You’ve heard what our own team think, now hear what your fellow readers thought. From bloggers to pure fans, to Darth Elvis. Hot Dang… here’s what you all think!
Paul Dunahoo, Connecticut
“The villain’s voice is fantastic, though it sounds a little too generic. Seeing John Boyega’s character in stormtrooper armor was nice.
The appearance of Daisy’s character was equally cool. The speeder was unique, but it fits with the Star Wars feel very well, even if it looks a little less advanced than speeders we’ve seen in the past.
The shots of the stormtroopers in the landing craft was epic; however, the scene felt a little too influenced by J.J.’s work on Star Trek.
Okay, I’ve said this before when the concept art came out, but the lightsaber’s “light-crossbars” is really stupid. They just seem to be there to announce to the galaxy that this is the bad guy. Speaking of that, there was this droid that we saw that either had a giant round soccer-ball-like wheel, or was just taking a ride on a ball. Either way, it was a little silly, but I liked it a lot.
The shot of the X-wings got me really excited. Their design is wonderful, and the same could be said about the environment they were flying in.
Finally, the scene at the end of the teaser with the Falcon (at least I think it was the Falcon) was super cool. Probably one of the best action sequences with the ship I’ve ever scene. But again, it reminded me of a similar chase sequence in Star Trek: Into Darkness. (And was that a lens flare?) Though I don’t really care much about the similarities this time, since it’s so cool.”
Elaine Tveit, Texas
“Okay so I LOVED pretty much everything about that trailer. I know that’s what you were afraid of hearing, haha, but seriously. It’s AWESOME!
I loved the cross hilt lightsaber reveal scene. I think that’s probably my favourite moment. I love the way they filmed the movie; it looks vintage.
I liked the music, and the Falcon reveal. I do wish that we had gotten to see the Big Three, but I think it was probably a smart move to only show new characters. Gets people prepped and ready for all the new faces!
Stormtroopers, X Wings, everything was cool. SO looking forward to seeing this movie!”
Ian Knight, Staffordshire, UK
A great teaser, lots of hints at things, but definitely no indication of what in the trailer being on the dark side or the light.Loved all of the elements that hark back to the original films, but does that mean nothing has changed since RoTJ?
Especially liked the real scenery in all of the shots, it looked gorgeous and definitely not CGI.
Not so keen on the light “sword” sabre, it looked out of place, but may make more sense when we watch of course.
Favourite moment, the Falcon appearing and swooping over the sand, definitely a cheer out loud moment.”
Joshua Outred, Northamptonshire UK
What can I say.. I’m speechless!
First of all it made me jump, Boyega popping up onto shot was great and gave me such a classic Star Wars feel, also could you hear the probe droid? Searching for Boyega?
Now, what I loved.. Everything!
It’s the perfect teaser, showing us our new heroes including the awesome new astromech!
Giving us a glimpse of the new Stormtroopers and what looked like a new blaster.. Oscar Isaac, rogue leader maybe? Ridley speeding away from someone or something? And then the villain? Wow, I doubted that saber at first but I sure do take that back now, it looked and sounded awesome!
Last but not least the Falcon, seeing that hunk of junk giving it some in the desert gave me some incredible shivers.
All in all a beautiful teaser, with a dangerous opening score and a feeling of desperation in the galaxy! Things have changed.
I want more and more! J.J please?
Richard Burman, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk
I love the opening shot of John Boyega’s character – very reminiscent of an Indiana Jones intro.
The X-wings in formation look so very awesome, and it’s a joy to see the Falcon performing some fancy flying (not so casual!).
The shot of Daisy Ridley’s character reminds me of a Luc Besson film, particularly The Fifth Element and the moment showing the spherical droid looks frenetic.
The scene in the forest with the character wielding a red-bladed saber is evocative of Game of Thrones.
The entire thing looks very fresh, but still deeply linked to the Star Wars universe.
The only thing that stands out as potentially negative to me is the troopers in the drop-ship; they maybe appear a little violent (particularly their rifles) and perhaps slightly too Call of Duty-esque for a Star Wars picture.
The audio and soundtrack were very powerful, and added an edgy sensation to the visuals.
Overall I loved it, and have great faith in J.J. producing an amazing new Star Wars story. I’m incredibly excited (now even more so) & looking forward to seeing the finished film.
Ryan Kidd, Orlando, Florida, USA
My first reaction upon watching was literally shaking with excitement.
Favorite part:
After the roll up of the title and December 2015 when the screen goes dark you here a lightsaber ignition which to my untrained ear sounds exactly like Luke’s from Return of the Jedi.
