The ‘raw power’ of Star Wars: Breaking down The Last Jedi trailer

During Monday Night Football, Lucasfilm unveiled the new trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi to remind us all of the power of the Force (and the brand). Let’s break it down.

Star Wars, despite its missteps and any hurdles it encounters along the way, is a brand that has endured since 1977. Like the Skywalker story, the legacy spans across generations. After a summer of ups and downs, The Last Jedi trailer is here to remind you what makes the film so powerful and why fans shut down websites trying to get their hands on a ticket.

Of course, it’s beautiful in its entirety. Chilling. Arresting. Absolutely perfect in every way.

But let’s break it down. And by that, I mean, allow me to talk about my favorite moments and marvel at how beautifully Rian Johnson (and company) can put together a movie.

The first thing I noticed was the shot of Kylo Ren marching with a bunch of dudes clad in white behind him.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Trailer (Official). Image courtesy of Disney/Lucasfilm.

Reminiscent of Anakin / Darth Vader’s march on the Jedi Temple in Revenge of the Sith, it seems like our first strong indication that Kylo Ren is probably on his way to redemption.

Most of the trailer’s theme focuses on the raw power seen in both Rey and Kylo Ren. Where Rey is just learning to tap into it, Kylo Ren’s become unhinged at this point.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Trailer (Official). Image courtesy of Disney/Lucasfilm.

“I’ve seen this raw strength only once before. It didn’t scare me enough then. It does now,” Luke says. But the thing is, he could be referring to either Kylo Ren or Rey here still. Just because he’s most likely talking to Rey, he could either be reiterating that he’s afraid of Kylo Ren or that he doesn’t want to train Rey, and therefore, open the door to her power. Which, if it’s the latter, is much sadder. And pretty sexist.

For the above screenshot, in particular, I really just want to point out Luke’s face. Not because he’s taken back by Rey’s power, but because he looks like he’s receded to his old ‘I can’t go to Alderaan‘ ways. He overcame so much in the original trilogy that I hope this interpretation doesn’t just become a caricature of the man we left behind in Return of the Jedi. Personal crisis be damned.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Trailer (Official). Image courtesy of Disney/Lucasfilm.

After Luke’s remarks, we get a nice Kylo Ren voiceover as he says, “Let the past die. Kill it if you have to.” Like you killed your father?! “That’s the only way to become what you were meant to be.” Again, he could literally be talking to anyone. But it’s only worth pointing out because it comes over scenes where Kylo Ren is in his stupid little ship and General Leia looks very concerned. Assuming someone asked him to destroy the Resistance, he appears to be conflicted about killing his mother. Which is legit in a very Snape-esque way. People are either going to love it or hate it, but I will say this, it’ll look really … really … awful if he kills Leia. Absolutely horrendous.

However.

Instead of feeling The Feels, I’m too busy asking what the heck is on Kylo Ren’s face. It’s like Nelly’s face tape all over again.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Trailer (Official). Image courtesy of Disney/Lucasfilm.

Here we have the Phasma v. Finn showdown. We know that Finn’s really pissed about being in the First Order’s presence again, considering he spent half of The Force Awakens griping about it. Likewise, Phasma’s really pissed about the whole trash compactor scenario.

If you read Phasma, you probably think that Captain Phasma has this in the bag. But Finn could be Force-sensitive and he’s still a little bummed about the attempted brainwashing and genocide.

And then, cue the misdirects.

You know that the trailer’s being cut in a misleading way because there are a few back-to-back spelunking shots that, if you look close enough, are clearly from two different scenes. If you just keep your eyes on Rey’s clothes and hairstyle, you’ll see it.

But the trailer closes with a really gripping shot. No pun intended. I mean, forget seeing Supreme Leader Snoke’s non-hologram face or that fact this trailer spoiled his size. But check this out.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Trailer (Official). Image courtesy of Disney/Lucasfilm.

He’s old. So what.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Trailer (Official). Image courtesy of Disney/Lucasfilm.

But this? This is unreal. That’s obviously Snoke in the background. And he’s saying, “Fulfill your destiny.” While he may not be talking to her, it’s clear that his intention is to break her here. He wants to bring her to the dark side. Which could either mean A) he lost Kylo Ren B) she’s going to join him (since Luke’s so adamant about not training her and she’s desperate for answers and vulnerable because of it) or C) both. Or our least likely answer, D) he takes control of both and it’s up to Finn and Poe to save them.

I’m not sure if it’s because I love Daisy Ridley so much or what, but this image has been burned into my brain forever. It’s incredible.

Finally, the trailer ends with her asking for someone to show her her place in “all this” and Kylo Ren extending his hand. Although I’m entirely sure they’re not connected scenes, it would be disappointing to see her fall just because Luke won’t help her. On one hand, she just wants help and that’s a visceral human emotion. But on the other, this is a girl that waited on Jakku for most of her life, just clinging to the belief that her family would return. She watched Kylo Ren kill Han Solo — there’s no way she forgives him just because he’s offering her some guidance. No way. Not when she has Leia, Finn, and Chewie.

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The trailer wants you to react really quickly and go bonkers. But if you slow down and think about all their motivations, what we learned in The Force Awakens and what drives these characters, it just wouldn’t make sense for Rey to turn to the dark side. Instead, I imagine we’ll be focusing on Kylo Ren’s redemption arc. Because it is a family movie after all.

Plus, I got through this entire thing without even wondering who Rey’s parents are. If that’s not raw power, I don’t know what is.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi opens on Dec. 15, 2017.