Star Wars: The Last Jedi - Reaction and Discussion *CONTAINS SPOILERS*

[akadada]

Great posts here.

Some brief comments

Regarding how do they deal with Leia in 9....Leia living was a surprise, but as I understand it both 8 & 9 were filmed mostly together. A lot of 9 may already be done and so it makes sense they could say that there will be no CGI of Leia in 9 since they may still have film of her living.

From a Star Wars fan standpoint I didn't like the movie. The movie felt rushed to me and very contrived. I enjoyed "watching" it and was entertained by it. There was just a lot of silly things: Leia flying in space was stupid. The casino scenes were so bad that I got up and got another beer and went to the bathroom. I came back and my buddy said I did not miss anything. Snoke was kind of pathetic in the present. The best part of those little flying creatures on Luke's island was when Chewy was eating them.

I would have preferred they took this movie and split it in two and just have four movies. They could have done a lot more with the story lines. This movie was all over the place.

The best way I can sum up how I feel is this:

Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski:
This is a very complicated case, Maude. You know, a lotta ins, lotta outs, lotta what-have-you's. And, uh, lotta strands to keep in my head, man. Lotta strands in old Duder's head.

 

[crazy4wdw]

Not trying to offend anyone here but I feel that if you didn’t like the movie it’s because it was different from the Star Wars everyone knows and loves. People bashed TFA because it was too much like New Hope so when Disney goes out and does something different, everyone hates it. I don’t even know anymore. I’m not trying to speak for anyone but that’s how I feel.

I wonder if some of the difference in people's opinions on the movie is related to how long you've been a Star Wars fan? I've been a mega Star Wars fan since the first film was released in 1977 and I absolutely hated TLJ. I could go on and on about all of the different plot points I disliked. To me, the film negates the OT. The last film in the OT is "Return of the Jedi". The rebels win, the empire is destroyed, the emperor is dead, and Darth Vader returns to the light side of the force. Then your turn the clock up 30 to 40 years later and Luke is some crotchety hermit on a planet in the outer rim who wants the Jedi to end? Not buying it. I could care less about seeing episode IX or any other Star Wars episode that comes along.

Anyway, just wondering if maybe the younger fans are more accepting of the film than us old, crotchety fans are!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Also enjoyed the porgs in the Falcon's cockpit with Chewie (it appeared the one on top of the console had some sort of visor on).

I suppose my favorite humorous moment was at the beginning where BB-8 was trying to get Poe's targeting system back online. A day in the life of an astromech...

Reminded me of one thought I had at the end:

Given that BB-8 can like fix anything, take out first order troopers and take ove AT-STs, etc ..... why doesn't the resistance just build like a million BB-8s?

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Another thing about this to is maybe she really is a nobody? Disney might be going a different way. Yes, the first 6 movies basically followed a "Skywalker." However, Anakin was basically a nobody as well. So, maybe Rey is just another start of a family line that we don't know much about.

Anakin wasn't a nobody - he was created by Plaegus

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Oh yeah - that Cantina scene...

Up until that point my experience with SciFi was 2001, Star Trek (TV series - no movie yet), Logan's Run (which I hadn't even seen yet because I was too young! ) and some children's movies. Slow moving stuff. Phasers fired slowly, one alien at a time - Blaster fire like bullets?! Laser swords?! dozens of Aliens doing NON alien things like drinking in bars?!

Being in the theater the first few times I saw it and EVERYBODY cheered when the deathstar blew up. It was an entirely shared and unique experience.

Well, the big difference is that Star Wars isn't science fiction. Science fiction is based on actual scientific principals

Star Wars is really a fantasy and actually more of a Westen movie set in space with some Eastern Religion elements thrown in

 

[Brian Tubbs]

Sorry but this movie was awful. People were leaving before it was over (I didn't, but was close to). Disney has ruined Star Wars. I discussed this movie with friends and people I work with yesterday and the consensus was not good for Disney or Star Wars.

Mark Hamill himself hinted that this new effort stunk and said it was just a cash grab.