Likes
Love the look of the new X-wings/flight suits and the effects with them skimming water Millennium Falcon looks fantastic with great attention to detail even with kicking up sand when it comes out of it’s dive.
New music with inclusion of original audio cues.
Dislikes
Feels like they tried to make the cloaked figure in the woods too stiff when he draws his saber. Also want to see how it is made practical.
Unsure
Not sure if they are trying to make the figure in the woods mimic Darth Revan with his tattered robes but could cause confusion down the line. Either that or they are taking a page from Marvel and it is all connected.
Yancy Evans, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
“LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the shot of the X-Wings skimming over the water, looked fantastic, and suitably epic!
Nice to see the Falcon again, not necessarily sure I’m a big fan of that particular shot. A little too much shaky cam for my taste. Speaking of shaky cam, just looking at the Stormtrooper landing sequence it is VERY evident this is a J.J. Abrams film, and will look very modern compared to the other six films. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing as fans need to remember these films are being made for a younger audience and there are certain expectations they have. Abrams like to use shaky cam to give the audience a “you are there” feel. I’m sure he will dial it back compared to Mission Impossible III, but he’s not going to change the way he makes films.
Bad guy’s lightsaber… jury is still out for me. I’m not sure if I’m a big fan of cross guards on the hilt of the lightsaber blades as they seem unwieldy, but it is growing on me.
Rollerball R2 unit. I suspect older fans who hate “cute” elements in their Star Wars are going to be disappointed.
John Boyega OWNS the screen in the few seconds he appears. I definitely wanted to know more about him.
Overall it’s a solid teaser, but I was left a little underwhelmed. Compared to the Episode I & III teasers it was lacking. The Episode II “Breathing” teaser was outstanding, and Empire’s teaser had me going back to the theatre again, and again.
One of my biggest takeaways from this teaser is that J.J. is desperately trying to surround this film with an air of mystery, but this trailer comes across as less of a mystery and more like a series of random shots strung together that tell us little. The great thing about the teasers for the Prequels is that they hinted at just enough of a story to give the audience a tease of the upcoming adventure, but still managed to shroud it in mystery. J.J.’s Mystery Box can be frustrating at times.”
Nigel Yong-Ching, Appley Bridge, UK
“From the minute the screen eerily displayed vast sand dunes, you could sense a darkness, even before the curious, darkly mysterious voice informed us there had been “an awakening”…this let us all know something is deeply disturbing in the Universe that our heroes will be up against..and MAN ALIVE, was that fact alone enough to ignite my Star Wars passion!!! It set the scene perfectly – ultimately Star Wars is strongest when it taps into the basics: Good Vs Evil. The Force Awakens seems to be heading down that path and WOW does it feel good!!! I actually then went on to have a near heart attack when John Boyega first appears – damn he looks cool, just awesome in the trooper suit. There’s something about the look and sound of all the scenes in the trailer… it is simply EPIC beyond words, the images and environments are rich, beautiful, detailed and you feel yourself absorbing everything that is shown, wanting to know more.
The teaser presents a sense of urgency – whatever it is that’s going wrong in the Universe – the good guys are doing whatever it takes to fight it. The effects look incredible too, just gorgeous to look at. It’s Star Wars. No doubt!! That makes me immensely happy. What’s more, is that whilst it looks and feels like the Original Trilogy..there is a new exciting, energised fire within the scenes that are shown. It has life and yes…a soul. It feels alive, dynamic, visually electric (if that makes any sense!) and it got my pulse racing like my heart was going to explode.
You get to see a bad guy, with a flame-sabre (as I am calling it) that looks so intensely cool I couldn’t believe my eyes! It’s like what you WISHED you could see in a Star Wars movie…only its REAL! Again, the environment in which you see the new villain looks scary, eerie and so cool. Could we see a sabre battle in a forest? We just might! My imagination is so inspired right now!!
The Stormtroopers look SERIOUSLY BAD-ASS!! Amazing shot of the troopers about to leave a ship..there’s a new exciting feel to this scene that makes me even more insanely excited to watch this movie!!
X-WINGS!! OMG!! We see X-Wings and they’ve never looked better!!! Flying in attack position above water..and hearing the X-Wing sounds again?? MAGIC!!!
OK…then comes the money shot. THE MILLENNIUM FALCON! Shown swooping and diving and dodging TIE FIGHTERS!! I got so choked from emotion at this point. The shot is breathtaking and fills your heart with joy, happiness and excitement beyond your wildest Star Wars dreams. One word that excites me even more now for this movie, based on the Falcon shot alone…IMAX!!!
