senator turned Emperor Palpatine a.k.a Darth Sidious is back and the true antagonist of this final film. It is something that has been teased for the longest in previous trailers through voice narration by Ian McDiarmid. I have had to deal with many claiming that Palpatine will likely only appear as a flashback or dream sequence, but this trailer truly affirms that he is indeed returning in the physical form with more ships than ever.
It isn’t a stretch at all to say that we fans are likely going to be treated to what may be the greatest space battle in Star Wars history.
The somewhat minimal appearance of Kylo Ren was actually surprising. He certainly appears as much as everyone else in the trailer but I was expecting he would have more lines in the trailer or there would be more indicative of his new role as Supreme Leader of the First Order.
I was hoping we would also seem some of the Knights of Ren or maybe even the Sith Troopers, but whatever was not shown is just a testament to how much this film is going to have in it and I have absolutely no problem with that.
This trailer was everything I hoped for and emphasized the right themes for this final film: hope, fighting the good fight and as 3PO said, “taking one last look” at these characters I have come to know and love.
