The Last Jedi Reactions Thread

Ehh, the guy was in two pieces. He is gone.

 

I saw the film yesterday and have been processing it for more than 24h, it’s a lot to unpack but I’m leaning towards positive, maybe even great, The Last Jedi has so many highs. But I don’t know, yet. I have to process some more, see it again (and I will tomorrow) and ponder even more.

And I’ve even gone deeper and started processing my own processing. And that made me think of this…

Imagine if you were a huge Star Wars fan in 1980 and had been thinking about the continuation of the saga for three years.
Based on what you knew from A New Hope (I know, simply known as Star Wars back then) the force was not all that strange and Darth Vader had murdered Luke's father.
You perhaps had a pretty clear (head canon) image of how "A New Hope 2" would feel.

Then you go to the cinema and see:

- Obi-Wan is an actual visible ghost.
- Vader can strangle people via Skype.
- A green little creature who, initially at least, behaves like Kermit the frog.
- Luke suddenly battles Darth Vader in a cave, but no… wait, what?
- You can even see the future through the force now, that would have been helpful in the last movie.
- There’s huge slugs living in the vacuum of space. You can even land ships and walk around in them without getting digested.
- The passing of time is way off between Luke and the others.
- Darth Vader can stop blaster shots with his bare hand, is he jesus?
- Vader claims he is Luke’s father, wtf?
- Luke can talk with people (Leia) through the force.
- The tone is all over the place compared to A New Hope, sometimes darker, sometimes borderline comedy and definitely weirder.
- And to top it off the movie ends with a frustrating cliff hanger.


If I were that Star Wars fan back in 1980 I think I would be sitting very much like I am now, unsure of what I think, processing, and questioning.

The mental picture I have of myself is like that of Gandalf at Bag End, in Fellowship of the Ring, after he has reached for the ring and just sits there in deep thoughts with his pipe, pondering.

 

I haven't seen the film yet. I'm seeing it tomorrow but I tend to agree with what you wrote regarding this. I'm an advocate of moral relitavism within real life, but within something like the SW films, which work as coded allagory for the stuggle we feel inside ourselves its an odd move on Rian's part. he's essentually moving the films from discussing the interal world we feel, the light and the dark inside ourselfs, into a discussion about the exteranl world with all its greys, and unsatisfactory conclusions. This could be seen as elivating the saga to a deeper place, where real issues are discussed. but It just as easily could be as lowering the saga down to being nothing more than a thin commentry on our own world, where as at its best SW is deeply moral, and related to our own internal and spiritual struggles.

anyway, it does leave an interesting option for IX to be able to bring back the heroism, the light, the moral objectivism, the optimism and that might actually make for a very stong trilogy. the middle one shakes the foundations, makes us think that everything is messy and a-moral only to have the final film show us anew that hope and light wins out, that despite knowing our actions are meaningless we choose to believe in the good fight anyway.

 

I probably have to give them credit for the fact, that there is already a theory on this and we are going to speculate over the next two years like the crazy fanatics we are. I don't know if you read it, but a clever user has crafted a theory that just as Luke could project himself, so can Snoke, and the being Kylo bisected wasn't the real Snoke and this was only a move of Snoke to move Kylo in a certain direction. If this is true, it really is a stroke of genius, both by the imaginary character and the script writer, but maybe I'm being too optimistic.

https://thecantina.starwarsnewsnet....uth-about-snoke-attention-tlj-spoilers.53452/

 

I will be very honest. I was in a bad mood as we arrived late to the cinema and entered a few minutes after it started. I was in a very bad mood, tried to control myself, and this mood spoiled my viewing of The Last Jedi, and it got worse when the bad things happened. My first reactions was not positive as I had many things to say, but as I thought about it, and spoiler talk about it with my dad, it grew on me. It literally grew on me, and understood what was the message that Rian Johnson was trying to convey. I started to love it when I let go of the past. I started to love it as I let go of my expectations and what I wanted a good The Last Jedi to be like. I told myself one thing and agreed on one thing, I need to watch it again. It was a lot to unpack, a lot, and it was a lot to take in as well. I wasn't ready for it! I am now giving it an A. I loved Vice Admiral Holdo, Rose, Luke, and all the characters. However, Rey seems slightly wasted as I am not sure what she learnt! ( yes maybe those simple lessons from Luke ). The Last Jedi is the middle chapter and trust me, JJ Abrams have only one duty, which is to give this trilogy a satisfying conclusion. Rian Johnson, man, you got me! I'm giving it another one or two viewings.

Oh by the way, those visuals, truly amazing. The use of silence when Holdo turns the Raddus onto the Supremacy was powerful, very powerful.

 

That theory sounds stupid.

