‘Stars Wars: The Last Jedi’ (2017) Teaser Conveys A Deep Sense Of Dread

It’s been two years since the ‘Star Wars’ franchise was returned to the forefront, continuing its story almost 40+ years from the first film. ‘The Force Awakens’ brought back very fan favourite characters in one way or another, and also provided a new generation of fans, with a new generation of heroes and villains to fill the ‘Star Wars’ cinematic universe. And now comes the continuation of that new era of films with the teaser of ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’.

The ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ teaser provides ample doom and gloom to make any fan nervous.

Opening in a very creepy way, and with what sounds very similar to the kind of music heard in ‘Star Trek: The Original Series’, the teaser gives us only glimpses into the aftermath of events from ‘The Force Awakens’. (My Movie Review here.) The string of out of context scenes only provide even more debate, conjecture and analysis of what the story  may be, and where things things will go from here. However, one aspect of the teaser is painfully clear in every which way; there will be darkness.

The ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ teaser conveys a very real sense of doom and gloom. There is little hope in this teaser where the words voiced over the scenes, as well as the scenes themselves, give off a sense of tragedy and destruction. We’re treated to Finn (John Boyega) still in (presumably) a Bacta tank recovering from his wounds from the first film, Poe (Oscar Isaac) and BB-8 frantically running through a base as things explode around them, an exhausted Rey (Daisy Ridley) training and running somewhere with purpose, not to mention the obliterated mask of villain Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). The only sense of optimism, which in reality may invoke tears nonetheless, is a shot from behind of what looks like General Leia (the late Carrie Fisher).

From all of this, ‘The Last Jedi’ teaser indicates that the film itself will be intensely dark. Hardcore fans of the franchise will be quick to point out that, this isn’t entirely unexpected. The second film of the first trilogy,  ‘The Empire Strikes Back’, (arguably the best ‘Star Wars’ ever!)  was contrastingly darker and more grim than the films before and after it. Given that the new trilogy is following similar arcs, story telling and formula as the original, it stands to reason that ‘The Last Jedi’ will be similarly grim. Now, I wasn’t around during the promotional campaign for ‘Empire Strikes Back’, and it was a time without the internet and constant roving eyes of the fanbase. So I can’t tell how this teaser compares to that of that film.

But this is dark! Keep in mind though that this is not a criticism of the teaser itself. For what it wants to convey, this is an amazing teaser that has filed me with utter dread and an anxiety for what’s to come in this movie. And if that was the intention, then mission accomplished! I am just more surprised than anything else, especially at the last lines uttered by the messiah of he entire franchise himself in this teaser.

‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ releases December 15th, 2017. Starring Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac & Adam Driver. Directed by Rian Johnson.

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