Official Star Wars Thread
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I liked it a lot. It was definitely bold and had a lot more in there to think about than any other Star Wars movie. I'm very happy with the direction the story is taking and I genuinely have no idea what to expect with Episode IX, which is good.
One thing I'll agree with @LooseCannon on is the humor aspect. It didn't bother me quite as much but it did take me out of the film a few times. It got to the point of feeling more like a Marvel movie than a Star Wars movie.
There's a lot of things I liked and very few things I disliked, although most of it has already been discussed ad nauseam from what I can tell. I did really like how they handled the theme of failure though. Almost every major character (and some minor characters) had a huge fuck up that could've easily been avoided, some had multiple. There was an element of failure in Empire Strikes Back, but it was less because the characters made poor choices and more that the bad guys were just one step ahead at nearly every turn. I also liked that the failure wasn't one sided, even the bad guys had blunders.
One thing I'll agree with @LooseCannon on is the humor aspect. It didn't bother me quite as much but it did take me out of the film a few times. It got to the point of feeling more like a Marvel movie than a Star Wars movie.
There's a lot of things I liked and very few things I disliked, although most of it has already been discussed ad nauseam from what I can tell. I did really like how they handled the theme of failure though. Almost every major character (and some minor characters) had a huge fuck up that could've easily been avoided, some had multiple. There was an element of failure in Empire Strikes Back, but it was less because the characters made poor choices and more that the bad guys were just one step ahead at nearly every turn. I also liked that the failure wasn't one sided, even the bad guys had blunders.
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JudasMyGuide
The resident reactionary recalcitrant
I've seen it and I'll comment, but I need some time to think on it. In the meantime let me share this
It honestly helped me with my appreciation of the PT.
It honestly helped me with my appreciation of the PT.
Maturin
Sköldpadda
The Last Jedi is currently the lowest rated film in the franchise based on audience approval over at Rotten Tomatoes (56% liked it)... I think Disney might actually have a problem on their hands. There seem to be a genuine anger towards this movie, and it seems to come in the form of "even the prequels didn't [...]".
But what do I know, I loved it and can't wait to see it again.
But what do I know, I loved it and can't wait to see it again.
bearfan
Ancient Mariner
I really do not get why ... It was not a perfect movie (but really what is) .. but there was a lot to be enjoyed. I think it will gain some love over time.
Srogyy
Ancient Mariner
No disrespect to people who disliked the film for valid reasons. I get some of it. But I have seen tons of nonsense accusations, some of which stem from straight-up misunderstanding and confusion. I have a hard time taking those audience scores seriously. Not to mention troll voting and organised actions by the likes of certain Tumblr communities. However, I do start getting worried about potential consequences of the backlash (e.g. financial). I really cross my fingers for Lucasfilm not to get reactionary in any form.
It's a difficult film for Star Wars standards, so it's really unfortunate that some people don't want to take the time to process it.
That’s surprising but I expect the score to go up after more people have seen it. Even movies like BVS and Dark Knight Rises managed to earn a much better audience score after a couple months.
I have to say though I’m not sure I understand why this movie is so controversial among fans. I hope people warm up to it cause I imagine Lucasfilm’s immediate reaction is going to be to play it safe going forward.
To that end, by the time the movie was over I was genuinely disappointed that the next one will be directed by Abrams and not Johnson.
I have to say though I’m not sure I understand why this movie is so controversial among fans. I hope people warm up to it cause I imagine Lucasfilm’s immediate reaction is going to be to play it safe going forward.
To that end, by the time the movie was over I was genuinely disappointed that the next one will be directed by Abrams and not Johnson.
bearfan
Ancient Mariner
I think scores will go up ... in some respect I think the issue is people expected movie "A" and got movie "B" .. which in my mind is cool ... the complaint about TFA is that is was too similar to New Hope .. the complain about this seems to be it was too different.
I say this as someone who likes the prequels .. this was better than the prequels.
One thing this (and TFA and Rogue One) have going for it was some really good casting ... I thought the acting was quite good.
I say this as someone who likes the prequels .. this was better than the prequels.
One thing this (and TFA and Rogue One) have going for it was some really good casting ... I thought the acting was quite good.
I still liked it. I just didn't love it, whereas I loved Rogue One and I thoroughly liked Force Awakens.
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Haven't seen it. Just wanted to comment that this Star Wars has a low grade on the IMDB: 8.0
Usually, popular films -and especially the likes of Star Wars(!)- have very high grades as soon as they hit the cinema and then they slowly go down. This one is merely a few days old and its grade is already (almost!) as) low as the first two The Hobbit films (7.9).