 

another 2 years wait to see how JJ gonna twist again for the ending film in ST
- a bunch of jedi being trained by rey? including finn or poe or someone else?
- end of skywalker saga and opening new chapters as mentioned by the producers?
- linking into any of the epic stories in EU?

 

Agree. See also the end of the Resistance plot line.
But also the Rey/Kylo plot line.
And that of Luke, too.
There's always a choice to make to grant a better good.

In this sense the movie is not at all a re-invention of the lore.
Not by far.
It's only a different way to tell the same story.
In the end - for instance - Luke did what Obi Wan did.
He failed as a master (Ben aka Anakin) and he sacrified himself to save the
next hope (Rey aka Luke) and the Resistance (as Poe understands, and that's what Oi Wan did too, allowing not only Luke but Leia and Han too to escape).

In fact, if there's one thing that I don't blame Jhonson for, it's Luke's arc.
It was an interesting take, an interesting way... but to tell the same story.
The only thing that was poorely done, was the reveal about the night that Ben turned.

Sorry but that is not a needed compromise.
It's needed only because Jhonson need a device to build up the "force-bond" plot line.
But in all honesty, even if that's the plot point, I've read - before the movie came out - fan ideas better than that to reach the same goal.
Ideas, that don't need to push Luke to a point where you almost destroy the character.
In fact, he "almost" killed Ben.
Because you couldn't do otherwise if you don't want to scrued up the character once
and for all. And that's a silly choice.

Overall, that's the problem with this movie.
Jhonson didn't have the courage to change the lore (thankfully IMO).
He only had the courage to stress the plot.
He used twists and turns for the very sake of twists and turns.
And that because of lack of creativity.

I'm fine with Luke dying, I'm fine with Rey random, I would have enjoyed more Kylo becoming the new Supreme leader. But the script is not good. The building up is poorly done.
The jounery is not compelling.

Worst the inconsistencies with ep. 7, the rest of the canon and within the movie itself are far more than we may have faced
with Rey Solo.

So, again, I didn't like RJ's style.
But beside that, which is pesonal, the movie has problems and it has even more in the context of the trilogy.

 

I've given it a 7 out of 10.

Although I enjoyed the film, there were parts that made me cringe. I'm not a fan of the direction they took with Luke, I find it difficult to believe that the same man who redeemed the unredeemable in Darth Vader would entertain the idea of murdering a young Ben Solo. It just doesn't add up for me.

I love the humour in Star Wars movies, but I don't think there's a film that has the same rate of slapstick remarks and funny moments as this one. It was a bit too much in my opinion, and seemed forced.

The bits I loved were the Kylo and Rey scenes, and seeing and hearing Yoda again was marvellous.

All in all, good movie, but it did leave me pulling faces and scratching my head an awful lot.

 

Wow, seen it yesterday and still processing.. It was an intense experience - I enjoyed all the emotions - thrill, laughs, delight, shock and several wtf's
The only thing I now know for sure is that I need to see the film several more times to be able to wrap my head around it and make an opinion.

What not a lot of people touched on - I think it was masterfully written, acted and filmed, the effects were awesome too. I was weirded out by, but enjoyed, multiple sequences that were very unlike any previous SW cinematography, like Rey's Force-trip through the island, Rey-Kylo skypes, Holdo's destruction of the Supremacy and a lot of others.

I wonder if majority of people here (myself included) were disappointed not by the quality of the film, but by the events in it:

• we wanted some cool backstory for Rey (as Rey did)
• we expected Snoke to be the big epic villain and get to know more about him (as Rey did)
• we wanted Luke to come back and show his powers in an epic battle (as Rey did)
• we wanted Finn and Rose's mission to succeed (as they did)
• ...

We got a bit trapped by the two years of hype and theorizing and RJ seems to very deliberately used it to mess with us - which feels kind of like a betrayal for now.. Not really sure (but interested very much) where IX can go from here.

I can't wait how will my view change after more viewings, when I won't be surprised anymore so I'll be taking the film for what it is..

 

I said lack of creativity thinking about the overall story.
The ganeral ideas.
Sure Rias has creativity but in putting together the pieces of a puzzle.
In creating twists and turns. But they don't serve - IMO - the story.
Not even his own story.

In end, everything is as we left it in 7. Beside Kylo.

However, looking forward to read what you think.
Usually I like your takes... I wish to change my mind at least a bit.

 

I gave it 8/10, I thoroughly enjoyed it, although admittedly still preferred Rogue One. But that's just me; I prefer the meat & potatoes galactic civil war and dastardly imperial in-fighting reminiscent to the PC games like TIE Fighter and Dark Forces over lots of heavy Jedi mythology stuff. Or to put it more simply I prefer war to magic.

