Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)

[Stout]

Buckle up for this one. Keep a close eye on Luke in the 3rd act.

I'll just come out and say it. This is the best Star Wars movie... ever. Yes, Empire had the greatest movie twist ever, but take that away and it's not even close.

Some absolute mind-blowing visual scenes that will drop your jaw. One in particular everyone will talk about.

The slap-stick comedy was awesome.

Disney did a spectacular job with the marketing and trailers for this.

I walked out of the theater and walked right in to another and watched again to start connecting the dots.

It's very easy to see why Disney handed the keys to Johnson for the next trilogy.

And, I have absolutely no confidence in Abrams being able to wrap this trilogy up. This should have been the 3rd movie.

I'll wait until more people have seen it before digging into it, but I'll ask this question, was this a Star Wars movie? Sure the characters are there. The force is there and many other recognizable elements, but the story was very, very deep relative to any other Star Wars movie.

There's one line that Kylo says several times that leads me to ask this question.

Spoiler

And Fooking YODA!!!!!!!!! Wooooooo!

Yeah, no.

 

[Stout]

This was a very, very mixed bag, that felt like several different movies spliced together. The good was extremely good--great, even--and the bad was extremely bad--laughably so. I mean, it really hit some highs, and some true lows as well. As much as TFA was a copycat movie, it was loads tighter and far better, for me. This one, for me, ranks 6th.

1--Empire (uh DUH!)
2--Star Wars: A New Hope
3--Rogue One
4--Return of the Jedi
5--TFA
6--Last Jedi

 

[Covert Rain]

This was a very good Star Wars movie. Worthy of top 5 IMO. The visuals were stunning and I simply love the characters even more. RJ managed to give many fans things they wanted. New worlds, new locations, more characters and definitely nods to the older fans. The visuals were stunning to say the least. He definitely had the right amount of humor involved as well. I thought he nailed that.

I would be lying though if I said it was perfect. This movie had a couple flaws and one understandable but really annoying result which is why some fans are pissed!

Spoiler: Spoiler ALERT

Snoke. He really ended up being an insignificant character. All the debate and mystery is "poof". It's like who cares now.

Luke, I have issues with how Rian used him. Yes, I get it. They wanted to move away from the Skywalkers and make the point that they universe moves on without a Skywalker. It's a bold move.

However, it sort of crapped all over original trilogy fans IMO. Luke was integral to find yet they basically reduced him to a rehash of the original trilogy concept (which people didn't like about TFA). So basically Rey meets Luke trains with him for 2 seconds (a la Luke/Yoda), steals the books and reduces the importance of his Luke's character by disposing him in basically an Obi type rehash.

Bottom line? Luke deserved much better.

Last but not least Rey. Really no significant connections to the past. Again, a byproduct of them wanting no connection to old characters. That kind of sucks too. Again, basically reduced the mystery to a Snoke like poof. Again, it kind of diminishes the lore a bit.

All the above really sucks because there was so much of the movie I loved. The visuals, the battles, the characters, the locations etc.

I guess ultimately I am a bit annoyed because had they handled a few things differently? This might have been the best Star Wars movie ever if not right behind Empire. Because it was a mixed bag? I don't know. I am going to see it again to see if that changes. Again top 5. Right behind Empire? Right now I say no and I am a little annoyed at Rian Johnson.

 

[Bert]

This was a very, very mixed bag, that felt like several different movies spliced together. The good was extremely good--great, even--and the bad was extremely bad--laughably so. I mean, it really hit some highs, and some true lows as well. As much as TFA was a copycat movie, it was loads tighter and far better, for me. This one, for me, ranks 6th.

1--Empire (uh DUH!)
2--Star Wars: A New Hope
3--Rogue One
4--Return of the Jedi
5--TFA
6--Last Jedi

My thoughts exactly.

I told everyone I saw it with I'm like hmmm I'm not sure. There were parts I really liked, parts I didn't like and even a couple of eye rollers that I was disappointed in.

Didn't hate it, but yeah, what he said....

 

[WaywardFan]

One note. Luke's training with Yoda was several weeks. They don't show it all, and the parallel story of the Falcon heading to Bespin makes it seem like it was a short amount of time. But the Falcon's hyperdrive wasn't working and so they were traveling in realspace.

So many conflicting thoughts about the movie....

