The Force has awakened!

The first official teaser for "Star Wars Episode VII" has been released, and it is full of surprises and intriguing questions. Here is a look at what we learned from the new trailer:

The Empire is Not Yet Vanquished?

There are a lot of storm troopers in this trailer, including one scene in which they are apparently preparing to land on some planet for battle. Most importantly at the end of the sequence, there is a shot of the Millennium Falcon flying by some tie fighters, another indication that the empire might still be resurgent.

Obviously this brings about a number of questions. With the emperor "dead," who picks up the pieces and leads the empire? Is it a fully restored one or simply a number of rebels trying to take over the galaxy once more with whatever remaining imperial supplies they can get?

The Sith are Back?

This was an obvious one, but the intrigue here comes down to how? There is a prominent voiceover throughout the trailer. An ominous man that sounds a bit like Emperor Palpatine as he asks, "There has been an awakening. Have you not felt it?" It is clear that it is not Palpatine, but later on there is a Sith Lord walking about with a new looking red lightsaber.

Again, the main question here is how is this possible? Where did the Sith come from?

New Planets

There are two planets that are showcased in this video. The first has a major resemblance to Tatooine (and it very well could be the famed planet). The other one that is shown however is brand new. When the new Sith Lord arrives, he walks through a vast forest filled with snow. It could be Hoth from "Empire Strikes Back," but that planet never had anything resembling trees and was simply a vast icy landscape. Whatever this planet is, it probably is not Hoth.

There is also another planet showcasing X-wings flying by (more on that later). There is less detail here though there is a lake and mountain landscape. Maybe Naboo makes a return?

Oscar Isaac's Character a Rebel?

We get a glimpse of Oscar Isaac, Daisy Ridley and John Boyega in different attire. Boyega is in a storm trooper outfit (something that had been rumored for months), while Ridley is some more unique attire. But the really shocker here is Isaac's character who is dressed up in the orange rebel pilot garb that everyone saw Luke wear in the original trilogy.

He is piloting an aircraft that resembles an X-wing, but the design is slightly different as are the colors. This will be another interesting one to follow. Is the rebellion in the same position it was in "Episode VI?"

Original Trio in the Shadows

While the new characters were shown off, viewers hoping for a new look at Luke, Leia and Han were left wanting more. There was no hint of any in the trailer.

CGI Prominence

Director J.J. Abrams said he was going to use more practical effects to recreate the feel and look of the original trilogy. However, that final image of the Millennium Falcon is a bit worrying as it is emblematic of the often over-indulgent use of CGI in Hollywood. There is no such imagery in the original films, and while there is an obvious argument for new technology being employed in a more modern manner, these are the kind of shots seen in most other CGI-laden films.

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