So much for the select theater gimmick, the first teaser trailer for Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens is now online! Get ready to awake from your tryptophan stupor because this teaser will rock your world. And the best part, there is only one lens flares! Get your first look at J.J. Abrams‘ Star Wars after the break.

You can tell that Abrams is desperately fighting the temptation to include lens flares – the X-Wing and landspeeder scenes – but I applaud his restraint. So let’s break this sucker down.

Knowing The Force Awakens trailer released today, your first reaction

waking up from your post-Thanksgiving feast was probably:

It’s John Boyega from Attack the Block! I’d jump up that quickly if I heard a John Harrison Benedict Cumberbatch like voice speaking to me too. [UPDATED: It’s Andy Serkis’ voice you’re hearing via Hitfix] He’s in a Stormtrooper uniform. Could he be a lost trooper or is he part of the Rebel Alliance that was undercover? Which planet is he on? Tatooine? He sure looks like he’s not having a good day. But you are! You’re watching the new Star Wars teaser trailer, and after that first shot

your adrenaline is rushing from the excitement:

Ecstatic like the top half of an R2 unit riding on a soccer ball, you know already that this is not your grandfather’s Star Wars. Oh no. Everything has been leading up to this moment ever since you saw the first trilogy. The Force Awakens is set 30-years after Return of the Jedi, this is a whole new game. In just the first 30-seconds, this teaser dazzles unlike any of George Lucas’ Star Wars films. But it still feels like a Star Wars movie, but with the J.J. Abrams sheen. It looks spectacular. And you say to yourself

“I am prepared for this moment.”

Putting on your fancy shmancy Stormtrooper helmet – updated to the new design of course – your body is ready to do whatever it takes to see this movie first.

You’ll travel to the ends of the Earth to see it.

Getting on your popsicle shaped landspeeder like Daisy Ridley does so well,

it’s time to begin the long journey ahead.

Jumping into the cockpit of your X-Wing, you soar through the skies with Oscar Isaac leading the charge, hoping for your chance to be the first to see the movie. But then you realize

The Force Awakens doesn’t come out for an entire year!

In a fit of rage, the Dark Side of the Force starts to take over. Putting on a dark cloak and grabbing your shiny new lightsaber with its special beam hilt – which seems oddly impractical – it’s time to hunt down those who can release the film sooner. But the teaser isn’t over.

Some old friends arrive on the scene to calm you down

The Millennium Falcon! Hey buddy, it’s been awhile. That shot sure looks beautiful. I guess we can hold out just a little while longer so the folks at LucasFilm and Disney can ensure The Force Awakens is filled with more incredible shots like these.

Smash cut to black.

The teaser works on many levels. It is definitely in favor of highlighting the new characters than the old. In just seven scenes it says so much. There is a new threat in the galaxy far, far away. There are some remnants of the Empire still out there with Stormtroopers gearing up for some action. And a new Sith has been teased. But the Rebels are still fighting the good fight and are prepared to take on those who look to oppress.

Daniel Mindel, the cinematographer for J.J. Abrams Star Trek films is on the books, and he continues to deliver excellent shots. The visual effects, although praised to be using a lot of practical props, sure lean heavily on the digital. (But that’s OK because they look awesome, which really make me excited for a potentially great 3D experience.) The landscapes and artistry of the environments are painted exquisitely and do not look as cartoonish or fake as the prequel trilogy. And the John Williams score that was made specifically just for this teaser is absolutely thrilling.

Here are some hi-res screenshots from the trailer to hold you over until the full-length trailer releases, which we can assume will be before Avengers: Age of Ultron.

(Click on the images below to enlarge)

There is no official plot synopsis yet, but we can assume that something has awoken the Force.

Directed by J.J. Abrams from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and Abrams, Star Wars: The Force Awakens stars John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o, Gwendoline Christie, Crystal Clarke, Pip Andersen, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow. They will join the original stars of the saga, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker.

The film is being produced by Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams, and Bryan Burk, and John Williams returns as the composer.

Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens will be in theaters December 18, 2015.

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Source: StarWars YouTube