Lucas, the sinister tree
For me, the most memorable moment of any of the Star Wars movies occurs in The Empire Strikes Back, when Luke Skywalker prepares to enter the cavernous roots of a tree steeped in the dark side of the Force.

Luke: "What's in there?"
Yoda: "Only what you take with you."

Isn't this where most of us are as we try to figure out what we think of the new teaser for Episode III? Lucas has become that sinister tree, luring us with the promise of easy spectacle into viewing experiences that are initially pleasing but ultimately self-defeating. Can we resist the urge to carve Jar-Jar Binks into unmarketable gobbets long enough to take the lesson we need? Given the track record of the prequels, I have to admit that I'm carrying my lightsaber into the teaser. Having watched it a few times, though, I haven't switched on my weapon... yet. Yes, there's cause for concern. But there's also hope. Not a new hope, admittedly, but a durable one.

Hayden, the bad actor
To get to that hope, let's dispense with the teaser's obvious weaknesses first. Anakin Skywalker is still embodied by Hayden Christensen, and there's no way you can convince me that this stubble-less Q-Tip is going to morph into the most imposing figure in the galaxy. You can make his eyes glow from beneath a hood all you want. I still don't see someone growing strong and corrupt with the dark side. I see someone who needs a time out and/or a juice box.

On a related note, has there been a less convincing on-screen couple than young Anakin and Princess Amidala? The music in the trailer tries to persuade me that's a great kiss I'm seeing, but I'm unconvinced. I think you could get a more passionate snog out of Elton John and Madonna at this point. Natalie Portman was a great choice for Amidala; she's a capable performer who bears more than a passing resemblance to a young Carrie Fisher. When you put a good actor on screen next to a bad one, though, you're likelier to be impressed by the stooge's limits than you are by the pro's talents.

I also think it's a little sad and creepy that the most stirring parts of the trailer are the leftovers from Episode IV. Alec Guinness's antipathy to the movies that made him famous is well known, and having his celluloid shade shill for Episode III smacks of Lucas' least principled commercial instincts. Trading on the success of the originals might give you a big opening weekend, but it's no guarantee that people will like what they see once the 256-ounce Dr. Pepper is in the cup-holder.

Lightsabers, the saving grace?
Okay, now that we've got that unpleasantness behind us, let's remind ourselves why the original series was so good: it knew how to tell a story. Beneath the popcorn elements that reinvented the summer movie twenty-five years ago lurked substantial and genuine themes. I don't want to make the heady fun of the first three movies sound like a snazzier version of an after-school special. But fun isn't hard to come by at the movies; even junky hack jobs offer fleeting amusements. Abiding satisfactions don't come from special effects, even if special effects help deliver them. The original trilogy, lest we forget, had something to deliver besides action figures.

I won't pretend to be immune to Lucas' obvious talent for visual effects; I found the teaser's glimpses of spectacle beguiling. I could care less about the outer space flights and fights; it's always been about the lightsaber duels as far as I'm concerned. So all of those blades firing up in the trailer make my pulse race. But can this vwing and kzzzzt add up to more than sensory overload? Does Lucas realize how dark and tragic this film will have to be to tell its story properly?

I'm not sure, but I do think there's a chance that he does. Even though Obi-wan Kenobi's opening voice-over in the teaser borders on exploitation, it's also appropriate. We're ending very nearly where we began, and this sense of narrative recursiveness might indicate that someone involved understands what's going on, what sort of impact it should have, when we see the black cape and hear the ominous rasp for the first time. We should be alarmed, but we should also still recognize and even sympathize with the man behind the mask. Decapitate him at your own peril.

On the web: Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith teaser trailer
Also on the web: PVPonline's reaction to the teaser trailer