 

[Covert Rain]

One note. Luke's training with Yoda was several weeks. They don't show it all, and the parallel story of the Falcon heading to Bespin makes it seem like it was a short amount of time. But the Falcon's hyperdrive wasn't working and so they were traveling in realspace.

So many conflicting thoughts about the movie....

That is a given but the idea that it took “weeks” has always been an issue with fans. Especially since we know that most Jedi started training as toddlers.

 

[crisper57]

That is a given but the idea that it took “weeks” has always been an issue with fans. Especially since we know that most Jedi started training as toddlers.

He’s a Skywalker. His grandpappy was the Force itself. So a couple weeks should do it.

 

[Covert Rain]

He’s a Skywalker. His grandpappy was the Force itself. So a couple weeks should do it.

Light saber training through osmosis. Rigggght.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Total mixed bag. A friend of mine put his down side well - at times it felt like Spaceballs sequel. The visuals were great. The visits planets too brief and didn’t look anything special like cloud city - just looked like different parts of earth.

Spoiler

I was okay with Luke’s “death.” It seemed fitting and very Obi Wan-like which would make sense given kenobi was his teacher.

Liked confirmation that Leia could use the force. Thought she should’ve taken Dern’s place and heroically crashed the cruiser into snoke’s ship but killing two skywalkers in one movie is likely too much.

Still feel so bad For chewy.

 

[Stout]

Total mixed bag. A friend of mine put his down side well - at times it felt like Spaceballs sequel. The visuals were great. The visits planets too brief and didn’t look anything special like cloud city - just looked like different parts of earth.

Spoiler

I was okay with Luke’s “death.” It seemed fitting and very Obi Wan-like which would make sense given kenobi was his teacher.

Liked confirmation that Leia could use the force. Thought she should’ve taken Dern’s place and heroically crashed the cruiser into snoke’s ship but killing two skywalkers in one movie is likely too much.

Still feel so bad For chewy.

Yes! I remember one eye-rollingly bad part where I muttered: "When's it going to be now now? Soon!"

 

[Covert Rain]

Total mixed bag. A friend of mine put his down side well - at times it felt like Spaceballs sequel. The visuals were great. The visits planets too brief and didn’t look anything special like cloud city - just looked like different parts of earth.

Spoiler

I was okay with Luke’s “death.” It seemed fitting and very Obi Wan-like which would make sense given kenobi was his teacher.

Liked confirmation that Leia could use the force. Thought she should’ve taken Dern’s place and heroically crashed the cruiser into snoke’s ship but killing two skywalkers in one movie is likely too much.

Still feel so bad For chewy.

The echo I really didn’t mind. I just brought it up to make a point about TFA. I have a problem with diminishing the importance of a character and the lore. It annoyed the hell out of me.

 

[crisper57]

I wonder how much Rian Johnson actually got to write, vs the studio saying he had to include a, b, c in order to set up Episode IX. Were major character moments predetermined for him or did he get a major say in pivoting this trilogy in a new direction?

 

[Bert]

The marketing of this movie is blowing my mind. The trailer is EVERYWHERE and it's been this way for weeks. Posters everywhere. It's on bags of chips, soda cans, cans of paint. lol

They must have spent 200mil on marketing alone. Crazy

 

[Cheesebeef]

My thoughts exactly.

I told everyone I saw it with I'm like hmmm I'm not sure. There were parts I really liked, parts I didn't like and even a couple of eye rollers that I was disappointed in.

Didn't hate it, but yeah, what he said....

Pretty much this.

I liked it... I liked that it took chances... liked the arc they gave Poe and. That said, Fin’s mission just being completely pointless except to make him realize he has to be a hero was... odd. They ran that arc last time.

On the fence with what they did with Luke. Liked some, didn’t others but I did like the choice they made with how things originally went down with Kylo to turn him full evil. But some of Luke’s dialogue seemed a little too... Han Solo.

Thought Fisher was MUCH better in this movie than the last and sad that they can’t guve her character a proper send off.

All that said, I think the biggest problem with this movie is that. I’m not dying to see the next one. They didn’t set up anything interesting, turn the story on its head, make a major pivot for the end of a second act trilogy.

As far as it being the best ever... I’ll just wildly agree to disagree there.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I did think the little war industrial complex commentary was kinda cool.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Pretty much this.

