The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker

I wanted to do exactly this but set it up as a poll to get more clear results. If you can edit your OP to add this poll I think it would be cool...

• Like TLJ, Like TROS
• Like TLJ, Dislike TROS
• Dislike TLJ, Like TROS
• Dislike TLJ, Dislike TROS

 

I liked them both.

Though, to me, TROS helps to really elevate the saga by adding dimensions that create bookends reaching all the way back to TPM. It elevates the narrative of each of the trilogies. So my appreciation of TLJ is somewhat magnified by TROS. For me it's difficult to consider the episodes in a vacuum because of the shared narrative connections. It's like trying to determine what chapters of a favored book I like and dislike, or rank the chapters of that book - but all I can really say is that I love the book which is comprised of the shared narrative connections of the chapters.

 

I liked TLJ (TESB and TLJ are the only ones that I consider masterpieces in the SW universe)...and for now I partially liked TROS (not sure what to think about Palpatine returns).

 

Adored TLJ (Best Star Wars ever) and love TROS.

 

Thank you!!!!

 

I'm with you.
Absolutely love TLJ, TROS has gone from 7/10 on first viewing to at least 8.5/10 on today's viewing.

 

Just curious what bookends reaching back to TPM are you referring to? Would love to hear your thoughts!

 

On a really childish level, it's always nice to see people besides myself saying they like TLJ. I don't get that anywhere else in life.

Anyways, back on topic

 

Hi, to me TLJ was a complete mess and let-down, and was both confusing and lazy in the story. TROS managed quite well to amend the mistakes and try to bridge all the gaps, both linking it to Episodes VII and VIII, and to the original trilogy nostalgia + a straightforward storyline reminiscent of the initial spirit of fantaisy mythical adventures. Quite good, and looking good visually too. I wish the final battle was a bit more elaborate though....

 

Why hello there! I actually felt most of the opposite. I have A TON of issues with TLJ, but I don't mind going back and re-watching it with friends, despite how frustrating it makes me. With TROS I have so many issues (again, some of which don't even have to do with the movie itself) that I'm not sure how much I can enjoy it on re-watching...I'll have a more solid opinion after my TROS re-watch with my family. Which is also weird because I usually like JJ Abrams films over the RJ films I've seen (TFA>TLJ, MI3 and Star Trek > Looper), but this year the RJ film beat out Abrams (Knives Out > TROS easily). It's awesome that you really like TROS though!!

 

I like both movies for different reasons. But I feel TLJ did more to push the franchise forward in new and interesting ways. TROS undid a lot of what I liked in TLJ.

 

It didn't, though.

 

Oh, but it did. We can pretend, we can be in denial all we like - but some things just don't add up. Some things just happen to be the result of Abrams and Terrio haphazardly trying to throw a bunch of concepts at the wall, with complete disregard of what came before, and pray that they stick.

Snoke being cloned as Palpatine's vessel or puppet opens up perhaps the biggest can of worms this saga has ever seen, because it directly contradicts one of the most pivotal scenes of the Last Jedi: the throne room confrontation. If Palpatine was behind Snoke all this time, then why did Snoke so vehemently intend to kill Rey - and nearly succeeded in that endeavor - if not for Kylo Ren's dramatic turn? Maybe Kylo was the original heir he intended for the ritual, you might think. It would mean that he only switched to Rey after Ben Solo was redeemed in The Rise of Skywalker. This tracks. This makes sense. Up until you remember that D-0 specifically says that it was not Palpatine's intent to kill young Rey and her parents, but rather to bring the girl to him.

For being a supposed mastermind, the Snoke reveal either implies that Palpatine's motivations don't make an iota of sense if he played around in his Snoke vessel for the duration of Episodes VII and VIII - as hinted by the claim he made to Kylo that he was all the voices in his head - or the more unlikely case that he had a pawn who was working against him, which is frankly, pathetic considering Palpatine's personal history of betrayal.

It just doesn't make sense. I have no idea how it got past the first draft.

 

To be honest, Palpatine is straight up an idiot in this movie.

Why make the First Order which would prompt the galaxy to begin preparations/units to mobilize against you before you were ready to reveal your ultimate plan of the Final Order? Why not lead with that and maybe spend less time with Starkiller base and just fully commit to your fleet of freaking DEATH STAR ships?

Why broadcast your message that you were planning on destroying the galaxy before you even got the chance to lift your ships out of the ground? Why not wait till you're ready to launch instead of potentially rallying a ton of people against you beforehand?

Why give them 16 hours instead of just going ahead and attacking. Why the "race against time" trope?

Like this man is acting like his hubris never failed him a few times before. Why leave anything at all to chance when you have the upper hand?