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

[umichigan10]

Okay, this was bad wording on my part with 'betrayal'.
LC-Empire Strikes Back

I’m not even blaming you for your wording, I feel like most people have had the same idea of his actions until I saw it a second time and heard his wording

 

[Disneymom1126]

Finn's story arc is fairly interesting - he (and all the other storm troopers) were taken as kids and trained/brainwashed by the first order. Finn was a higher performer who Captain Phasma pushed and abused. Then over time he just saw the atrocities and crimes the First Order was asking him to do to civilians and he had enough and defected.

But now that he gave Phasma her comeuppance (in, to be honest, a bit of a letdown fight) that completes his story arc so no idea what role he has/needs to have going forward

I thought another big arc moment for Finn is when instead of running (or trying to) like he has in the past - in the scene on Crait he is willing to sacrifice himself/fly into the ramming cannon even after being told to retreat

 

[Aurora0427]

I think what i don’t like the most about these movies is our heroes have such sad lives. Luke never married or had Ben, instead abandoning the force and living like a hermit for God knows how long, bitter and defeated. So different from our Luke who turned Anakin back to the light. Leia and Han never had a happy marriage or any calm. Their son is essentially the devil.

It wasn’t all sunshine in the expanded EU, but geez. It just seems like such a depressing life, especially for Luke.

 

[Aurora0427]

I wonder if they would have done things differently if Carried had died earlier and they could rework things .... obviously easy to say in hindsight but if she piloted the cruiser to hyperspace and sacrificed herself that way and then they have Luke live on to episode 9 it would make for a better story

Obviously a very minor point when compared to her actual death

I think they would’ve kept Luke alive. I totally get that he basically sacrificed himself to save Leia and what was left of the resistance, but with Carrie gone, they’ll have to kill off Leia, who has been the symbol of the alliance and then the rebellion for so long. I don’t know. The world isn’t the same without her and the Star Wars world isn’t the same without Luke.

 

[AdamEfimoff]

I saw it and it felt like an epic space yarn. Like the ride splash mountain with its epic drop But personally I felt it was LOTR with its multiple endings.

4.5/5

 

[kenthanson]

http://www.thisisinsider.com/star-wars-the-last-jedi-princess-leia-space-scene-2017-12

Quote from above article about Leia using the force.

Johnson said the reason she didn't show her powers until now may be because he viewed them as something that would awaken during an emergency.

"I liked the idea it would be an instinctual thing. This would be more like stories you hear about parents of toddlers who get caught under cars and they get Hulk strength and lift the car up," he said. "It would be something in these final moments to show that she's not done with the fight. And like a drowning person pulling herself back, that's how it manifests itself for the first time in her."

That might be the dumbest thing i've ever heard. Not about you, but about Mr. Johnson.

 

[kbelle8995]

I think what i don’t like the most about these movies is our heroes have such sad lives. Luke never married or had Ben, instead abandoning the force and living like a hermit for God knows how long, bitter and defeated. So different from our Luke who turned Anakin back to the light. Leia and Han never had a happy marriage or any calm. There son is essentially the devil.

It wasn’t all sunshine in the expanded EU, but geez. It just seems like such a depressing life, especially for Luke.

Boy you took the words right out of my mouth. I enjoy TFA in the theater but when I think about what happen to the original three boy do I get depressed. I haven't seen LJ yet. But I am fine with spoilers. They prepare me. And Love Finn, Poe and Rey. I am waiting to see how this trilogy plays out. Will see TLJ after Xmas

Luckily there is some good fanfics out there making me feel better

 

[LSLS]

So I'll add my $0.02. It was good. The middle of this movie kind of dragged for me. But I was entertained for most of it. When I walked out of the theater, my first remarks to my wife were that this movie was going to have a lot more people on the negative side than TFA had. As someone who does not overanalyze characters/plots/etc., I can say I liked TFA a lot more, and I could see people getting really upset at some of the dragging scenes/questions.

