Three Quick Thoughts About the New Star Wars Trailer

"We're home."

Oh, my god:


Three quick thoughts about this teaser trailer:

JJ Abrams, the director, has righted the listing Star Wars ship in at least one sense — this trailer demonstrates that he’s cut back on the CGI-splosion that muddled George Lucas’s prequels in favor of a “lived-in universe” that helped make the original trilogy such a revelation. Of course there’s still special effects, but they’re used for, well, special effect, not as a stand-in for things like “building sets” and “actors.” It’s an improvement.

• Why are there stormtroopers? Wasn’t the Empire defeated in the original trilogy? WHAT WENT WRONG?!?!?!?!?

• At the end, when we see Han Solo and Chewie standing next to each other, well, I got a little verklempt. I’m 42. A middle-aged man. And it was all I could do not to weep openly at seeing an old friend I’ve missed for the last 30 years.

Yeah, it’s stupid. But sometimes the stories we share embed themselves that deeply in our bones. The original Star Wars was my childhood. And I can’t wait to take my son to see this movie.