“Have you felt it?” No, we don’t mean a million voices crying out in terror or the Force awakening. We mean the realization that the final film in the Skywalker family saga is less than a month away from flying into theaters. And we do mean flying, because the movie will introduce the all-new flying Stormtroopers. You don’t have to wait to see them in action; those aerial soldiers of the First Order take to the sky in a new clip from The Rise of Skywalker. It features the “fugitives” Rey, Chewie, C-3PO, BB-8, Finn, and Poe on the run.
It’s one of two new videos from Lucasfilm. And while this high-speed desert chase will have you excited for what’s to come in the galaxy far, far away, the other is an emotional look back on over 40 years of Star Wars and the impact it has had on the world.
We’ve seen brief clips of the new flying troopers in previous trailers and promos, but this is our best look yet at them in action. We don’t want to root for the bad guys, but we have to admit they are pretty awesome. Considering Jango Fett was zipping around with a jet pack decades ago, it’s surprising the Empire never thought to employ them.
Also, between this clip and the third episode of The Mandalorian, the entire galaxy is starting to remind us a little of the Rocketeer, and that’s a good thing. Clearly if you have jet pack technology you should use it.
What remains unclear is exactly when and where this scene takes place in the movie. Our guess is that it comes from the first half of the film. If this scene is set near the start it could parallel how The Return of the Jedi opened on Tatooine. It’s possible this actually takes place on Tatooine. That wouldn’t be the clip’s only connection to the original trilogy. Finn and Poe’s response about how they have flying troopers now is also classic Star Wars.
And before you dive into the second new video from Lucasfilm, you can buy your tickets for The Rise of Skywalker now, right here.
Classic Star Wars happens to be the focus of the other new video. It celebrates the four-plus decades of the franchise and all three trilogies. It’s a touching homage to the casts and crews who have worked on them. But it’s also a tribute to the millions and millions of fans who have made it a cultural phenomenon for generations. Star Wars is so ubiquitous in pop culture, even beyond its own big screen success, it’s hard to imagine a world without it.
We are not even close to being emotionally prepared for The Rise of Skywalker, are we? You don’t have to actually answer that, of course. Obviously we are not.
We don’t want this story to come to an end, even though we wish we could see The Rise of Skywalker right now. It’s a weird mixture of emotions to experience. And the closer we get to the film’s release, the more intensely we feel it.
We’re sure we’re not the only ones who do.
Featured Image: Lucasfilm