Usually, popular films -and especially the likes of Star Wars(!)- have very high grades as soon as they hit the cinema and then they slowly go down. This one is merely a few days old and its grade is already (almost!) as) low as the first two The Hobbit films (7.9).
Srogyy
Ancient Mariner
The Last Jedi got an "A" Cinemascore rating (the highest one), which apparently is the only reliable audience meter (Cinemascore gathers ratings from people who walk out of the screening). RT and IMDB are equally unreliable since they allow for voting without seeing the film (I guess multivoting too). One of the two sites gives it 56% and the other 8.0 (essentially 80%). The number of votes is comparable. This makes little sense. I get why some people like to disregard critics, but cases like this show that you can't take audience score seriously. IMO.
Srogyy
Ancient Mariner
OK, I guess I should finally share some of my thoughts:
This film was a challenge and only after taking time to understand and think (a lot!) about what I saw, I can admit I absolutely love it. Rian Johnson delivered first and foremost in what I find the best about Star Wars - big, epic moments and themes that will keep people talking for decades to come.
In short - I dig virtually all the story elements. The space chase as a plot device made sense. The link between Rey and Kylo - great. Developments of Poe and Finn were interesting. Rose is a likable supporting character who worked quite well. I see a lot of people who dislike the whole Canto Bight sequence. I like it. It's not a highlight of the film, but I appreciate a glimpse at a new corner of the galaxy.
I loved everything about Luke. His life on Ahch-To, the reason for his withdrawal.... Literally everything. His stand-off with Kylo Ren at the end was powerful. The Force projection stuff was brilliant, I buy it. It was a new power which was appropriate for him as an ultimate Jedi Master and which also, being something fresh, played into the viewer's surprise. Deep inside I'm bummed we didn't get a real fight scene of Luke (which I hoped for), but it's hard to hold it against the film since all the story elements make sense the way they are. Now, this sounds kind of bad, but I loved the way Luke died. It wasn't dramatic. You couldn't see it from a mile like Han's. He was sitting there staring at the sun with a sense of "peace and purpose" - and then he disappears and you get he's gone after the fact. Wonderfully handled... I was genuinely afraid of Luke's death in IX. I thought it would make me cry like a baby and traumatise to the point of being uneager to rewatch the film, lol. But no, it came sooner, took me by surprise and made me feel istantly at peace with it. Thanks, Rian.
Kylo Ren is my favourite new character in this trilogy. TLJ does a great job at fleshing him out and gives him a lot of great moments. His first confrontation with Snoke was amazingly written. "Take that ridiculous thing off." Ha, the way Snoke plays him is great. Everything that happens in the throne room is amazing. Snoke's death - I'm totally on board with it. I was never in the camp that clamored for Snoke's backstory etc.. And then the fight with Praetorian Guards and a brief alliance of Kylo and Rey. I mean come on, how cool was that.
Rey's parents being nobodies - cool, let's close this topic, time to move on. "Boring conversation anyway."
Acting was superb across the board. Hamill was unbelievably good, best acting he's ever done. TFA made me think Carrie can't act anymore (I don't mean to sound malicious - she just hadn't been doing a lot of acting prior to it), but she is REALLY good in this one, seriously. Adam Driver is incredible, I love him in this role. The rest of the cast do a great job as well. I dig Finn a lot more than in TFA. Boyega is not overacting the way he did there and the character is not as goofy.
IMO the film was masterfully directed and written. Nothing about the dialogues took me out of it (except a few unnecessary jokes) and there's a lot of brilliant, memorable lines. The pace is great, feels like less than 2 hours. The shots, visuals, all the technical stuff... Top-notch (OK, there were a few subpar CGI moments). I'd put the music in the same tier as TFA. Solid, but far from the greatness of the prequel music. I think the overall score is better than TFA, but it lacks in the theme department a little bit. Nothing as strong as Rey's theme this time. Not introducing a First Order theme is a huge missed opportunity. Some scenes called for it.
As for IX, I think that J.J. is in a very comfortable position creatively. Possibilities are endless. My biggest question is the time jump. Although many years can technically pass (would help dealing with Leia) I would prefer it if the gap was small. Maximum 1-1.5 years. If Kylo doesn't turn good eventually, I might end up being terribly disappointed. But well... There's a looooong way ahead of us... December 2019, geez. I'll say, though, that I feel satisfied by the ending of TLJ. There's no frustrating cliffhanger per se.
