When it comes to Star Wars, it takes very little to get us worked up. The first look at the first Star Wars Spin off story: Rogue One was definitely going to do the job.
Many Star Wars fans we’re glued to the Olympics yesterday evening, not to watch Michael Phelps dominate the world of swimming; but to watch the Empire dominate the galaxy. Like the trailer for The Force Awakens, US Prime time television was the chosen spot to house the first look. This means, the trailer appeared around 3:40am Irish time, a bit of a pain, but we’ll manage.
Have a look:
Initial thoughts? Here is the grit I wanted in the first trailer. Everything looks real, and lived in. Gareth Edwards and his team have successfully managed to take the original Trilogy and modernised it for todays cinema audience, all whilst maintaining everything required to feel Star Wars.
We see a lot in the trailer. From characters to Ships, Planets, and War.
Reaction:
We will have a full reaction on the next episode of Blabba the Hutt, but here are my initial thoughts on the trailer having watched it through a couple of times.
The Feel:
The trailer opens with a stunning cityscape and that piano version of the Imperial March, instantly setting the tone for this trailer from the outset. We know there is a darkness looming over this film and we are only 2 seconds in. Saw Gerrera (Forrest Whitaker) gives us the back story on how the imperial army ‘Reign across the galaxy’. It feels to me like this film will begin in what we traditionally know as the second act of a story. When things fall to ruin, and our protagonists are at their lowest and most vulnerable. The perfect setting for the gritty war story we were promised form the outset.
The ships
Star Destroyers in atmosphere? New rebellion ships, a close up of Jyn Erso facing off against a Tie Fighter. The Death Star, AT-ACT’s in Action. The Ship of Star Wars: Rogue One make up a large portion of the visuals for this new trailer.
Worlds
One of the first shot of the trailer gives an incredible Spaghetti western feel, pair that with a Star Destroyer, I am already sold. and there is even more of this scenery as we move into the trailer! This feels like a beautiful nod to the Western influence on the Original Trilogy. We see more of Scariff, and even get a look at a new dark blue planet where Baze Malbus(Jiang Wen) is fighting the good fight. This blue planet is how I visualised the opening plent in Star Wars Aftermath: Life Debt.
We see the Death Star pointing the Superlaser in a direction we’ve never see before, usually this is house in the same spot in every image we see of the Death star, not in Rogue One. Pair this with the sound of the alarm from the last trailer. Will The Death Star conduct a secret weapons test? It looks as if the new planet Scariff is the intended target – it also seems that Jyn and Cassian might even be on Scariff when it hits. Jumping to Hyperspace at the last minute.
Characters
What’s very impressive about this trailer is that is gives us great insight into the roster of new characters. We’ve seen from Suicide Squad how NOT to introduce a brand new team of players, and this trailer has successfully given better back story in 2 minutes that the Squad could in 30 minutes!
We find out that Saw Gerrera(Forrest Whitaker) that Jyn Erso is a threat to the rebellion without her Shackles, but will ultimate become out rebellious heroine.
We find out just how devoted Chirrut Imwe(Donnie Yen) is to the force and that it makes him completely fearless, taking out a full squad or Stormtroopers with a stick – The Force is Strong with this one – in a new way.
Baze Malbus(Jiang Wen) seems to be a war hardened veteran. In this trailer is is the in the frontline, kicking imperial butt!
There is a strong relationship between Cassian Andor(Diego Luna) and Jyn Erso(Felicty Jones).
K-2SO(Alan Tudyk) is hilarious and initial thoughts suggest he is some kind of a hybrid of C3PO and Mr Bones from the Life Debt Stories.
On the Imperial Side, the Stormtroopers, in all the new variations, look more menacing than we’ve seen before, they will provide a lot of the action in this film and I hope we see a ruthless army.
We see fewer characters but with two massive threats looming we do not need to focus on any more. Dir. Krennic(Ben Mendelson) looks terrifying, only required to feature very briefly, his power and influencer transcends the whole trailer.
The moment we’ve all be waiting for. We finally see that beautiful, black bucket head of a Tyrant. The retrun of the Dark lord himself. The trailer closes out on a reverse shot of Darth Vader.
Keep up to date with the ongoing Rogue One Story with @BlabbaTheHutt
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