I think this gets to why you see such a discrepency between critcis and viewers. If you are a critic, there was a lot of character development, lots of good direction changes, and lots of all the other things critics really look for. If you are just a casual viewer, there was a lot of time not much was going on and there were a lot of questions that got ignored/had 1 line answers. I worry episode 9 may need to spend the majority of it's time cleaning up the discrepancies in these two films. I think what this has really shown me is that it was a bad idea not to go with a single director for all three movies.

With the Leia thing, stupid me I guess, but I never imagined it was her powers. I actually thought Ren did it because of how the attacks were going, and that was more of his conflicted persona coming out. Then it never got explained. It really confused me especiall.

 

[umichigan10]

So I'll add my $0.02. It was good. The middle of this movie kind of dragged for me. But I was entertained for most of it. When I walked out of the theater, my first remarks to my wife were that this movie was going to have a lot more people on the negative side than TFA had. As someone who does not overanalyze characters/plots/etc., I can say I liked TFA a lot more, and I could see people getting really upset at some of the dragging scenes/questions.

I think this gets to why you see such a discrepency between critcis and viewers. If you are a critic, there was a lot of character development, lots of good direction changes, and lots of all the other things critics really look for. If you are just a casual viewer, there was a lot of time not much was going on and there were a lot of questions that got ignored/had 1 line answers. I worry episode 9 may need to spend the majority of it's time cleaning up the discrepancies in these two films. I think what this has really shown me is that it was a bad idea not to go with a single director for all three movies.

With the Leia thing, stupid me I guess, but I never imagined it was her powers. I actually thought Ren did it because of how the attacks were going, and that was more of his conflicted persona coming out. Then it never got explained. It really confused me especiall.

I prefer your theory much more to Mary poppins in space. It adds more depth to kylos character (which he got a lot of in this film) if you look at it that way

 

[JediBonas]

You're so right.

Why didn't Yoda come back to fry the Emperor? If a Force Ghost can call a massive lightning bolt to ignite an ancient sacred Jedi site, why doesn't he Emperor come back and fry everyone? Where is Kenboi? Why isn't he back to fry Snoke? Rian Johnson thought, "Cool! Yoda can be as irreverent as everyone else in this movie. Risky! A new direction!" But it makes no sense.

I don't think it's true that Star Wars fans don't like this movie because it's new and different. We don't like it because it's inconsistent and stupid.

Original, first generation fans were used to Star Wars changing directions from the very beginning. After that kiss for luck as Luke and Leia swung across the bridge, a lot of us were expecting romance down the road. Brother and sister? What?? Vader is pater? What?

Millions of us read and loved the Zahn novels. Throwing that out of canon was a Huge New Direction. No functional marriage for Han and Leia? Okay. The three kids they had - gone? Okay. Luke, successfully passing on what he has learned, as Yoda told him. But he didn't. Okay. Marrying the massively intriguing Emperor's Hand, Mara Jade. Mara gone. Okay. Their son Ben gone. Okay. All okay. We swallowed that and loved FORCE AWAKENS anyway. We can deal with being surprised, with risks, with new directions. We are not limited. Unwillingness to be surprised or accept a new direction is NOT why Star Wars fans don't like THE LAST JEDI.

TLJ had no cohesion with TFA. And, as you say, TLJ dropped almost everything introduced by TFA. It felt like enormous hubris to break every promise TFA made, massive storytelling laziness to drop every thread TFA had woven, a thumbing of the nose to Abrams and Star Wars fans generally to cast all that aside.

If you go to a movie to enjoy the movie, you'll enjoy TLJ. If you go to a Star Wars movie for a story that doesn't insult your intelligence, characters who develop logically, a plot that evolves consistently with what came before, a film that feels like Star Wars (which, for many of us, all the others did -- different in tone and quality as they were) - you might be disappointed.