I liked it... I liked that it took chances... liked the arc they gave Poe and. That said, Fin’s mission just being completely pointless except to make him realize he has to be a hero was... odd. They ran that arc last time.

On the fence with what they did with Luke. Liked some, didn’t others but I did like the choice they made with how things originally went down with Kylo to turn him full evil. But some of Luke’s dialogue seemed a little too... Han Solo.

Thought Fisher was MUCH better in this movie than the last and sad that they can’t guve her character a proper send off.

All that said, I think the biggest problem with this movie is that. I’m not dying to see the next one. They didn’t set up anything interesting, turn the story on its head, make a major pivot for the end of a second act trilogy.

As far as it being the best ever... I’ll just wildly agree to disagree there.

Haha I just told paul that I thought Luke had too much Han Solo dialogue/attitude. He was always chided in 4-6 for being so uptight and serious, and now that he’s reached the ultimate in seriousness he’s adopted Han’s persona? That was a bit outta my Star Wars comfort zone.

 

[Bert]

Spoiler

I did like the choice they made with how things originally went down with Kylo to turn him full evil.

Spoiler

I agree that was one of my favorite parts,,, because in the moments leading up to it I was like; cmon' guys, there is ZERO suspense here, he's obviously not going to kill Rey... So that was not a surprise at all but the twist after that was really good I thought.

 

[UncleChris]

Spoiler

Some people are already speculating that Star Wars IX, under the direction of JJ Abrams, will swing back toward original canon, including showing Kylo to have lied about Rey's origins and making her either a Kenobi or a Skywalker (which would be just fine with me)

 

[crisper57]

Haha I just told paul that I thought Luke had too much Han Solo dialogue/attitude. He was always chided in 4-6 for being so uptight and serious, and now that he’s reached the ultimate in seriousness he’s adopted Han’s persona? That was a bit outta my Star Wars comfort zone.

Well Yoda was super serious in the prequels and then got feisty on Dagobah...

 

[Cheesebeef]

Spoiler

I agree that was one of my favorite parts,,, because in the moments leading up to it I was like; cmon' guys, there is ZERO suspense here, he's obviously not going to kill Rey... So that was not a surprise at all but the twist after that was really good I thought.

oh... I was talking about the past with him and Luke... but thought they handled the end beat as well.

They did a good job of really building Kylo up to be something... until the final battle, IMO

Spoiler

Then he just looked like an idiot... again. He never gets the win at the end of movies. He's either a bitch who loses to a complete novice or he's a doof who gets a Spaceballs "Fooled you!" ending.

My other complaint here is they just did nothing with Rey. Here needle seemingly didn't move... outside moving some rocks.

 

[crisper57]

Spoiler

Some people are already speculating that Star Wars IX, under the direction of JJ Abrams, will swing back toward original canon, including showing Kylo to have lied about Rey's origins and making her either a Kenobi or a Skywalker (which would be just fine with me)

On Collider, Johnson has confirmed the decisions were his alone and he didn’t know if JJ Abrams held the same certain POV.

I hope they don’t retcon elements of Episode 8 in part 9. Where they are taking it is much more exciting.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Well Yoda was super serious in the prequels and then got feisty on Dagobah...

This is good point... but that’s not how we met Yoda, which for some reason makes a difference.

I get that Luke has been by himself for year hunting and drinking four boobed milk, but it still just felt... off.

Like I said, I appreciate Johnson for taking big swings and playing with expectations. But like a big swing hitter, he wS either hammering home runs or striking out... thus the mixed results.

 

[Covert Rain]

Honestly I am less excited for RJ’s trilogy after seeing this. I mean if you are are going to screw with Jedi/Skywalker lore and go in a new direction....save it for your own trilogy. Just sayin.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Spoiler

This makes me want to barf:

https://www.google.com/amp/uproxx.com/movies/star-wars-the-last-jedi-hardware-wars-rian-johnson/amp/

A Star Wars movie spoofing a spoof of a Star Wars movie? Cmon. Lame.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Spoiler

This makes me want to barf:

https://www.google.com/amp/uproxx.com/movies/star-wars-the-last-jedi-hardware-wars-rian-johnson/amp/

A Star Wars movie spoofing a spoof of a Star Wars movie? Cmon. Lame.

I actually think that’s pretty hilarious.

Yes... Ouchie and I DO disagree!