Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens has recently seen the release of it’s second trailer and it seemed the internet exploded like the proverbial Death Star! It appeared not just geeks and nerds (like myself) were in a state of Chewbecca induced frenzy, but people of all ages were talking about Star Wars in schools and offices once again!
A life long Star Wars fan, upon the announcement of a new Star Wars film, I thought that maybe this old cow had been sufficiently milked enough. I was satisfied with the franchises ethos as it was and weren’t sure as to whether I could welcome in a new chapter upon the emotional closure of Episode III. And then J.J Abrams signed on and George Lucas signed out. I loved J.J Abrams take on Star Trek, making the campy 60’s show look grittier, violent and more mature. 
Would he bring this kind of attitude to Star Wars? I hope so! With CGI down to a minimum and practical effects promised to be an all time high for the new trilogy, it is reported that the vision for the new series is to make it more comparable to Episodes IV, V, VI. Good! The sleekness and shininess of the over computer generated Episodes I, II, III sometimes made it feel like it truly was in a galaxy far, far away!
Like the initial trailer released back in December of 2014, the opening shot is of the dessert. Not exactly enticing and a bit samey… and then as my eyes adjusted to the tiny screen of my mate’s phone in his car (he’d pulled over just to watch it), I realised what eclipsed the skyline: a gargantuan Star Destroyer,
crashed and abandoned, protruding from the sand dunes. I literally said “oh wow”. I know a few clever IT savvy people had Photoshopped their own art and I remember seeing something similar to this a few months ago, but what a sight! A truly impressive and humbling set of visuals; plus it makes me feel old upon the realisation that Star Wars Episode VI was a long time ago… not in a galaxy far far away.
Along with the melted remnants of Lord Vader’s helmet, the passing of Luke Skywalker’s (formerly Anakin Skywalker’s) lightsaber, seen in the original and prequel trilogies and R2D2 glistening against the flames of an unknown burning object, the reality of this iconic world of Jedi and far away planets began to sink in. It’s back! Subtle design changes to the villainous Storm Troopers, 
Tie Fighters, X-Wings and original actor’s costumes are a nice little treat and it’s comforting to hope that the producers of this film know what they are doing and are not to overhaul the whole thing to make something entirely new. There has to be that link or it wouldn’t feel like Star Wars at all.
Kylo Ren, the new Sith Lord on the scene, seems to lead the newly reformed Empire on a chaotic and vengeful vendetta against the rest of the galaxy. The new galactic soldiers seem t
o look considerably more menacing that ever before and maybe they’ll actually hit something with their guns this time instead of being the worst shots in the scifi universe. This whole trailer pays a respectful homage to the original trilogy and that only makes the anticipation for it’s December release all the more intense!
With new droids in the form of the adorable and impressively designed BB-8, new triple bladed lightsabers and chrome troopers, this vague but beautifully edited trailer makes Star Wars seem more prominent than ever! I am so excited and I 
hope you guys are too! And as the screen fades from black to Han Solo and Chewbecca on the Millennium Falcon… Well that did it. Star Wars has made, once again, an impact on international culture and it’s not even out yet! I can already see t-shirts proudly printed “Chewie… We’re home”! So go and watch the trailer and don’t forget to read on and prosper!
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