When I first saw TFA I really liked it (I think because I was so disappointed in the prequals my hopes weren't high). The more I thought about it the more I disliked it as a Star Wars movie as it didn't seem like any of the original characters had changed since RotJ. Maybe I would have liked it more if I haven't read the EU (my daughter's name is Mara, I LOVE those books), but it just seems like none of them grew since the last movies and I found that lack of character development disappointing. Then they made the EU non-canon but are pretty much canabilizing it for the new movies, which is annoying. You can't tell me Ben Solo isn't based on Jacen Solo, there are too many similarities in those storylines.

Now, I like TLJ as a fun movie to watch, I was disappointed in it as a Star Wars movie. My husband didn't like it at all and actually told me he thinks it's his least favorite Star Wars movie. I went in expecting for some of the mysteries in TFA to be solved and I feel like we learned almost NOTHING in TLJ.

 

[LSLS]

I prefer your theory much more to Mary poppins in space. It adds more depth to kylos character (which he got a lot of in this film) if you look at it that way

Yeah, except then he tries to kill her later, which really confused me. Then I read that quote about her using the force, and I became equally confused for completely different reasons. It still confuses me about why he didn't shoot her on the ship, but I guess something along the lines of he was confused what he wanted and who he was (and if he wanted to go against his mother), then figured it out and that would be the Supreme Leader? I don't know.

 

[HuskieJohn]

This movie felt like a 3 episode arc of The Clone Wars with heavy doses of Rebels added for flavor.

I saw it once and as of now I really liked it but I definitely felt like a few things took me out of the moment because they were so odd (you know that part) or confusing (I know what Rose was trying to say in 2 parts but what I heard her actually say didn't make total sense)...that being said I watch movies at home with the CC on so I can fully understand what people are saying because I have a hard time with that.

I was ready for a second viewing the very next day but I have to wait until the 6th for date night with the wife.

 

[KaptKaveman]

I grew up watching Star Wars. I remember being crushed as a 6 year old kid when Han was frozen in carbonite. I also remember standing in line for hours to see ROTJ and loving the way it ended.

This movie however, I would rank as the worst Star Wars movie. I really didn't think they could make me hate one more than Phantom Menace but somehow they did. This movie is so bad that it actually cheapens the originals. I would probably rank the Christmas Special above The Last Jedi.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I prefer your theory much more to Mary poppins in space. It adds more depth to kylos character (which he got a lot of in this film) if you look at it that way

Although would also make it more confusing/inconsistent ... he draws on his Grandfather to complete his mission, but then kills his father because he has to "break from the past" ... then he hesistates to kill his own mother b/c? why? Is he breaking from the past or not? And then to actually save her would really mean he wasn't breaking from the past

not saying this doesn't make him interesting - the whole being conflicted thing adds levels and is important to Star Wars in general - but would add to the confusion I think

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I think this gets to why you see such a discrepency between critcis and viewers. If you are a critic, there was a lot of character development, lots of good direction changes, and lots of all the other things critics really look for. If you are just a casual viewer, there was a lot of time not much was going on and there were a lot of questions that got ignored/had 1 line answers. I worry episode 9 may need to spend the majority of it's time cleaning up the discrepancies in these two films. I think what this has really shown me is that it was a bad idea not to go with a single director for all three movies.

The other thing is that, and I don't want to speak for all of them, but I am sure a lot of the critics didn't spend the past two years over analyzing everything from TFA and coming up with theories for who Rey's parents are and who Snoke is (is he Anakin? Plaegus?, etc) so they weren't disappointed that the answers didn't match what they came up in their heads

 

[LSLS]

Although would also make it more confusing/inconsistent ... he draws on his Grandfather to complete his mission, but then kills his father because he has to "break from the past" ... then he hesistates to kill his own mother b/c? why? Is he breaking from the past or not? And then to actually save her would really mean he wasn't breaking from the past

not saying this doesn't make him interesting - the whole being conflicted thing adds levels and is important to Star Wars in general - but would add to the confusion I think

Eh maybe. He couldn't shoot, so I was already confused anyways.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I grew up watching Star Wars. I remember being crushed as a 6 year old kid when Han was frozen in carbonite. I also remember standing in line for hours to see ROTJ and loving the way it ended.