I LOVED the truth about Rey's parents, as I've said elsewhere on the forum whilst hypothesising a few months back, that's exactly what I hoped and turns out that's exactly what I got; it's her story not theirs and it stops the franchise being so incestuous with everyone being connected.

I felt for a live-action movie, some of the force stuff was a bit "out there" which may confuse or disappoint some viewers, since the movies haven't gone down that extreme path before, but in terms of what's actually canon, it's all perfectly in-universe and felt very much in the realms of where The Clone Wars and Rebels have taken exploration of the force. It's not even at Mortiis-level weird anyway, just firmly in the realms of Ezra at the Jedi temple and the visions that followed. It felt very Dave Filoni at times.

The humour was excellent, never laughed so much in a Star Wars film, as did the whole cinema, but was still full of dramatic weight where it counted. The final scene with Holdo, wow, you could have heard a pin-drop in the cinema from the tension in the room, incredible scene.

A very different Star Wars movie, but I was delighted to enjoy so many unexpected events taking place.

Only thing is, PLEASE can we have some on-screen backstory to Snoke in IX? Please?!?

Looking forward to seeing it again soon, great work Rian!

PS. Was anyone else reminded of this scene from Breakin' with the little boy at the end or was it just me? I actually was expecting him to start breakdancing

 

In defence of The Last Jedi:

Well it really didn't go the way we thought it was going to go. That in my opinion is a good thing. It wasn't the safe and formulaic good v evil story that TFA was. I also consider this to be a good thing - though I did enjoy TFA. But I see from spaces like this and forums that the film has really divided opinion but I'll go out on a limb and predict that a lot of people who are unsure about it will grow to love it because it is a story with real depth that deserves repeated viewing. There are a few issues I've seen mentioned that I'd like to address.

1. Luke, did he get to display his powers and did he get a fitting end?

While I would have loved to see him bring down a first order walker with the force and ignite the green sabre, what he did was even more impressive. He astrally projected himself in physical form across the galaxy and fought his nephew. That's probably the most Force power we have ever seen displayed.

As to a fitting end, well yeah I'd like to have seen non force ghost Luke beyond this episode but in terms of story, this worked - well he saved the rebellion, saved the last hope for the Jedi, and became more powerful than kylo could possibly imagine, without being struck down. He sacrificed his corporeal body to ensure the passing on of his teachings. Luke Skywalker, undefeated, one with the force. I'd rather that than have seen him killed by Kylo or Snoke.

Furthermore, had Luke taken down those walkers, the stakes would immediately have plummeted. If he could do that, the FO wouldn't stand a chance and there would be nothing to worry about for our heroes going into IX.

2. Kylo Ren and Snoke

We still don't have a lot of info on Snoke but we know he tempted Ben Solo to the dark side of the force, attempted to use Kylo as Palpatine had used Vader, but where Vader failed (from a dark side point of view), Kylo Ren succeeded. He killed his master, resisted the lure of the light and stepped out of the shadow of his grandfather. Thought Adam Driver nailed it.

3. Poe, Holdo and the Mutiny

This was one of my favourite things about the film. Half of Star Wars fandom complained that TFA was too like ANH. I didn't think that but thought it was formulaic and had maybe a little bit too much homage to the OT, but liked it all the same. With this story line we got something completely new to Star Wars - division within one of the camps. The stakes have never been as high as when the resistance was down to its last cruiser and Holdo was planning an evacuation. Poe's Mutiny was an act that showed how desperate the situation was while giving him an opportunity to learn and grow as a character, setting him up for a position of military leadership in IX.

4. Finn and Rose.

While i thought the Canto Bight scenes went on a bit too long and this was possibly a side plot too far, I enjoyed the chemistry between the two characters and enjoyed getting to learn how an ordinary woman like Rose ends up giving her life to a cause complete with class background and stuff like that. Something we haven't seen before either.

5. The creatures

Porgs, Vulptex's and Fathiers were all beautifully rendered and the Porgs and Vulptex's worked particularly well. Compare them to the Rathtars of TFA for example.

6. Leia

The enormity of Carrie Fisher's loss to Star Wars was driven home by her performance and the fact she was obviously being set up for a greater role in IX. I agree the bit where she seems to fly seemed a little weird but I guess that's to show her strength in the force, in preparation for that role I IX.

7. Miscellany

The scene where Rose's sister sacrifices herself to release the bomber's payload was a thing of sheer beauty.

The fight with Rey and Kylo v the Praetorian guard was brilliant, as was the resolution where Kylo still chose the dark side and Rey chose the light.

Rey and Luke on Ach-To worked for me. Yoda's appearance made my heart jump for joy and I'm pretty sure that's setting up a virtual force ghost Jedi council for IX.

In conclusion, it was everything I didn't know I wanted from a Star Wars film and proves the franchise can move beyond formula and do something completely original. Also what a challenge for Abrahams going into IX.

