Star Wars: The Force Awakens (J.J. Abrams, 2015)

[Mr Sausage]

The thing that got me was the crash zoom during the ship battle/chase. Odd choice, especially in a CGI sequence--but then I'm generally in favour of pretending there's an actual, physical camera when composing CGI sequences instead just zooming the POV everywhere, so maybe I like it.

[mfunk9786]

Two minutes of this thing released and already a meta-joke?

Yeesh.

Is there any other reason to make a seventh Star Wars film? The only reason stuff like this exists is for fan service, and there's no fan service like crowd pleasing reference fan service.

[colinr0380]

The thing that got me was the crash zoom during the ship battle/chase. Odd choice, especially in a CGI sequence--but then I'm generally in favour of pretending there's an actual, physical camera when composing CGI sequences instead just zooming the POV everywhere, so maybe I like it.

That kind of distant zoom-in (has anyone come up with a term for it yet? It's sort of like an impossibly fast focusing in on a distant object moving at speed) is becoming almost as much of an Abrams trait as the use of lens flares. There were a few moments like that in the Star Trek films, with probably the most notable one being during the free fall sequence in the first film (around the 35 second point in this video).

I did briefly tune into the live Star Wars event thing going on on YouTube after watching the trailer and before the comments on the live chat next to the video made me run screaming from the page I did see a bit of Abrams being intereviewed, letting slip the crucial piece of information that his muse actor Greg Grunberg is definitely going to be in the film somewhere!

[Dylan]

I like this trailer and it's good that Disney/Abrams decided to tap into the nostalgia factor as a jumping off point for new characters and adventures (this is also reflected in the vintage trading card promo images from a few months back). The title even suggests that this "awakening" is (at least partly) a homecoming (confirmed by the final line perhaps?). The last thing Lucas seemed concerned with was giving the fans of the original trilogy what they wanted, but this seems to be catering to those fans while also looking forward, which is absolutely the best approach. Remember what worked and what was beloved to begin with while creating new worlds. Very curious if some vintage photographic effects (stop-motion animation, old fashioned matte paintings, etc.) will find their way into some of the visual effects sequences.

[PfR73]

The thing that got me was the crash zoom during the ship battle/chase. Odd choice, especially in a CGI sequence--but then I'm generally in favour of pretending there's an actual, physical camera when composing CGI sequences instead just zooming the POV everywhere, so maybe I like it.

That kind of distant zoom-in (has anyone come up with a term for it yet? It's sort of like an impossibly fast focusing in on a distant object moving at speed) is becoming almost as much of an Abrams trait as the use of lens flares. There were a few moments like that in the Star Trek films, with probably the most notable one being during the free fall sequence in the first film (around the 35 second point in this video).

Snap-zoom is the term I was using to describe it to a coworker earlier. It's also used in this article I just found. The article ties in with what I was telling my co-worker, which is that I first saw it applied to CGI space-flight scenes in Joss Whedon's Firefly. I wasn't a fan of it in Firefly, and I'm not a fan of it in this Star Wars trailer.

[captveg]

I like this trailer and it's good that Disney/Abrahms decided to tap into the nostalgia factor as a jumping off point for new characters and adventures (this is also reflected in the vintage trading card promo images from a few months back). The title even suggests that this "awakening" is (at least partly) a homecoming (confirmed by the final line perhaps?). The last thing Lucas seemed concerned with was giving the fans of the original trilogy what they wanted, but this seems to be catering to those fans while also looking forward, which is absolutely the best approach. Remember what worked and what was beloved to begin with while creating new worlds. Very curious if some vintage photographic effects (stop-motion animation, old fashioned matte paintings, etc.) will find their way into some of the visual effects sequences.

Agreed. I'm glad to have the old guard back, but I'm just as intrigued with the new main characters going forward, especially since the cast is really solid (Boyega, Von Sydow, Driver, Isaac, Nyong'o, Serkis, Christie; Ridley is an unknown, but 7/8 known actors that have received praise on other work is noteworthy).

[pzadvance]

The thing that got me was the crash zoom during the ship battle/chase. Odd choice, especially in a CGI sequence--but then I'm generally in favour of pretending there's an actual, physical camera when composing CGI sequences instead just zooming the POV everywhere, so maybe I like it.

That kind of distant zoom-in (has anyone come up with a term for it yet? It's sort of like an impossibly fast focusing in on a distant object moving at speed) is becoming almost as much of an Abrams trait as the use of lens flares. There were a few moments like that in the Star Trek films, with probably the most notable one being during the free fall sequence in the first film (around the 35 second point in this video).