Things I didn't like and stuff that didn't meet my expectations:
- I'd love to get more Ahch-To. I thought we will learn something about the early Jedi. A bit more of Rey's training would be cool too. Some scenes were cut, so we'll probably get them on Blu-ray.
- The Leia in space scene - I'm perfectly cool with what it entails, but the execution is slightly over the top. I guess it would be better if, for example, she didn't drift so far into space.
- A huge part of the film takes place in spaceship interiors which makes that part a bit dull in terms of vibe and atmosphere. I have this idea that it would be cool if there were some nebulas or stuff like that behind the windows and in the space shots. Even something like this would make a difference IMO.
- Rose's moral about Canto Bight and the rich is kind of shallow and naive, but, in a way, DJ saves it later on (when he shows the same bad people supply the Resistance).
- There's slightly too much humour. However, the jokes land for the most part.
- The epilogue. I get what Rian was going for, but I would much prefer if the film ended with our main heroes. I would just cut it, even though it is a very nice, poetic scene. Besides, the boy pulling the broom with the Force is definitely too much.
In short - I dig virtually all the story elements. The space chase as a plot device made sense. The link between Rey and Kylo - great. Developments of Poe and Finn were interesting. Rose is a likable supporting character who worked quite well. I see a lot of people who dislike the whole Canto Bight sequence. I like it. It's not a highlight of the film, but I appreciate a glimpse at a new corner of the galaxy.
I loved everything about Luke. His life on Ahch-To, the reason for his withdrawal.... Literally everything. His stand-off with Kylo Ren at the end was powerful. The Force projection stuff was brilliant, I buy it. It was a new power which was appropriate for him as an ultimate Jedi Master and which also, being something fresh, played into the viewer's surprise. Deep inside I'm bummed we didn't get a real fight scene of Luke (which I hoped for), but it's hard to hold it against the film since all the story elements make sense the way they are. Now, this sounds kind of bad, but I loved the way Luke died. It wasn't dramatic. You couldn't see it from a mile like Han's. He was sitting there staring at the sun with a sense of "peace and purpose" - and then he disappears and you get he's gone after the fact. Wonderfully handled... I was genuinely afraid of Luke's death in IX. I thought it would make me cry like a baby and traumatise to the point of being uneager to rewatch the film, lol. But no, it came sooner, took me by surprise and made me feel istantly at peace with it. Thanks, Rian.
Kylo Ren is my favourite new character in this trilogy. TLJ does a great job at fleshing him out and gives him a lot of great moments. His first confrontation with Snoke was amazingly written. "Take that ridiculous thing off." Ha, the way Snoke plays him is great. Everything that happens in the throne room is amazing. Snoke's death - I'm totally on board with it. I was never in the camp that clamored for Snoke's backstory etc.. And then the fight with Praetorian Guards and a brief alliance of Kylo and Rey. I mean come on, how cool was that.
Rey's parents being nobodies - cool, let's close this topic, time to move on. "Boring conversation anyway."
Acting was superb across the board. Hamill was unbelievably good, best acting he's ever done. TFA made me think Carrie can't act anymore (I don't mean to sound malicious - she just hadn't been doing a lot of acting prior to it), but she is REALLY good in this one, seriously. Adam Driver is incredible, I love him in this role. The rest of the cast do a great job as well. I dig Finn a lot more than in TFA. Boyega is not overacting the way he did there and the character is not as goofy.
IMO the film was masterfully directed and written. Nothing about the dialogues took me out of it (except a few unnecessary jokes) and there's a lot of brilliant, memorable lines. The pace is great, feels like less than 2 hours. The shots, visuals, all the technical stuff... Top-notch (OK, there were a few subpar CGI moments). I'd put the music in the same tier as TFA. Solid, but far from the greatness of the prequel music. I think the overall score is better than TFA, but it lacks in the theme department a little bit. Nothing as strong as Rey's theme this time. Not introducing a First Order theme is a huge missed opportunity. Some scenes called for it.
As for IX, I think that J.J. is in a very comfortable position creatively. Possibilities are endless. My biggest question is the time jump. Although many years can technically pass (would help dealing with Leia) I would prefer it if the gap was small. Maximum 1-1.5 years. If Kylo doesn't turn good eventually, I might end up being terribly disappointed. But well... There's a looooong way ahead of us... December 2019, geez. I'll say, though, that I feel satisfied by the ending of TLJ. There's no frustrating cliffhanger per se.