My 6year old self just woke up and became a fully integrated part of my adult self..with levels of excitement, inspiration and absolutely agonising anticipation for the immense ride that we are all about to start…
We all just got Star Wars back BIG TIME – looking BIGGER, MORE EPIC, THRILLING, ON A HUGE SCALE that leaps out at you and it really does feel just like STAR WARS!!!
I will never forget today, the moment we saw our first glimpse at the sequel to Return of the Jedi..31years later….and DAMN…it looks absolutely INCREDIBLE and as a lifelong Star Wars fan, I couldn’t be happier!!!!”
Ben Sanders, Texas, USA
“Likes
Hell its Star Wars!
Millennium Falcon looks true to form from what I can tell.
Dislikes
The shadowy figure walking threw the snowy forest was WAY too Harry Potter for me. I almost threw up.
Major dislike on the lightsaber looking like a medieval sword. To me that’s J.J getting to cute with it.”
Dustin Tkachuk (Jedi Council Mod GARTH_MAUL) , Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
“Just hearing the sounds of the probe droid, TIE Fighters, and lightsaber was enough to get my heart pounding.
The look seems to me to be very Abrams-doing-Spielberg, which might be for the best.
The sword/saber with Darth Templar seems a little KOTOR-esque, as does the voiceover, but that’s not a bad thing.
Overall, didn’t have the impact of the TPM trailer, but I think part of that is there’s a disconnect because for the first time since ANH, we saw a Star Wars trailer that didn’t have a single character we know.
Nice overall though.”
Harry Tyler, UK
“I watched the teaser and had an unsettling feeling of disappointment. I couldn’t work out why but I do now know. It’s because I couldn’t see more. I had to remind myself this is only a teaser. So was I disappointed with anything that was teased?
Well, a few things- The falcon part actually felt rather cheap to me. I did watch the teaser online, so I have no doubts that this Falcon sequence will feel huge on the big screen and in context. I had a slight problem with the music during this part as well- the main theme kicks in, but it seems that John slowed it down slightly, to get it to climax where he wanted it to, which meant the music didn’t quite have the impact it could have. (Well it sounded like it was slowed down a bit. Either that or I’m hearing things.)
I’m actively avoiding thinking about the lightsaber. Both its two producing blades at the hilt, and also the fact the actual blade is different. It’s now more an electrical beam than a laser. In general, I much prefer film-makers taking something and then expanding it further to keep it fresh, rather than just changing it into something different altogether. But that’s a rant in itself. It’s something I will just have to get used to and remember that not all the lightsabers are going to look like that. (I imagine..)
But overall, the trailer was very compelling to watch, it does feel much shorter than it’s run time, and the pressing tone during the middle was not something I expected. My eyes were pealed and everything that cropped up, after the cuts to black, were a complete surprise. I loved the dark tone visually, that was contrasted beautifully with John Williams music. The part with the stormtroopers almost felt scary, the snow/forestation planet felt new and mysterious, and the shot of the x-wings gliding over water was rather stunning. I’m still working out if it’s Oscar Isaac in the X-wing show or not. It definitely looks like it from where I’m sitting.
It’s interesting there are no shots of anything out in space. I was fully expecting to see a shot of a star destroyer, but there we are.
The main highlights for me; John Williams music during the middle- I loved the sense of urgency to it and I could absolutely hear the classic Star Wars sound in it’s orchestration and melody. My other highlights were the droid character, and actually simply seeing Daisy Ridley’s character. I’ve always particularly loved Daisy’s casting so it’s fantastic to finally see her, and the droid is just a rather fascinating thing to behold. Hopefully with it’s size and individualism however, people will embrace it, instead of channelling it with pessimistic Disney hatred, or give it the Jar Jar Binks treatment.
I’m very curious about the voiceover. Who’s is that voice? I think it’s safe to say it’s a bloke. (Or hats off to them for getting a very unique sounding woman) First I thought it may have been Mark. But even with his immense voiceover talents, I really struggle to hear him in there. It doesn’t sound like Max von Sydow or Adam Driver pulling a voice either. Quite frankly I can’t hear any of the announced cast members in the voiceover. Oh JJ and his mystery box.
