So Im just reeling from watching The Episode IX panel. I have to say my excitement is back up to hype levels. I'm already a fan of course. I don't share this outside circles but I love Every Star Wars film, aside Solo which i do enjoy but it's just a bit off. It's really Star Wars Celebration that brings out that positive sens of community and hype in me. Seeing all those cosplayers and smiling faces, all the positive reactions fills me with joy. Now the fanbase has it's troubles, the ability to monetise hate is pretty egregious. But TLJ isn't for everyone, i'm not here to ague that. Personally love it, and I guess in this article I'll go through a bit why during this, as we discuss the themes narrative and mythology we will and could see in this film.
First off I've seen the trailer a few times, the chills are real. It's not as hype as TFA's Trailer with 'we're home' or TLJ's trailer with that foreboding and mysterious tone. But it culminated everything we've seen so far in the saga, it maintains that adventurous tone of TFA while keeping some mystery. Some great shots and cinematography, emotional moments, chilling lines and while it reveals some interesting things we could speculate on for months. It also keeps some things secret which we will also speculate on ourselves. I also want to make a disclaimer that I am not predicting the whole movie or saying this is how it'll turn out. I just want to comment on what has been shared and use my knowledge to offer a idea of what to expect.
So let's go through all the key shots, sequences, dialogue, music etc and see what we can talk about.
First of all the trailer begins with heavy breathing, which seems to be a theme of the Sequel Trilogy trailers. First the teaser Trailer for TF where Finn wakes up frantically from the crash, then TLJ where Rey heavy breathes after communing with the dark side 'hole'. Now before we even get footage, we hear Rey breathing, however instead of the times before its more readying herself for what's about to come. We get an iconic sequence of Rey standing readying herself for Kylo's arrival. The initial reassuring herself before she finds her balance ready to face the coming Tie Silencer. This is important given during the last two films she is learning force powers, but hadn't found her centre in the force in order to master it. Now we see her focusing more and gaining confidence.
We get a revealing shot of Rey's Lightsaber on her hip. Repaired or recreated with parts, now at the end of TLJ the Lightsaber had a symbolic reason for being destroyed. Rey and Kylo destroy it by fighting over the legacy of Luke skywalker/Anakin. Which you could take as the new generation killing the past. However that is not the message of the film. In the end Luke accepts his past and uses the lightsaber to become 'the legend'. This angers Kylo, meanwhile on the Falcon Rey and Leia sit isolated discussing the future.
Rey: 'How can we build the rebellion from this? (looks at Lightsaber)
Leia: 'we have all we need'
The Lightsaber being destroyed makes us think all is lost, the past is dead. But Leia tells us we can rebuild, they still have two pieces. (obviously this is about the resistance but the lightsaber is the visual metaphor for both concepts). So we have that lightsaber back, as the idea of rebuilding what was lost but in new hands. Probably reaching,but that Lightsaber has had thematic significance before.
Anyway as the Tie get's closer Rey gets herself into a stance, before running full sprint ahead of it. The Tie is trying to run her down, but just before that she back flips right over the speeding aircraft. It's a fantastic shot, showing off how far she's come and bringing back more of the flips and tricks we saw back in the prequels.
Now we can discuss the why's. Personally I believe that's Kylo In the Silencer, now whether this is actually real or some form of force training is yet to be discerned. The training to flip over a speeding target and concentrate on that makes sense as a way of advancing yourself and facing your fears. If not it's just him trying to kill her more personally...or and as others have said it might be Kylo training her. More on that when we talk about Kylo's scene. Great scene overall but let's talk about Luke's voice over.
''We've passed on all we know.
A thousand generations live in you now. But this is your fight'' - Luke
Mark Hamill's voice gave me the chills as it plays over Rey readying herself. Let's dissect the words and talk a bit about Luke's head space. So obviously in the last film Luke was going through some trials and tribulations. Having succumbed to the Dark just for an instant, but in that instant losing Ben. He blamed himself and the Jedi order, rightfully so. But he didn't realise the Jedi's failings were as important as their teachings. That the Jedi aren't defined by failure but how they move past the flaws in themselves. 'we've passed on all we know' refers to those teachings. Not just the Texts and the legends but the personal teachings Rey learned from Luke and Ben. Rey is the Last Jedi, she has all she needs to continue the Legacy and this is her fight. Luke is likely a ghost or at least a voice from beyond like Qui-Gon was. But it seems that he has indeed found his peace. As you may or may not know, the only way to become a spirit is to find your peace before before death.