To be fair, there's actually some precedent for this technique in the Star Wars series: https://youtu.be/sCZyLCJvVQ8?t=3m26s" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (See also 6:21 and 6:35 -- George was apparently pretty hooked on it for this scene). I seem to recall it being used quite effectively in the new Battlestar Galactica, where the flying scenes took on an almost documentary-esque quality. It's a nice effect, it feels like the camera is struggling to capture the action instead of it all being planned perfectly for each angle.

[djproject]

Honestly, having seen both teaser trailers (and I think it should be kept to that kind of intrigue ... no official full-length trailers), I still remain cautiously optimistic about the current revival of Star Wars.

My main concern remains is how much it is going to depend on the original trilogy for "fan service". I have good reason to be concerned because I felt that while Star Trek (2009) did an excellent example of revitalizing that franchise (paying respect to the past but also moving it in a fresh direction), Star Trek: Into Darkness was a bit of regress where it seemed to want to remake Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. And of course there's the return of Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford as Luke, Leia and Han respectively. I know there are part of that universe but they are more important to us in this galaxy (far forward and outward from theirs ). What got me the most excited about seeing the teasers is that there is a lot more to that universe and we are capable of seeing more of it. Again, like Star Trek (2009), it will be a return to form but it will also push it forward. And in a way, that's the best "homage" you can make: continuing that sense of adventure, wonder and discovery. If Star Wars (1977) was able to make children out of many of us during a cynical time, I'm sure The Force Awakens will make children out of many of us - including many of us post-Star Wars cynics - during a cynical time.

So really, I'm much more concerned about Episode VIII and IX =]

[flyonthewall2983]

Watching Harrison Ford et al dressed in those vintage costumes was like watching the Rolling Stones of today. Just awkward.

So between the two of them, who would you say has aged better then, Mick or Keith?

[domino harvey]

It looks like Chewie's had some work done

[hearthesilence]

Chewie's bathing in the hair dye. 38 years later and not one grey hair?

[captveg]

You know, I looked it up the other day because of similar statements from friends (all said with winks and nudges, of course). Canon is that Chewbacca is 200 years old in the original film. So 200 to 235 is like the difference between 35 and 40 for humans or something.

[domino harvey]

So what you're saying is Chewie's going to buy a sports car and start an affair with his secretary

[hearthesilence]

I think he's got to lose some hair first…unless that's already happened, in which case he's got some damn fine hair plugs. A toupée wouldn't look that good, right?

[domino harvey]

Vanity Fair photos of some of the characters/behind the scenes

[MoonlitKnight]

Chewie's bathing in the hair dye. 38 years later and not one grey hair?

Surely everyone knows Wookiees are like Middle-Earth Elves: once they reach full maturity, they stop aging.

Honestly, the two trailers so far have me thinking this may be the most expensive fan film ever made. :-" Unfortunately, that's probably exactly what people want after the prequels debacle (though I still don't think they're that bad; I'll take ROTS over ROTJ any day).

[flyonthewall2983]

Behind-the-scenes footage that premiered at tonight's Comic-Con

[flyonthewall2983]

[willoneill]

Seems like a certain major character is missing from that poster.

[Altair]

Did we really need the Death Star Redux pt. 3? Isn't there a road already well travelled (and likely to be again with Rogue One)? I'll still be seeing it, but I was hoping for more originality and less an 'upmake' of the original saga.

[movielocke]

Did we really need the Death Star Redux pt. 3? Isn't there a road already well travelled (and likely to be again with Rogue One)? I'll still be seeing it, but I was hoping for more originality and less an 'upmake' of the original saga.

Well repeating the death star is one of the biggest riffs on the 1939 serial, so perhaps they're going back to that serial homage deliberately?

[Murdoch]

There's also been speculation on the web that it's the Alliance's Death Star, hence it being on the "light side" of the poster. Give that as little weight as you like.

[Werewolf by Night]

It's not a Death Star, it's

Spoiler

Starkiller Base (an ice planet turned into a Death Star).

[movielocke]

Spoilers much?

[cdnchris]

Ugh, I'm not going to have to be familiar with any of the other Star Wars stories/series/books outside of the films to follow this one, am I? I grew up with the films, love the original trilogy, but never had interest in any of the stuff outside of them, the prequel trilogy and those 80's animated shows with the Ewoks and the Droids being the only other Star Wars related things I've seen.