"Search your feelings...you know it's true"

 

[TheMaxRebo]

We saw it last night. I thought some parts were great and some parts really dragged the story down.

- I thought most of the humor fell flat.
- I’m glad Mark Hamill finally learned to act.
- Rose is the single most boring character I’ve ever seen. I thought her storyline with Finn was boring and unnecessary. The casino scene was awful.
- Poe’s character fell flat too.
- No back story for Snoke and Phasma? Really?
- Kylo and Rey’s interactions were the most interesting parts of the movie. My biggest issue with this movie is a lot of the characters make stupid decisions with little reason or consequence. Their interplay was great.

Not saying I loved Rose's character but I get her being like a symbol of the new resistence and making sacrifices and her line to Finn about saving the ones you love was cheesy but also fits into the story

As an FYI there already is a book out that provides Phasma's back story- though I still would have liked a bit more of her being a bad ***

 

[crazy4wdw]

Sorry but this movie was awful. People were leaving before it was over (I didn't, but was close to). Disney has ruined Star Wars. I discussed this movie with friends and people I work with yesterday and the consensus was not good for Disney or Star Wars.

Mark Hamill himself hinted that this new effort stunk and said it was just a cash grab.

"Search your feelings...you know it's true"

Agree, I think I was one of the few Star Wars fans that was excited when Disney purchased LucasFilm. Most fans were really upset when Lucas made the sale and felt that Disney would destroy Star Wars. I guess, in the end those fans were correct. I wish this film had never been made, that's how much I disliked it.

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Anakin wasn't a nobody - he was created by Plaegus

Ok. I'm going to be honest and say that I haven't read any Star Wars books so I would not have known that. However, by what I meant that he was a nobody is...He was found basically in the middle of nowhere working as a slave. If the Queen of Naboo's ship didn't need repair, he would not have never been found or at least that soon. Obviously by the time Episode I came out, we basically knew who he was because we knew the story followed a Skywalker. If Episode I was to come out first, we would all be wondering how this kid had so much powers which is what we are thinking about Rey right now.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Ok. I'm going to be honest and say that I haven't read any Star Wars books so I would not have known that. However, by what I meant that he was a nobody is...He was found basically in the middle of nowhere working as a slave. If the Queen of Naboo's ship didn't need repair, he would not have never been found or at least that soon. Obviously by the time Episode I came out, we basically knew who he was because we knew the story followed a Skywalker. If Episode I was to come out first, we would all be wondering how this kid had so much powers which is what we are thinking about Rey right now.

Oh yeah, I get that - and they all have that element. We know now Luke's parentage but when Episode 4 came out he was a "nobody" on a nowhere planet. Similar to Rey, similar to that kid shown at the end of this film that is Force sensitive

I think it is just to show that anyone can be a hero and you can overcome and succeed not being the offspring of significant people

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Oh yeah, I get that - and they all have that element. We know now Luke's parentage but when Episode 4 came out he was a "nobody" on a nowhere planet. Similar to Rey, similar to that kid shown at the end of this film that is Force sensitive

I think it is just to show that anyone can be a hero and you can overcome and succeed not being the offspring of significant people

True. I just woke up so I wasn't even thinking about Luke being a "nobody" back when IV came out.

The kid at the end of this movie has me very intrigued. Part of me just wishes that wasn't the end. I don't see myself having as many questions at the end of this film than I did after Episode VII.

 

[only hope]

Some people in the thread were wondering what the younger generation thinks of the film. I grew up during the prequels. I have always loved the prequels and think the original trilogy is just okay. They're very slow. I didn't like TFA because it was just a third successful attempt at blowing up a planet destroyer. The overall plot was nothing new. Many of the moments only have an impact on first viewing, like the reveal of the Millennium Falcon. I loved TLJ- I think it will hold up with repeated viewings too. There are a few plot holes, but every single Star Wars movie has them, so that's nothing new. Every time I thought I knew what would happen next, it was something different. The humor was great, the film was visually stunning, and the cinematography was excellent. I loved the journey that the main characters go on and the development of the relationship between Ben/Kylo and Rey.