Wow. I just couldn't disagree more. This was one of the best, most beautiful scenes in the entire film. His appearance was spoiled to me (OK, I walked into it myself like an idiot) so I was thinking: Luke is now super powerful and wise, he also found those ancient Jedi texts which makes it seem like he knows all there is about Jedi. So what the hell is Yoda going to bring to the table? Well. Once again Yoda turns out to be the wisest. The lesson of looking past the books and how outgrowing failures makes a master was pure gold. Rian matched TESB Kasdan in this scene.
Things I didn't like and stuff that didn't meet my expectations:
- I'd love to get more Ahch-To. I thought we will learn something about the early Jedi. A bit more of Rey's training would be cool too. Some scenes were cut, so we'll probably get them on Blu-ray.
- The Leia in space scene - I'm perfectly cool with what it entails, but the execution is slightly over the top. I guess it would be better if, for example, she didn't drift so far into space.
- A huge part of the film takes place in spaceship interiors which makes that part a bit dull in terms of vibe and atmosphere. I have this idea that it would be cool if there were some nebulas or stuff like that behind the windows and in the space shots. Even something like this would make a difference IMO.
- Rose's moral about Canto Bight and the rich is kind of shallow and naive, but, in a way, DJ saves it later on (when he shows the same bad people supply the Resistance).
- There's slightly too much humour. However, the jokes land for the most part.
- The epilogue. I get what Rian was going for, but I would much prefer if the film ended with our main heroes. I would just cut it, even though it is a very nice, poetic scene. Besides, the boy pulling the broom with the Force is definitely too much.
Just seen it:
OK, so I do actually agree that some of the jokes took me out of the movie a few times, and my first thought also was GOTG. Actually it's hard to believe that a Star Wars movie would be influenced by a GOTG movie, in 2017. Luckily it only happened a few times in the first third of the movie or so, and this movie was otherwise much more serious than TFA. Another GOTG thing: Leia going full Yondu with "I'm Mary Poppins y'all" by getting back to the ship. (Although TLJ was filmed before GOTG2 was released, but something similar also happened in first GOTG movie).
I didn't see a single trailer/teaser, only knew the lines "time for jedi to end" and "this won't go the way you think". Avoided EVERYTHING.
So I'd really have to rewatch the movie to gather my thoughts properly. But I liked it. But it was also not as good as TFA or R1. But again, it really didn't go the way everyone thought or hoped it will. Rey's parents are not important. Luke died without a major badass lightsaber fight. Leia didn't die (I expect a time skip in the next one for that to happen). No Finn/Rey love story. Snoke died without us knowing anything about him. Kylo didn't turn, etc.
I kinda wish Rey went with Kylo. I was really hoping for it. Maybe something like Luke going against both of them in Episode 9 would've been cool, we haven't had a female Sith yet, I think. For once it would've been cool that in a movie a bad character asks a good one to join him and that it finally fucking happens. Oh well.
Will probably remember more stuff to write about later.
I didn't see a single trailer/teaser, only knew the lines "time for jedi to end" and "this won't go the way you think". Avoided EVERYTHING.
So I'd really have to rewatch the movie to gather my thoughts properly. But I liked it. But it was also not as good as TFA or R1. But again, it really didn't go the way everyone thought or hoped it will. Rey's parents are not important. Luke died without a major badass lightsaber fight. Leia didn't die (I expect a time skip in the next one for that to happen). No Finn/Rey love story. Snoke died without us knowing anything about him. Kylo didn't turn, etc.
I kinda wish Rey went with Kylo. I was really hoping for it. Maybe something like Luke going against both of them in Episode 9 would've been cool, we haven't had a female Sith yet, I think. For once it would've been cool that in a movie a bad character asks a good one to join him and that it finally fucking happens. Oh well.
Will probably remember more stuff to write about later.
Hayden is a good actor who had to work with horrible dialogue. I always thought his acting and delivery was great in the prequels, but what he actually had to deliver was bad.
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
7.8! Within one(!) week less popular than the first two The Hobbit films. Mu. Ha. Ha. How long til this film is less popular than The Battle of the Five Armies?
I am very curious about the stuff people write here in spoiler tags but I bet people will not be as intolerant as with the Jackson films. I expect milder criticism.
I am very curious about the stuff people write here in spoiler tags but I bet people will not be as intolerant as with the Jackson films. I expect milder criticism.