2015 was a huge year for Star Wars fans. Not only were we reunited with Han Solo, Leia, Chewbacca, and Luke Skywalker (for one minute) in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but it broke box office records and is one of the highest grossing movies in the entire world. There’s now physical proof that it’s cool to like Star Wars! While we eagerly wait for the future of the franchise in Episode VIII as well as a bunch of spin-off films, a new trailer has been released that celebrates the past and present of the entire franchise. Enjoy:
As a long-standing Star Wars fan, that was really cool to watch. It highlights all the best moments of all the trilogies (notice how there was barely any Phantom Menace footage) and finds a way to tie it together in one cohesive narrative. This trailer really does a good job at showcasing the different heroes and villains and tying together moments from the different trilogies. It actually makes Anakin Skywalker look cool by showing him with footage of Darth Vader. Although there is a small part of me though that wishes they had kept this pivotal scene from Phantom Menace.
The thing that’s really interesting about Star Wars – and it’s especially highlighted here in the trailer – is how each trilogy is visually different and reflects the special effects of their respective decade. Star Wars was famously released in a weird order, starting with the middle of the story with the Original Trilogy, and then going to the beginning in the Prequels, before finally arriving (at what we’re assuming) is the end with the New Trilogy. As such, each film has a distinctive visual difference. It’s funny to see footage from A New Hope, (which had amazing effects when it was released in 1977 but now looks like models dangling on strings), followed directly by Daisy Ridley’s Rey flying a CGI Millennium Falcon through a laser battle. It really helps to show the expansiveness of the entire saga and how long its been going on.
Can we also take a moment to talk about how far Yoda has come? He started out as a puppet, then a really ugly puppet in Phantom Menace, before becoming a full CG character. The guys had more face-lifts than most real celebrities.
My favorite moment of the trailer was probably the end when Yoda says, "There is another," and then it cuts to Rey passing off Luke’s original lightsaber. It’s just a really nice nod and a tease for how important Daisy Ridley’s character will be in the franchise.