This movie however, I would rank as the worst Star Wars movie. I really didn't think they could make me hate one more than Phantom Menace but somehow they did. This movie is so bad that it actually cheapens the originals. I would probably rank the Christmas Special above The Last Jedi.

I totall get not loving this movie and not liking the direction it is going in - but I struggle with comments like this which call it a horrible movie - I mean, the visuals in some scenes are stunning, the fight scene in Snoke's Throne Room was excellent... I get not being a fan, but to say it is below the Christmas Special I just don't get

... I think what is clear is that it is a different / new Star Wars and for those that grew up with the originals - your Star Wars did end on the moon of Endor

I think they tried to "awaken" the feelings in Star Wars fans with TFA and then tried to blow everything up with TLJ and let it set its own course - and if you try to make it just more of the original trilogy it doesn't fit that

 

[LSLS]

I totall get not loving this movie and not liking the direction it is going in - but I struggle with comments like this which call it a horrible movie - I mean, the visuals in some scenes are stunning, the fight scene in Snoke's Throne Room was excellent... I get not being a fan, but to say it is below the Christmas Special I just don't get

... I think what is clear is that it is a different / new Star Wars and for those that grew up with the originals - your Star Wars did end on the moon of Endor

I think they tried to "awaken" the feelings in Star Wars fans with TFA and then tried to blow everything up with TLJ and let it set its own course - and if you try to make it just more of the original trilogy it doesn't fit that

I agree with you. I liked it. Not my fav, but it was pretty good. I think comments about worst ever are two fold. One, I think people forget how bad Phantom was because nobody has seen it in a decade. But second, there was a ton of hype. Rehash or not, people loved TFA, so there was a lot of excitement. Add in how good Rogue One was, and expectations were through the roof on this. Add in the critics who saw it before release just gushing, and it's one of those perfect storms for leaving people disappointed if it wasn't hit out of the park. And disappointment will breed hatred if it can't be kept in context.

 

[adam.adbe]

I totall get not loving this movie and not liking the direction it is going in - but I struggle with comments like this which call it a horrible movie - I mean, the visuals in some scenes are stunning, the fight scene in Snoke's Throne Room was excellent... I get not being a fan, but to say it is below the Christmas Special I just don't get

It certainly wasn't a bad movie in the same way that the Marvel movies are (usually) not bad movies. It was a fun ride.

I personally don't feel it was a good SW movie, precisely because it did feel too much like a Marvel movie. TFA (which I'm in the minority for having in my top three), felt apiece with the originals. This felt too self-knowingly contemporary.

As for the visuals, there were some great visuals, and some surprisingly ropey looking ones. My main concern is that Johnson never slowed down to look at them. Lucas (even at his most hubristic) always found time to let a scene form for the viewer, and JJ, whose style seems to flow that way a little, was happy to ape it in TFA.

... I think what is clear is that it is a different / new Star Wars and for those that grew up with the originals - your Star Wars did end on the moon of Endor

That's true. Disney did not spend a billion dollars to make movies for sulky gen-xers.

For me, I can't say I disliked this movie, but it annoyed me more than it entertained. I'll reserve judgement until it hits iTunes.

My movie crowd seemed to enjoy moments, and I heard clapping and laughs, but not that much excitement on the way out of the movie. For TFA people leaving were greeting those waiting to go in.

 

[adam.adbe]

I agree with you. I liked it. Not my fav, but it was pretty good. I think comments about worst ever are two fold. One, I think people forget how bad Phantom was because nobody has seen it in a decade.

I've never actually made it all the way through that one.