Overall, I am very happy and it’s pumped me up big time. We could have had a lengthy trailer and been inundated with shots like the Phantom Menace teaser, but in some ways, I’m glad that’s not the case. It’s only a teaser after all, not a full trailer, and boy am I teased. December 18th 2015 cannot come soon enough in my opinion, so I think the teaser has done what it’s supposed to do, and very well. I’m also giving it bonus points over the fact I wasn’t completely distracted or blinded by any lens flares at any point. Thank the maker! (Or JJ Abrams)”
Chris McGuffin, West Virginia, USA
Overall, I am very pleased with the teaser. I love the overall gritty look of the film. The cinematography is fantastic and I am so happy to see that everything looks more practical and real and not a CGI-fest. The costumes (especially the pilot uniform) made me incredibly excited to see what everything else looks like. My absolute favorite part was the score though. It’s John Williams at his best. And finally, I really like the new droid even though I originally didn’t when I saw the concept art.
I’m not a huge fan of the new lightsaber. It might grow on me but right now I just don’t see a use for it. Honestly though that’s the only thing I didn’t like.
Richard, Essex, England
“I have to say I liked the sound of (what sounded to me like) the Probe Droid from Empire in the opening scene with John Boyega.Seeing the Stormtroopers hurtled me way back to the Original Trilogy and I really found myself thinking “Oh yes, this is brilliant!”
The shots of the X Wings were simply superb.
Shot of Daisy Ridley aboard the speeder was interesting.
I kind of feel that the little droid we saw will be a kind of Jar Jar Binks thing, where some people may luv it and some may not.
What else…
I had one heck of a geekgasm when we saw the Millennium Falcon hurtle in only the haphazard way we’ve all known to luv complete with John Williams soundtrack, seeing the Ties blasting at it in the opposite direction reminded me of the infamous “Here they come” scene in New Hope.
The only thing I didn’t like was we didn’t see too much of the Lightsaber wielding dark sider!
:)”Alan Zaugg, Layton, Utah, USA
“I was in my car when I first watched it. From the onset, I got chills, all over. It’s here, I mean, this is really happening. I was 6 years old all over again. I might have even shed a tear or two. I didn’t break it down the first time, I mean, how could I. I was overcome with elation.
So, I watched it again and again. Each time, watching for details about the movie. The voice was dark and menacing and it only added to my excitement. I tend to draw to that darkness a bit. The dark character with the light saber in the woods, the Tie Fighters and the Falcon did me in. It’s Star Wars. No need to break this down. Really. Just enjoy it, embrace it, and soak it in. Episode VII is coming. And this was our first taste of that reality.”
Greig Robertson, Auchleven, UK
After a sleepless night in anticipation of the trailer being released today, I was not disappointed. The teaser could have delivered little or no new footage but instead we were treated to lots of glimpses of the new cast. Loved the first reveal of John Boyega in his stormtrooper armour and the sample of an Imperial Probe Droid in the soundtrack mix. The voice over the entire trailer is gravelly and menacing, but is it a master or the apprentice. As an X-Wing pilot in the Rebel Legion the footage of the new X-Wings and Oscar Isaac in pilot gear gave me chills, goosebumps and the effects looked practically stunning. Love the new Stormtrooper helmet and armour, perhaps a future UK Garrison costume for me and Ridleys costume with the stormtrooper style googles, brilliant!
The new Sith? and lightsabre design I really like and until identity is revealed will be known to me as Darth Wallace due to the broadsword like design. What better way to end the trailer than a barrel roll from the Falcon with new rectangular dish battling two tie fighters. MIND = BLOWN. Don’t know how I will survive until December 2015!!!
Jonathan Baker of nerfherder.net, North Carolina, USA
“My first reaction to the trailer: open-mouthed silence. I was stunned. Completely overwhelmed with what I saw. It blew away any expectations I had coming into it.
My favorite part was the X-Wings flying over the water. It’s such a beautiful still shot, that’s made even better with motion and sound. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard the roar of the X-Wing engines. That brought a lot back for me. I also love the new split wing design of the X-Wings. It was cool to see them in attack position.
Another thing that stood out to me was how dynamic the camera was. I’ve always felt that Star Wars is a bit too static. Part of that is the technology available, especially for the OT, and George Lucas’s style. But I’ve been looking for some more dynamism out of Star Wars for a while now. The shot that really highlighted this was the shot at the end with the Falcon. The way the camera tracks it through it’s loop is something that we haven’t really seen in a Star Wars film before. The closest I can think to it is the opening shot from Revenge of the Sith with Anakin and Obi-Wan’s fighters rolling over the Venator. The director of photography for TFA worked on both the Abram’s Star Trek films and there were a lot of cool action shots in those movies. I can’t wait to see it with a more Star Wars flavor. But the most important thing is that the dynamic nature of the camera didn’t take away from the fact that it LOOKED like Star Wars. I’ve watched this trailer probably 30 times now and I still get chills from that shot.