So as he tells Rey at some point she represents a thousand generations and that is true. But she is not a Jedi as in the same Jedi who fell to the dark side, engaged in war and allowed the Sith to use their own actions against them. Nor is she Luke who used those teachings and didn't realise the Jedi needed to change. We know from Daisy that Rey has been doing some reading of the jedi texts, so this adds to things like the flip we see in the trailer. Finally let's discuss 'but this is your fight', for the movie itself it is obvious that Rey is the Last Jedi. Personally i'd have had Rey train some students a bit, but It's also probably hard to during wartime so it's understandable. Perhaps i'll be proven wrong, their is still so much we don't know. However the words ring true, the Jedi can't help Rey anymore beyond advice and training. No matter what you think abut Yoda calling a lightning strike, that does not mean he can or will get involved nor Luke or Obi.
For the spirits to get involved undoes everything we know about them, they are teachers not fighters. The Jed have ended their time is past but their teachings live on and Rey has to choose what to do with them. It also tells reminds us that the time for the old characters has past their generation did their part, the good and bad. But it's these new characters who've grown and learned the ins and outs of the world who will make a better tomorrow. Or at least Luke hope's so, but that's been the message in TLJ and rogue one. Faith. This is your fight is also a message to the audience, this is the new characters fight to finish what the previous generation started. It also gives us that feeling of finality.
So now that we spent ages on that, let's dive into the other shots/sequences.
(side note: the running from the tie is inspired by North by North west)
https://twitter.com/PINNLAND_EMPIRE/status/1116776235391160320
Next comes a shot of a ship flying over a mountain range towards a light up city, you see the cascading waterfalls showing the city is also mountainous. I love the night time colour palette, however some have noticed that the ship we see is extremely similar to the same one we see in Rey's force vision in TFA. The one that assumedly was her parent's ship. This although not seemingly interesting in the trailer has a few implications. One it's just the same model of ship (but who's piloting and why have the same ship?), two it's the same ship but someone else ha it and that'll tie in someway. Or it has something to do with Rey's past/present, a flashback or something else. If this is the reveal of what happened to them that'll be interesting. If I am honest I hope they are just filthy junk traders. Rey being 'a vessel' for the force is already in canon, sure you can go back and say Kylo lied. But where do a characters lies stop then? Palpatine didn't lie when Padme died, Luke did lie but he was hiding the truth from himself and Rey out of shame.
But yeah I imagine given it's J.J, this will have some tie to TFA at least. Every shot has some meaning even if we don't see it until later.
This is an important shot, both for fans of the Sequel trilogy and those who are not. Kylo Ren's helmet has been an important tool, especially for Kylo's progression and character. In TFA it was used as intimidation and for a sense of him fulfilling his Grandfather's Legacy. He took it off to confront Han. Later after being beaten by Rey, Snoke basically disowns him. Kylo after giving all he had for him, destroys that legacy by breaking his helmet. He then goes on a path of deciding who he is. He chooses his own destiny by killing Snoke announcing he will kill the past. However Rey doesn't join him, he is baited by Luke and in the end his connection to Rey is cut. Now where he is at mentally is uncertain, personally I'd prefer him to go down that path of self destruction. I my mind Kylo will die as a result of his quest for ridding himself of pain, but he could be redeemed and i'd be fine with that.
But what I am getting at is, does him having his helmet back ignore his progression? I say no. This isn't J.J taking back his vision or retconning Rian's story. A lot of 9's story was taken from unused concepts from TFA, J.J regardless of where he would have taken 8 loved Rian's story. Now if he wanted the helmet back because he wanted to then fair enough, obviously he has the more connection to it given what he and the other writers cooked up. At the most i'd say he brought it back of his own volition, not to undermine Rian or fix a subjective problem. I wouldn't be happy about it, it doesn't mean very much aside a possible regression which we'll have to see in time.
Not much to say here. This is assumedly the same planet Rey is on earlier in the trailer. Finn and Poe are seen in the shot. One thing I was enticed by, especially while watching the episode IX panel was the outfits. John Boyega talked about a sense of Identity for Finn, how before he was finding his place and now he has chosen a cause. So he needed an outfit that was 'him'. Poe didn't have this crisis, his was more about gung-ho masculinity. So he's probably the same personality just more understanding of the importance of winning to fight another day. So Poe's outfit probably means very little aside the 1930's adventure serial action hero look mixed with a bit of the Uncharted series. It's fitting with his character I suppose, Finn has found his identity so he chooses clothes for himself, where as Poe found his humility but doesn't have to stop being the same guy.