Not everything was great. The casino sequence was strange and felt out of place. If they could contact Maz via hologram, why couldn't they contact the code breaker via hologram and just get detailed instructions? Why would they park on a public beach to begin with? Secrecy was key on that mission; if they had parked in a hidden place, the police would not have been pursuing them. Leia saving herself was a bit much too. As someone suggested, it would have been more believable if she wasn't floating dozens of yards away from the ship. The porgs are adorable but serve no purpose, good or bad. Would it have been that hard to justify their existence with a plot device? Maybe they damage the Falcon (two seconds of chewing on a wire doesn't count) and Chewie has to fix the ship while Rey gets her three lessons. Why did Luke die at the end? Can exhaustion really kill a Jedi Master? Luke's journey seems finished so I understand why plot-wise. I don't doubt he will be back in IX as a force ghost, especially since he's the last remaining human character from the originals. Which brings up another point: just how long can droids last? C3PO and R2D2 are really, really old now but look and function just as well as they did in the prequels.

I saw it at 7pm on Thursday and our theater seemed to love it. Lots of reactions, complete silence during certain parts, and lots of excited chatter on the way out. I overheard a young man (very loudly) saying it might be the best SW movie he's seen, and I may agree with him.

 

[TomServo27]

Wonder what the internet’s reaction would have been when Boba Fett died so unceremoniously in Jedi. I remeber how disappointed I was in the moment when it happened. I had spent three years waiting for Boba Fett to do something badass and he was dead before you knew it. Phasma=Boba Fett

 

[umichigan10]

Wonder what the internet’s reaction would have been when Boba Fett died so unceremoniously in Jedi. I remeber how disappointed I was in the moment when it happened. I had spent three years waiting for Boba Fett to do something badass and he was dead before you knew it. Phasma=Boba Fett

Call it Phasma Fett

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Some people in the thread were wondering what the younger generation thinks of the film. I grew up during the prequels. I have always loved the prequels and think the original trilogy is just okay. They're very slow. I didn't like TFA because it was just a third successful attempt at blowing up a planet destroyer. The overall plot was nothing new. Many of the moments only have an impact on first viewing, like the reveal of the Millennium Falcon. I loved TLJ- I think it will hold up with repeated viewings too. There are a few plot holes, but every single Star Wars movie has them, so that's nothing new. Every time I thought I knew what would happen next, it was something different. The humor was great, the film was visually stunning, and the cinematography was excellent. I loved the journey that the main characters go on and the development of the relationship between Ben/Kylo and Rey.

Not everything was great. The casino sequence was strange and felt out of place. If they could contact Maz via hologram, why couldn't they contact the code breaker via hologram and just get detailed instructions? Why would they park on a public beach to begin with? Secrecy was key on that mission; if they had parked in a hidden place, the police would not have been pursuing them. Leia saving herself was a bit much too. As someone suggested, it would have been more believable if she wasn't floating dozens of yards away from the ship. The porgs are adorable but serve no purpose, good or bad. Would it have been that hard to justify their existence with a plot device? Maybe they damage the Falcon (two seconds of chewing on a wire doesn't count) and Chewie has to fix the ship while Rey gets her three lessons. Why did Luke die at the end? Can exhaustion really kill a Jedi Master? Luke's journey seems finished so I understand why plot-wise. I don't doubt he will be back in IX as a force ghost, especially since he's the last remaining human character from the originals. Which brings up another point: just how long can droids last? C3PO and R2D2 are really, really old now but look and function just as well as they did in the prequels.

I saw it at 7pm on Thursday and our theater seemed to love it. Lots of reactions, complete silence during certain parts, and lots of excited chatter on the way out. I overheard a young man (very loudly) saying it might be the best SW movie he's seen, and I may agree with him.