I am not exaggerating when I say I think this is going to be by far my favourite Star Wars film. I haven't felt that many emotions watching a film since I saw TESB in the cinema at the tender age of four.

 

Could you elaborate on this? I was genuinely surprised to read it, because I think a lot has changed:

• Snoke is dead
• Kylo finally made his choice and is in charge now
• Luke is gone and the Resistance now needs to rely on themselves
• Resistance is almost eradicated
• Rey now is considered a Jedi and has the initial training and means and will to expand upon it and build a new order
• Finn found courage and joined the Resistance for good
• Poe is in the leadership role now and a lot wiser

But it's more the internal character-y stuff than the galactic status quo..

 

I think everyone may speak for himself.

• we wanted some cool backstory for Rey (as Rey did)

I'm fine with Rey random. But if that's is the backstory, we almost had it in 7.
Think about Maz and Rey... you almost had it all. A storyteller with something to tell, starts from that to say something more.
He should push further the character's arc. From this pov, 8 is turning around on the very same point. At no purpurse but to
build up the force-skype plot. And you may find a better, far interesting device to do that.

• we expected Snoke to be the big epic villain and get to know more about him (as Rey did)

I can live not knowing that much. But to me, again, the problem is logic. Putting aside his backstory, it looked like he has some great power.
TFA, the canon and TLJ too until 5' seconds before his death, told us he is a great evil, that he has the power to read people minds, to
let them do and see what he wants, some believed he influenced Ben Solo from Leia's womb. Turns out, Kylo was plotting all the time against him.
All of a sudden. Sorry. Twist but also non sense.

• we wanted Luke to come back and show his powers in an epic battle (as Rey did)

Luke vs Kylo was one of the thing I liked most. Especially because he was on Ahch to. Brilliant.
And great send off of the character.

• we wanted Finn and Rose's mission to succeed (as they did)

No. I wanted a story line for Finn that was not a reboot of TFA. Something to improve not to retell the character's arc.
The only nice thing is that they failed.

That said, what you liked is what I disliked more.
Personal taste.
But I really found those things silly. And Holdo's final act... nothing that new or unseen and
in the context of the movie a non sense.
Because... what's the point? If the lesson is one my kill himself, then why Poe doesn't kill
himself with the skyspeeder? Because that (Holdo kamikaze) wasn't the lesson, but a device Jhonson needed to go from A to B in terms of plot.

Speaking of which...
Poe is demoted at the beginning of the movie because he does not respect orders.
Later on, he organizes and puts in place a munity, and Leia and Holdo comment is "I like him"
Sure he didn't hear that. But when he wakes up there's not a single word of reproach. A massive, enormous, stellar non sense.
All the "Let's teach Poe how to become a leader" is poorly done.

 

7.5/10 for me, or a solid B+ if we go by A+, A, A- etc.

Good performances throughout, with special shout outs to Adam Driver and Mark Hamill. Adam was so good he sold me much more on his character than in TFA.

I actually am thinking a lot about Kylo's arc. I might do some theory writing for it. It was best part of film. Especially bits with Rey. He went dark, and there is no conflict left in him where his "side" of the force lies. But I don't think he ain't completely lost, almost but not completely.

It was very pretty, and had good climax and action scenes throughout. From the bombing in the beginning to the battle of Crait. Highlight for me was Kylo and Rey fighting together.

Snoke was disappointing. He just turned up, said some evil stuff and then died in a surprise attack by Kylo. I'm hoping he's just somehow faking his death or died purposefully to rise as a dark force ghost (something we haven't seen before, especially if he ain't a synth.) So that he could fully turn Kylo to the dark side, 100%.

Poe also had a good arc, in terms of character development and acting. In the start and ending, middle of film he kinda faffed around with Holda and it was boring.

With Finn and Rose, I liked their dynamic and that was it. I like Rose as a character too but the writing in their arc was pretty bad. Canto Bight was generic, Falthiers generic, bad child actors who we're meant to feel for were generic. DJ was just weird and one note. They didn't really achieve anything but romance between them, which could be sweet if written well in IX.

Rey and Luke I enjoyed, but it was too brief. It felt like "crash course in Jedi learning in two days and you're ready to go to save the resistance and future Jedi" kinda thing. Twists in their relationship with Kylo scenes were good and I liked Ach-to. Daisy acted well.

Aside from that, Hux discovered erotic asphyxiation, Chewey refused to eat the delicacy of Roast Porg, and Poe finally met Rey!

Actually the ending, I liked it apart from bad child actor force kid. It links in with my theory writing so imma elaborate on that later.

I need to see it again though.

 

Endorsed. Rose's sentence to Finn on Crait summarized the purpose of the Resistance perfectly.