The Force Awakens Teaser #2: My New Theories

When the cast was first announced for the new upcoming Star Wars film I wrote entry about who I thought each character was.  Several months ago, when the first teaser trailer dropped, I did another entry about what I now believed about these characters, and the plot, of Episode VII is.  Thursday, at Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim, J J Abrams and Kathleen Kennedy introduced a second teaser trailer that lit the internet on fire (which became an inferno later after the BatmanVSuperman trailer leaked).  So after a few days of stewing, and many more viewings of the second teaser, I'm back with some new theories.

The teaser opens with a desert landscape view of a planet we now know is not Tatooine, but in fact another desert planet called Jakku.  It seems like a typical establishing shot until the camera pans to see a crashed star destroyer in the background.  Then you know this $hit just got real!

Then a voiceover occurs with something I have burned into my brain; dialogue from the original trilogy.  Luke's voice talks about his family and their relationhip to the Force, and people are debating whether it's new dialogue or just re-used from Return of the Jedi.  I say it's re-used, but over the words we see a destroyed Darth Vader helmet, a man with a robotic hand touching R2-D2, and the hand-off of a lightsaber we are all sure it Luke's lightsaber he lost on Cloud City, along with his right hand.  The way the images are in order want us to believe they sync up.  The Vader helmet when Anakin is mentioned, a robotic hand when Luke is brought up, and a lightsaber hand-off when talking about Leia.  I think this is not true.

J J Abrams is all about deception and keeping the audience spoiler free.  I think that is someone else's robotic hand.  However, if it is Luke's I love his new upgrade!  The lightsaber is tricky because I had heard rumors that the original lightsaber of Anakin Skywalker was going to play a part in this film.  In the third book of Timothy Zahn's Thrawn trilogy the evil Jedi Jorus C'Boath uses Luke's lost hand to clone him, and then trained the clone to fight Luke.  While it was awesome, I don't think that is the case in this instance.  

I think Luke has kept Vader's helmet as a memento, or warning, about what can go wrong if he is not the Jedi the galaxy needs him to be.  Rumors speculate Luke has not gone on to rebuild the Jedi order like in the Legends stories, but has been in hiding.   

So what brings Luke out of hiding?  Finn and Rey.  Finn is the man who sets the events of this movie in motion.  The bad guys are after him, and while on the run he finds Rey on Jakku.  Rey seems like a better version of young Anakin or Luke.  She lives on a desert planet and she likes to build stuff. 

Bring in the bad guy. Kylo Ren was the one sporting the new lightsaber in the first teaser trailer and I'm guessing is the one hunting down Finn.  But who is he working for?  Always two there are.

In the Legends universe the Rebels take control of the galaxy and form the New Republic while the Empire slowly dies.  But in this trailer we get the sense that the Empire is still in control, or at least the two sides are still battling for control.  Which leads to our last picture.

The entire teaser trailer I was thinking, "where is the original cast?'  And then Harrison Ford says, "Chewie, we're home."  Han and Chewie are obviously on the Millenium Falcon, and acting as if they hadn't seen it in a while.  This leads me to believe  the gang from Episodes IV-VI didn't stay thick as thieves like in Legends.  

I think they went their separate ways or something happened that split them up.  Han could have lost the Falcon being his usual self and gets it back years later. Leia probably stayed on to help fight the good fight as always, which could mean a split for her and Han.  Meanwhile, with all the Sith and Jedi dead, Luke becomes a hermit like Obi-Wan and believes more Force sensitive people will only hurt the galaxy; that is until "the force awakens" once again.  Now, the original guardians of the galaxy have to come back together to fight the Empire and restore peace to the galaxy....again.

Of course, I believe I am probably wrong on my new theory and feel like an official trailer will give us some idea as to the plot of The Force Awakens.  When it hits, I'll be drooling, and then I'll have to take a 10 minute break from whatever I am doing so I can watch it at least 4 times in a row like I did this teaser.  Until then, may the Force be with us all!

'The Force Awakens' Excitement for Star Wars: Episode VII

If you thought that the biggest thing that happened today was Black Friday shopping then you can just go ahead and un-friend me on the various social networks because I will no longer be talking to you. To any Star Wars fan it was like Christmas came early as we waited patiently this morning for our post-Turkey Day present.  The teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens was not only put online today, but is also being show in select theaters throughout the country this weekend.  The overwhelming reception of this trailer has been great with only a few gripes about the 88 seconds we all saw.  