But yeah I love the new outfits, practical and really cool, especially Poe's.
What else is left to say? Lando is back baby. That laugh and seeing him at the Falcon's chair again filled me with the warm fuzzies. Billy Dee has that same presence he had all those years ago and much like Harrison Ford before him, looks to be sliding back into that role effortlessly. J.J made this a family story, one with all the characters who are left, together. It's great to see Lando is also part of that journey.
BB-8 and the new Droid Dio get some screen time. We saw Dio at celebration moving on the stage. I have to say I love this little guy. I've heard complaints about him big impractical and having no reason to exist. Yet BB-8 who go the same criticism pre-TFA proved his worth, personality and usefulness. All I'm saying is we haven't seen him in action. Only Rz, 3P0, BB, L3 and K2-SO have had real story use. Out of however many hundreds of droids we've seen, Gonk droids ar completely impractical, a box with 2 legs? Baseless criticism imo, we've had droids for comic relief, world building and set dressing. They aren't all R2 and sometimes droid can be therefor cue comic relief. Star Wars has established this since inception. For every well written character drama their is a Jar Jar or a Watto or a Dio. Wacky dumb characters exist and they've been here since '77, Dioi sa part of that charming, silly aspect of the universe. Sometimes people don't like that and i'm not saying you should. But that droid has precedence to be here regardless.
Love this shot here. We see 3po back in the action again after so long. This is a very mad Max-esque scene which I love. Poe is looking great here. We don't see C-3po with that crossbow arm that was leaked. I imagine it'll be a small moment like in AOTC where 3po has an action bit.
It took me a while to find out what this shot was about. But this is Han's medal from ANH. I'm going to guess it's Leia holding it. It is less impactful that it took me time to find out what it was, but now I do know it means that Han is being remembered. Some criticism of TLJ had people say that Han was disrespected, such as Luke's mourning scene being a deleted scene. However that film was a continuation, it had no time for a funeral or real send off. Here we know it has been some time since that film's events and Leia, rey and everyone else has time to breathe. I would argue that Chewie didn't get enough in the end of TFA in terms of a hug or anything, which is a shame. perhaps he'll get some closure in this film.
A couple more trailer shots and we'll finish off I promise. Next we get a scene of Rey and Leia hugging on a planet of greenery. This scene was supposed to happen in The force Awakens at some pint but was cut. However changed it is for 9 is uncertain, but we do know that 7's story elements that were shot and unused are in this film. You can notice in the background the Tantive-IV, the same ship we see at the end of Rogue one/beginning of ANH. This kind of tells us this is some form of force related encounter, a vision or connection or whatever. It also plays into the tying of the saga to this film. This isn't fan service as much as fan logic, objects, characters, themes and concept are returning to close the saga by reminding us and sending off those elements. I'm sure this will be lost in the need to get angry about nostalgia, while praising it when it suits you. Still a powerful scene giving us context on how Carrie's footage will be used. It comes across as natural and fitting the film which is all I ask for (aside sending off Carrie of course).
Okay let's get it out the way. First off this shot of the group together both new and legacy characters is great. J.J calls this a personal story about those we've come to know and these 2 shots reflect that. This is a journey, and we are given a sense of finality. That this is what we've been building towards. Both in the film universe and outside from our perspective. It works really well for the trailer and for selling that this is indeed the end. We get the beautiful shot of our Trio looking at the remains of the death star. The DS2 to be exact, it appeared in Ep. 7 concept art and we know that the writers are using set aside story elements from 7. During this we get Luke's words...
Luke: No One's Ever Really Gone....This line came from TLJ when Luke consoled Leia on her son's turn. He couldn't save him but he reminded her that Ben Solo isn't gone. It's a good sentiment about how people live on as long as they are remembered, but also the force as well. However here the line preludes Palpatine's evil cackle. So this obviously implies his return. J.J also confirmed Ian McDiarmid is reprising his role as the Emperor.