I took Luke dying to be similar to when Yoda faded away - they completed their training (Like finally learned his last lesson from Yoda) and has successfully created/inspired/started the journey for his replacement so he could "let go of this plane" and become one with the Force

 

[Q-man]

First, I agree the floating / Mary poppins Leia was not great - really was thinking "I don't think that is how the Force works"

As to the ending though - I think it tied to the speech that's Finn gave about how people know our sign and that is the hope - so you see the kid with the ring at the end to show you that there are places out there that still believe in the sign, etc

Also, just cause they didn't answer the signal in this movie doesn't mean no one comes to support in the future - they could have worried it was a trap, etc

Star-Lord Leia floating while somehow bombs acted like there is gravity in space was a big inconsistency.

 

[splash327]

Here are my thoughts,

I came out of it last night saying it was one of the best Star Wars movies ever. I really enjoyed it and can't wait to see it again.

I liked how they did Luke's character, it felt right for the story. He failed Kylo and went off as to not cause additional sith. The end was awesome with him dusting off his shoulder and then being a force projection at the end.

Kylo did as other sith do. He finally turned on his master and took command. Something Vader never did.

I feel the Rey's story may not be complete but it does match the story line started in tfa. She was created by the force to balance Kylo.

The casino scene setup a couple things that i think might end up being in the next movie. One the boy is the one that helped Rose and Finn. He could be Rey's apprentience in the next movie. I also see the thief coming back.

I do think the big question is Leia. They said when she died that they were not changing 8 but would change 9. So i went into it think Leia wouldn't die in this one.

As far as someone asked based on generations, i grew up watching the original trilogy. I remember the going almost every day the summer of 77 to see the original. My son whose 22 grew up on the prequels. We both thought it was one of the best.

 

[rteetz]

Agree, I think I was one of the few Star Wars fans that was excited when Disney purchased LucasFilm. Most fans were really upset when Lucas made the sale and felt that Disney would destroy Star Wars. I guess, in the end those fans were correct. I wish this film had never been made, that's how much I disliked it.

So I have to ask them. What did you want or what did you expect from this film? A episode 5 remake? I’m just trying to understand why some dislike it so much. I’m young and obviously didn’t grow up with the originals so I have a different view point. I also know die hards who did like it.

 

[TomServo27]

I definitely think there were a ton of things brought up in Episode 7 that were hyperanalyzed after and leading up to episode 8 by youtubers and the like - with Snoke probably being second only speculating on Rey's parents .... but I think we are just never going to get all the answers in the films - just would be too much. funny looking back at how many you tube videos I watched speculating on Sokes's black crystal ring alone and then like, nope he dead

I was a huge lost fan. I remember how the internet over analyzed everything was people screen capping scenes to see what book was in the background of scene. Then because some book was in the background it must mean something significant to that character or the overall mystery of the show. When the truth of it was it was a book that the creators liked and just wanted to put it into scene.

Also one the problems lost had was when they answered a mystery it just upset a lot people cause it was not the answer they wanted. When they did not answer a mystery people were upset about that.

 

[wonderstruck88]

-I was not a fan of throwing away much of Force Awakens. Phasma, Snoke, ect. This did not feel like the second part of a trilogy. It felt like the first part of a new trilogy, only with with just one more movie.

Force Awakens to me turned into a epilogue for the original trilogy and not the begining of something new.

-Was a very good 3 star movie. Dark but exciting an hopeful. Could of been more if it had more cohesion with TFA and did not drop almost everything it introduced.

I think this pretty much nails my main problems with it. The prequels came out when I was a kid (11ish) and I was pretty ‘eh’ on them. I LOVED Force Awakens. My absolute favorite. I realize that’s an unpopular opinion because many people felt it was too similar to A New Hope, but with Rey (and Finn, but mainly Rey) it didn’t feel that way to me. It made me so excited for his trilogy. And I just feel like (I might butcher spellings here, apologies) Rian didn’t like what JJ Abrams had done, and tried to get away from it. This isn’t the first recent trilogy where I’ve loved the first one, and then it (in my eyes) goes off the rails when they bring in a new director for the second. I really wish the movie studios would cut that out.