However, there is still no official synopsis released as to the plot of the film.  With this footage speculation is only going to grow as December 2015 can't get here quick enough.  When the cast was first announced for Episode VII I made an entry has to who I thought each character type the actors will play.  The trailer has debunked a few of my theories and replaced them with a whole new batch.  And it only takes four screenshots for me to explain them.

DISCLAIMER: THESE ARE JUST THEORIES I MADE UP.  I HAVE NO INSIDE KNOWLEDGE, NOR DO I KNOW ANYONE HAVING ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS FILM. IF I KNEW ANYONE AT DISNEY OR LUCASFILM SURELY I'D HAVE BETTER THINGS TO DO WITH MY TIME THAN WRITE THIS SILLY BLOG.

Most dedicated fans have theorized that Attack the Block star, John Boyega, was going to be the main character in this new trilogy.  I now no longer believe this. In the opening shot of the teaser we see Boyega in a stormtrooper outfit.  He looks scared.  Perhaps he is running from something?  Perhaps he doesn't remember something?  Perhaps he realizes he is in the middle of the f$cking desert?  I think he's either an Alliance spy who has been caught, or a stormtrooper who is trying to defect, and he figures Tatooine is a good place to hide where nothing ever happens.  Guess again.

Enter Daisy Ridley.  This actress was a complete unknown before being put in one of the most anticipated films of the century.  In my casting theories I thought she could be the daughter of Han and Leia, but now, I no longer believe this.  I think Daisy Ridley is the center of this new trilogy.  It's a great change-up to make the main character a female.  

I'm thinking Ridley is a Tatooine native who runs into Boyega trying to hide, and maybe runs into Luke Skywalker as well.  Much like Luke found R2-D2, C-3PO, and then Ben Kenobi.  My other thought bubble is that she is Luke's apprentice.  There have been rumors that Luke never started the new Jedi Order, but instead went into hiding.  Much like Obi-Wan did. What if Ridley has natural Jedi skills and Luke is training her to become a Jedi?  Maybe even starts training Boyega as well.

 Oscar Isaac is starting to make a name for himself in Hollywood by being in films like Sucker Punch and Inside Llewyn Davis, and also he was just cast as the villain in the upcoming film; X-Men:Apocalypse.  Based on his previous work I saw Isaac as the new Han Solo type, with even more of an anti-hero vibe.  Maybe even a bounty hunter.  I no longer believe this.  It looks like he may be a part of Rogue Squadron.  I see him as the X-Wing hot shot who may be like Maverick from Top Gun.  He's the best of the best, but hard to work with.  

The thing I loved and hated about this teaser trailer is that even though we saw X-Wings, Tie Fighters, and the Millennium Falcon we didn't see Luke, Han, or Leia.  They showed us all the new characters/actors.  And I think they focused on these three because they are the main characters in this new trilogy.  

At the beginning of the teaser there was a voice over saying something had "awakened."  Which means something had been sleeping, probably for a long time.  I'm guessing that sleeping beauty is pictured above.  The Sith seem to be all dead after Episode VI.  But what about Sith followers/groupies?  Asajj Ventress was never officially a Sith, but wanted to be one.  Perhaps the wannabe's "awakend" something old, bad, and powerful to take down the Alliance.  Aren't people saying Lupita Nyong'O looks like she would play a good Ventress?  Hmmm.

Whoever this dude is, look at his/her lightsaber.  When the side blades come out it reminds me of a medieval broadsword.  It looks primative.  It's not stylish like the Jedi sabers from the prequel films.  It looks more like the drawings of lightsabers in the Dark Horse comics, Tales of the Jedi.  The various miniseries chronicled the rise and fall of the Sith Empire thousands of years before Luke or Anakin Skywalker were born.

 I was showing this trailer to people all day at work and they were all getting excited.  Even though the film is still over a year from be released it shows the power of The Force.  People want to believe in Star Wars because we've all got happy memories of the original trilogy. Director J.J. Abrams has already promised a call back to what we all love. This was the man who was able to take the nerdiest things ever, Star Trek, and make it cool.  I believe he is going to lead Star Wars out of it's dark days and bring us all a new hope.

P.S. If this movie sucks I'm asking for a lobotomy for Christmas next year.