going to work out fine
They are not perfect.
Whilst I predominantly think of the first as the one in which the music perfectly surrounds/penetrates/binds the visuals and sound effects, there’s always that slightly jarring bit where all the craft are taking off from Yavin IV and the music suddenly clumsily jumps in after a music-free lull.
Whilst the second has loads of rolling/swerving whilst rumbling/thundering/whining there are a couple of bits around the asteroids which look slightly unbalanced/rushed if observed too closely, but there are a mitigating two incidences of the loop-backwards-flip-over move.
Whilst the third was always the weakest (at least until 1999) it stands on the shoulders of giants; it also benefits from some well-balanced modern-at-the-time battle-compositing and has that bit where they pop out of the hole after the flames almost catch up.
I’ve only seen the odd few episodes of the tie-in animated series, have only read one book and have only played one computer game. Despite disagreeing with Lucas on a number of important matters I agree that the story is in the films. That’s where the sounds and the sights and the music are presented together.
I didn’t film myself watching the first teaser trailer, but I probably exhibited expressions similar to those reaction videos which show the eyebrows twitching only a little until the whole face lights up with the combined blast of the main theme and the Falcon. It’s not quite doing a backflip around a cloud and barrel-rolling itself back upright, but confirms the reappearance of my favourite character.
I was wondering whether or not to watch the second teaser, but went for it after a couple of days’ delay. That little opening sprinkle of whispered high notes (possibly nicked from the start of the sequence in Empire where Yoda hoicks the X-wing out of his slimy mudhole) over the glimmering of the Lucasfilm logo and the subsequent application of what Edgar refers to as the “alone music” are very pleasing. It might just be the appearance of an understanding of the importance of the combination of sound effects and visuals and music, but I’m taking it as a good sign.
I didn’t want to see the third trailer, but was ambushed by it on a rare cinema trip. There were a couple of bits I wish I hadn’t seen in advance of the film, but there was again some good increasing goosebumpy music stuff happening and some more weighted whooshing. The wee phrase from the end of Empire sounded quite synthesizer-thickened in the auditorium, but less so on repeat listenings.
I had to briefly stick my fingers in my ears yesterday evening when a fresh trailer with different footage turned up in the ad break of a programme Nicky was watching. I’m reading no reviews and will be avoiding most media until after about ten to midnight tomorrow, when I emerge. It’s been thirty-two years since I saw one of these films without knowing what was going to happen and I don’t want to reduce the impact.
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