So opinion time. If you came to me 2 years ago and said The Emperor was returning after Anakin destroyed the Sith and that was confirmed in canon. I'd not be amused. It would have been heresy, not only to George but to also use a concept the old EU used terribly. However the past year, the explanation of how Dark Side users survive was explained. Darth Momin (seen below) was a Sith lord who technically achieved immortality. However this isn't Plagieus immortality, whatever exactly that is. Sith Lords can become trapped within areas, such as caves or forests or their own personal objects. Momin either him himself or a copy of him Via the Dark, was trapped in his helmet. The Sith can't become ghosts, but they do have a version of living forever, if you can call it life.
To me this is perfect. The Jedi's immortality is confined to being only with specific training and mindset. Whereas the Sith who pursue attachment, selfishness and Power achieve immortality but they are trapped within their own possessions. The things they crave. It's a perfect way of having Sith around without needing them to be back literally in the flesh. This is why I am okay with Palpatine's return their is precedence, their are ways to bring him back that aren't contradictory or disrespectful to Lucas's work. But it's not just the brilliant way the Canon brings back the Sith without actually doing so, their is another reason for why it entices me.
Palpatine's return makes logical, narrative sense. He was the Phantom menace behind the prequels, manipulating a Galaxy to war then discarding both armies for a new one. He is the Ronald reagan, the Dick Cheney of which George based him on. He is the man who took everything away from Anakin and basically forced him into being his apprentice, also lying about Vader's son. His death marked the end of the Sith. However Anakin's redemption is more important than wiping out the Sith. You might say his job isn't done, but if their is anyway to close the Skywalker saga, to have an enemy or presence worth uniting to rid the galaxy of evil. Palpatine was the mastermind behind everything, it is only fitting that whatever form his return takes, it would be the new and legacy characters who face it. This allows us to move on from the saga, it just makes sense given the film is a closing to this 9 film tale.
The title was awkward at first but given personal speculation and discussion with others, whatever events transpire that tell us what this means I'm ready. Whether it's the Jedi change their names to skywalker, or the people of the Galaxy are inspired by the Skywalker legend to rise up. Or even Rey taking or Kylo raising the Skywalker name from it's soiled past. Whatever it is I won't be angry if it's not what i'd have done, I'll judge it as presented.
One thing I found interesting in this trailer was the parallels to the original The Phantom Menace teaser trailer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYkHD9y8EqI
Both trailers share 'Every Generation Has a legend'. I had never seen the Phantom Menace Tease before now, so thanks to those on twitter who are up on their TPM history. I love how this line was reused, It plays well into the full circle that is this film. The line itself is great as well it makes even more sense now than it did then. The idea of legends was scrutinised and then reaffirmed to mean something in TLJ. The prequels were the story that had been rewritten by Palpatine, the jedi were considered extinct by the time of ANH, terrorists and mythical. The prequels told tales of the the Legends of the Sith, the Legend of Plageius. The originals murkied that history telling us bits and pieces but making that past mythical, like the although in film time it was 19 yeas ago, that as enough time for the stories to be skewed into propaganda, or stories to tell your children.
By the time of the Sequels the idea of Legends had changed. Luke Skywalker, at the time the Last Jedi had many stories, some true most not. But he was deified, the Jedi were deified after being branded traitors. Han Solo became a Legend and war hero, so did Leia and whoever else from the older generation. These stories are told with joy and mystery, the past is romanticised. But we know that Luke bought into his own legend and that cost him. In the end however he accepted his role, his legend inspires hope and although he isn't a god/completely a hero he is a good man and he can use that Legend to save the future. Here episode 9 introduces the idea that the past has a way or repeating, as is the cyclical nature of star wars. It seems every 20/30 years their are new legends, and how the past is seen is changed each time.
However you interpret it, it is a good tagline.
Next comes 'every saga has a beginning' TPM has this in it's teaser as well. Obviously the meaning here is way more literal. It's a prequel so we are given some context for when this film is set. It's a very simple but powerful card. However ROTS trailer gives us 'Every saga has an end', it times with the music to give you the feels. The words hit me like a brick as I got emotional as even though I knew this was the end, It still hadn't hit me like that until this trailer. The parallel to TPM trailer is perfect and It really helps with the trailers Narrative.
With that I draw this, probably too long, analysis and opinion piece on the trailer and the sequel trilogy as a whole. I'm excited t see the saga end but also sad to see it go. However 9 films and 3 trilogies is a perfect number for the Skywalkers to bow out. Let me know your thoughts and consider following this Blog or subscribing by email. Expect more star wars analysis' in the future.
Bye for now.
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