I want to give you something I disliked, but I can’t think of anything. It’s a good problem to have. I guess my biggest concern was the cross-hilt lightsaber. I’m calling it a broadsaber. I saw the concept art for it before the trailer and didn’t like it at all. I even disliked it on my first viewing of the trailer. But now that I’ve gone back and watched it again and really focused on the saber itself, I’m liking it. The way the blades crackle and arc with energy is really cool. It’s like it’s overcharged or unstable. The smaller blades that form the cross-hilt look more like ornamentation than anything practical. It’s more likely to be used for intimidation than anything else I think. And the character wielding it seems more powerful than graceful, so I think it fits.
The other thing I really like is that Disney seems to be going full bore with marketing the new cast. None of the Big Three or any of the original characters were present in the trailer. I was a bit concerned when the Big Three were announced that they would overshadow the new actors some. With this trailer, I don’t think that’s the case. The new Big Three, which seems to be Boyega, Ridley, and Isaac from the trailer, will have to carry this franchise forward and I’m sure Disney knows that. It would have been easy to go the easy route and have the Luke, Han, and Leia hype, but it isn’t necessary with a name like Star Wars. I love that we got to see new characters and I’m really excited to see what they bring.”
Becca Benjamin Blogger for Coffee with Kenobi and the Cantina Cast, West Seneca, NY
Regardless of its lack of time, the official Star Wars teaser trailer: The Force Awakens is enough to leave even the hardest of hard core Star Wars fans star-struck or spellbound for what is yet to come and I can almost guarantee, that the Force won’t be the only contrivance to be roused. From the looks of things, I’d say there’s a lot we thought we knew that we obviously didn’t and whether we want to or not, we’re going to find out.
My only con was not getting a glimpse at the Big 3. Yes, we saw the Falcon, but that was a given anyway. I was hoping to possibly see a mature, Jedi Master Skywalker in his flowing Jedi robes…apparently, like everyone else, I’m going to have to wait until December 2015.
My pros? Gosh, everything! From the sand dunes of Tatooine, to the Stormies, to the X-wings, to Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, the new little astromech (Wall-E), and yes, the Dark Entity with his/her unorthodox Crimson blade. Let me add, out of all the things mentioned, the latter is what I am most drawn to. Something about it … it beckons to me, as if it wants me know its identity.
All in all, after watching and re-watching these 88 seconds of pure awesomeness, I’m totally on board with our new GFFA. Yes, I positively, wholeheartedly, loved this Funtastic snippet of Star Wars goodness.
It really is an awesome time to be a Star Wars fan!
Steve Kidd, Alendale, New Jersey
Really enjoyed the teaser! The quick glimpses at some of the new characters were great and the end scene with the Millenium Falcon was EPIC! My only minor gripe with the teaser was the lack of footage showing the older characters. However, I’m sure we’ll see them in the next few trailers!
Richard Garrett Jr, Richmond Virginia, USA
“I like the Andy Serkis voiceover. I liked seeing John Boyega’s character in stormtrooper uniform on a sand planet. Begs many questions – Is he defecting? Is he in disguise and escaping? Where is he? Who is chasing him?
The more I see the ball droid the more I love it. The used universe of SW in the background was beautiful.
Awesome to see new stormtroopers stormtrooping.
Daisy Ridley looking very Padme/Leia on her really cool speeder tractor. Is she fleeing? Is she racing to tell someone about something she found?
Oscar Isaacs in the cockpit of an x-wing. Shot is very A New Hope.
My favorite? The x-wings flying across the water. WOW, just wow!
The darksider looks cool, at least from the backside.
Safety be damned, its lightsaber LOOKS scary and awesome.
There aren’t words sufficient to explain/delineate the feelings at seeing the Millennium Falcon. And 2 TIE fighters.
Smiling like the Joker the whole time. Tears upon hearing the theme. Another smile at the lightsaber igniting audio at the end.
Did not like the length of the black screens(they ate up too many seconds of the 88) and the fact it was about 2 hours too short.”
Darth Elvis, The Gracestar – Outer Rim
“Hot Daaaannnnnnnggggggggg! I got chills, they’re multiplying!!!! The Dark King of the Sith is going to have to buy JJ, Kathleen Kennedy and the entire cast and crew a Blue Russian as that trailer was 88 seconds of pure joygasm! Going to need to send my band of Imperials out for armour upgrades as new Stormtrooper gear looks stunning. Tie Fighter Pilot shed a tear when the Falcon started blasting those ties though. December 2015 will be a month long remembered as it will see The Force Awakens and Darth Elvis & The Imperials as Christmas Number 1. Hang Loose!!!!”
