Welcome to the dark side of the Force. Disney has released another new Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer and it focuses in on the movie's big bads in a major way. The teaser opens with a brief conversation between Supreme Leader Smoke (Andy Serkis) and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) where the two discuss an ominous sounding "awakening." Add in blood red skies and a stormtrooper with a flamethrower (awesome level too high to calculate), and this teaser is clearly reveling in the darker side of the action.
The heroes aren't absent, but they are in all kinds of danger. There's Rey who finds herself with a lightsaber to her throat, Han and Chewie caught in the middle of a shootout, and a major air battle between both sides that will have Star Wars fans everywhere geeking out. As for Finn, well, the kid is scared enough to advocate running. I'll be honest, if I saw a slew of stormtroopers armed to the hilt coming toward me, I would totally be on his side. As a former stormtrooper himself, Finn has unique insight on the larger situation, so if he is freaked out there is sure to be a good reason.
There is still so much mystery surrounding the villains that even this small glimpse of the major bad guys in action is intriguing. It's not that I could ever get tired of Rey, Finn, and the original crew, but I already have a decent idea of who they are and what their mission is. Characters like Smoke and Kylo Ren are still very much a mystery. The teaser doesn't do much to lift the veil on who they are, but every new piece of information counts.
Here, it's the dialogue that is most important. "Even you have never faced such a test," Smoke tells Kylo Ren. Given the fact his line is immediately followed by the sky turning red, it tracks that the "awakening" and the red sky are tied together. Does it signal the return of an old foe, perhaps? It is worth noting, there is still no sign of Luke Skywalker, which I suspect will only continue to fuel the idea that he's gone over to the dark side. Whatever is happening looks super apocalyptic, and the good guys don't have the automatic advantage.
While there is another voice over promising "we will face them," the road to victory is going to be a long one. When the villains are as wary about the current state of affairs, then you know it is time to freak out. I have all the faith in the world in Rey, Finn, Han, and the rest of the gang, but I also know having a healthy fear of stormtroopers with flamethrowers is just good sense. Check out the teaser below.
Image: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
