Why am I not excited for this film?

I feel the same way OP. For me, it's mainly that the new characters are so uninteresting. I have no idea what they want or what the stakes are. I think the biggest failure of TLJ was not building on TFA and instead tearing it down... now we are going into TROS in a kind of void state.

This is probably going to be the first new SW movie I don't see in theatres in my entire life.

 

bro.. come and celebrate Star Wars with us in December. (figuratively speaking.. or physically as a few of us are having a Cantina meet-up in London to see it.. if you're in that part of the world)

it's the end of a 40 year journey, and a once in a lifetime opportunity.

I know that you're upset with how the ST has turned out so far, but it's about so much more than a movie or it's contents.
I've been at every opening night for a SW movie (apart from the first 2 as i was too ikkle), and whilst i wanted to see the movies.. it was never about that. We're a part of something special here - we always have been, and the fact that some here are unhappy with the newest movies make it even more important that you're all stood next to us in those queues in December.
You'll find me (my clones will be in all queues at all cinemas) ready to chat and become friends whilst we wait to see the end of this incredible saga.

see you there (neither me or my clones will take no for an answer )

 

^^ I appreciate your optimism, Maximus. I really do. I hope you enjoy the film and that it is excellent.

But the sequels are just sort of dead to me.

I loved Rogue One. I liked Solo. TFA was okay in its own way. But now there's really nothing left I care about for TROS. Like I said before, it's about the characters for me.

Rey, Finn, and Poe all had potential. But they're all just cardboard cutouts now. Kylo is probably the most interesting character in the sequels but I don't care enough about him to keep watching.

I feel the same way I did after the second Hobbit movie. I really want to care more, I WANT to be hyped... but I just can't muster a shred of enthusiasm. I haven't bothered seeing the third Hobbit movie even after all these years, and I loved LOTR.

That said... I am super hyped for The Mandalorian. So I will still be a fan of the universe (galaxy?), just not these particular movies.

 

My expectations for this film is very low... hopefully I will be pleasantly surprised in 98 days. I love Daisy Ridley so I think I’ll like this film nonetheless, despite all hate in this fandom still proud to be a Star Wars fan. Just bought Black Spire gonna try to lose myself in that.

 

I'm very excited about this film and I usually am about any Star Wars movie with the exception of Solo (Probably being too soon after LTJ and having a fairly underwhelming premise).

I think my excitement levels have been based on the wrapping up of the trilogy and intrigue as to how they resolve Leia. The news of Palpatine's return and focus on wrapping up the whole saga has only increased my excitement.

Of course the more my expectations increase the bigger the risk of being let down so I think you are probably better off not being excited.

 

My enthusiasm for this movie has diminished greatly. I'll still watch it, but as it stands, this sequel trilogy is a big nothing. So far-

None of the new characters excite. No new 'iconic' aliens. Visually dull. The planets are hardly distinguishable from what has come before. No sense of scale, the GFFA seems tiny, nothing feels epic. Space battles are run-of-the-mill. The lightsaber duels are no longer exciting. New 'new' ships, per se (I was really hoping they'd at least make the 'next generation' of fighters and Star Destroyers sleek, but alas, more clunky designs). The First Order really doesn't seem evil, just a caricature of the Empire. The FO troop armor is bland. The plot in 7 & 8 could've been really engaging, but the end result is banal There really isn't anything overly new introduced to the saga over all.

Yeah, the acting is fine as with the dialogue, but the things that really make me love Star Wars is largely lacking with these sequels.

 

Unfortunately, the Star Wars excitement I used to have has not returned st

I’m not excited for two reasons: the dumpster fire that was TLJ, and the retconning JJ will be doing to «repair» to shamelessly try to sell off burnt ash as gold.

The «magic» of Star Wars is gone for me I think...

 

Sad to say, I found that TLJ's retcons or at least shifts in tone and direction to be bridge work to repair the retcons and weird and irrelevant plot decisions in the PT and from ROTJ. I found the film to be oddly cathartic in this regard.

Also, Star Wars: The Last Jedi was more like Star Wars: Attack of the Common Sense, which is something that I think the previous SW films actually avoided to some extent by adhering to the Flash Gordon-esque logic, action, and escapism (although the film still had some moments of this with the space battles, Canto Bight, Rose and Finn's entrance into the rebellion base on Crait, the Falcon scenes, the Crait defense scene, etc.). Which might be why there have been complaints from critics like RLM about the film not being fun but educational.

While I know that many have complained about characters being inconsistent or being irrational in this film, I think that there are boatloads of odd/ignorant decisions made by most of the characters in most, if not all of the SW films. I actually think that there are many moments that are more logical in TLJ, compared to other SW films, if that doesn't sound too controversial.

 

I agree, Snoke’s death and now ressurecting Palpatine feels that they are grasping at staws to conclude the Trilogy. It is as if the end of TLJ should have been in TROS with an added final duel between Rey and Kylo Ren. TROS suffers from Toy Story 4 complaints of “why do we need this?” I hope TROS can create a story that proves us all wrong, but I worry with adding so many new characters, we won’t get ample time to tend to the greater story arch.

 

While I generally love the sequel trilogy, I’m not that excited for TROS as of yet. I hope the final TROS trailer will change things!

While TLJ has grown on me, it has left me feeling indifferent about IX and a large part of the reason is Rey’s characterization. I think Rey could have been a more compelling character, but why do I get the nagging feeling that her arc/character were planned secondary to Kylo’s. He’s undeniably the more interesting, fleshed out character and while he’s my favorite, this irritates me.

I find Rey to be bland and boring and I’m depressed about it because as a female, I really admire writers who can humanize female characters (not just make them “strong,” one-dimensional characters). It’s unfortunate because Rey’s backstory as a lonely scavenger fighting for her life on a deserted planet while waiting for her family to come back is so very interesting, but I just don’t feel like the storywriters did enough with it as Kylo Ren’s arc ultimately dominated the narrative.

