The first teaser trailer was released today for Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi at Star Wars Celebration and it’s already been viewed several million times on the official Star Wars YouTube channel. It’s giving us a first glimpse at what might be happening in the movie as well as some insight into the film’s somewhat ominous title.
As the trailer kicks off we can see that it’s focusing on Rey’s training under Luke’s supervision, apparently to be a Jedi but it’s interesting to note early on that Luke is clearly talking about Rey opening up her mind to the possibility that the use of the Force goes far beyond the basic Light and Dark sides that we’ve been accustomed to for so long. Is that a hint as to why he’s been in hiding for so long? As this shot continues to see Rey using the lightsabre on the cliffside for the first time we see her, Luke strangely in the distance and… is there any significance to the rock formation in front of Rey? A lost Jedi monument or something else?
The battle sequences that follow are typically spectacular as you would expect from any Star Wars movie and it’s great to see the Falcon play a part in this once more although it’s difficult to tell at this early stage just why there’s a battle in the first place. However as the First Order seems to be attacking the base of the Resistance (or at least one of them). I do get a feeling of deja vu here harking back to The Empire Strikes Back and do wonder if the entire space battle (and possible land battle as well) isn’t just a reworking of this.
As for the closing link from Luke referring to the end of the Jedi… I don’t this is as dramatic as it sounds and I believe that this may actually be a mid-film scene. The film’s title and this could imply that all of the Jedi are set to be extinguished, Luke included but if that’s the case why is Rey going through training? I firmly believe that this is hinting at a transitional period for the Jedi, and that Luke’s self-imposed isolation has lead him to a state of understanding that the Jedi can no longer be the saviours of the galaxy and they need to evolve to be able to defeat the First Order. Goodbye Jedi, hello… something new, something edgier, perhaps?
Regardless, it’s a thrilling trailer and has certainly got me wanting to see more and I’m counting down the days until December when the movie is released. That’s my opinion though. You can make up your own mind watching the trailer below…
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