 

I agree, Rey doesn’t draw you into her character development. Which is in stark contrast to Leia in the OT and other female leads in shows like Gotham. I think they did her character a disservice by not making her a Kenobi or Skywalker. The only exception is if she is the possible daughter of him (I refrain from saying his name).

 

Making Rey a nobody actually helps her character. Basically, Rey has a typical villain's backstory and Kylo Ren has a backstory we expect from a SW hero. The way how they both turned out really shows, that your lineage and upbringing doesn't have to determine who you become.

 

Interesting point and I see its merit for generations watching the Trilogy. However, what I personally take issue with is Rey’s microwaved character. In TFA she goes from nobody to Force Prodigy that can best Kylo who a trained Force User. I would have preferred if they had slowed her development down, that she showed some signs of Force Sensitivity but not Chosen One apititude and displays of power; then when she finds Luke she learns the ways of the Force and faces Snoke and Kylo. Its the pacing of her ascent that feels rushed and untealistic; especially because genius is genetic and from the past and the only ways to explain her Force Prowess is she is from a line of Forcr Users (Skywalker/Solo/Dark Side Unknown) or like Anakin, a creation of the Force or a Force User like Plagueis.

If we are meant to believe she’s nobody, then let her ascend more realistically and slowly. Then its more believable. IMHO.

 

I think I have made this specific arguement a lot, but here we go once again...

In TFA Rey discovers her true potential and as the movie progresses she embraces it. In her duel with Kylo, she is mostly running and throwing down trees before she is cornered by a heavily wounded and emotionally unstable Kylo Ren. Plus, Rey is already adept in close combat fighting with her staff. We see that early in the movie in Jakku. I know a lightsaber is not the same, but she had the basics... In TLJ she goes against Snoke and fails miserably, when Luke with a weekend training in Daggobah goes against Vader and makes a pretty good stand for the most part of it... You will say that he was being toyed and Vader didn't want him dead, but Kylo didn't want to kill Rey either...

And dont get me started on Luke using the force to make the shot in ANH, when he found out about it like 2 days ago...

This is the same arguement as the "we love EU Luke", who actually fell to the Dark Side vs the "we hate Disney Luke", who once again escaped the Dark Side and instead exiled himself, like Yoda, Obi Wan and literally every other Jedi did upon failure!

Of course Rey's progress has some flaws and you have every right not to like her, but if you are to judge something you should do it with the same criteria and be subjective...

 

You make some intriguing and valid points. Particularly about Luke and his Death Star triumph with little training in the Force.

To be clear I do not dislike Rey, I actually think she’s a wonderful addition to canon. My issue in TFA was her almost lightspeed progress in the Force. Rey was able to Affect Mind on a First Order Trooper with no training, something the legendary Obi-Wan was only seen doing until he was a Jedi Knight/Jedi Master in Episode II: AOTC in the Cantina looking for Zam. I give you that Kylo was emotionally unstable in his duel on Star Killer Base, and Rey’s lightspeed progress seemed slowed down for TLJ.

As for Disney Luke vs EU/Legends Luke, I like both interpretations. I have stated in other threads that TLJ Luke is actually my favorite, and I am Shadows of the Empire, Dark Empire, and Yavin IV Jedi Academy fan.

 

I agree with that, this is indeed a little rushed and the explanation that she "downloaded" everything from Kylo through their connection, although it can be, it just sounds a little stupid.

But I will also state that through the years we see an inconsistency on what a Jedi can do. In the movies they seem more down to earth, in comics and animations they seem more like superheroes. Last week I read the comic about Kylo Ren and at some point he jumps on a huge monster and cuts it in half from the inside... I mean how ridiculous is that?

Or if you read the new Star Wars recent comic series, the one that shows Luke after ANH, he actually does some pretty unbelievable things for his level of training, making the fully trained Jedi in the prequel trilogy look lame and useless...

 

Here's to hoping that by December, we can look back at the trilogy as a whole and see it as a very coherent and well-paced story.

 

A good way of thinking. I think of a quote from Ratatouille- "surprise me" when it comes to films. One thing that I've noticed with disappointing plotlines is that as long as content can be produced, there is room for creativity, however small. So, even if parts of a film are a failure or a disappointment in your eyes, there's the potential to be redeemed. To be honest, the hatred is irrelevant- it's just a film. (Also, where do you think that TROS will be in 30 years, assuming that the earth and we're still here? It'll be like the OT films; there's half-remembered and forgotten things about the films' content, context, production, publicity, and reviews that'll be recorded. And people will probably watch it because it is SW film, even if it's widely regarded as a bad film.) You can't just see it as the best or worst film, although you may have feelings about decisions make about the film- you see it as a film- that's what it is.

 

I feel like some people didn't like TLJ because of things we wanted to know in TFA that weren't answered. We still don't really know about Rey, Snoke is gone and really didn't gain anything from him. People are upset they didn't get what they wanted, well too bad, it's not their story to tell. People seem to just want some kind of choose your own adventure trying to dictate the ending they want. That's not how a story is told. While it isn't quite what I expected, I'm glad I'm not just watching a rehash of the previous movies like some suggest.

 

My curiosity for the new movie is definetely piqued as more and more details about the story are revealed but as other people said, i was more excited at the last jedi for the simple reason that TFA gave us one MASSIVE guessing game to play. I remember spending the two years in between the movies discussing and speculating with my friends it was so thrilling to come with theories and all that and when the last jedi finally came...well you know. But i've learned to appreciate TLJ more each time i watch it. And i will without a doubt be there on the first night of TROS.