Star Wars: The Last Jedi - Reaction and Discussion *CONTAINS SPOILERS*

[BrianL]

Heck, it happens in Star Wars before this - in jedi Luke asks Leia what she remembers of her mother and she says "just bits and pieces - she was very beautiful"!... but then in the prequels Padme dies in childbirth so no way Leia could have remembered her

OR...could she have remembered images and feelings thorugh the Force? Just a possibility there.

 

[umichigan10]

OR...could she have remembered images and feelings thorugh the Force? Just a possibility there.

I could see something like she’d see images and whatnot in dreams similar to what anakin would get for future visions in the prequels.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

OR...could she have remembered images and feelings thorugh the Force? Just a possibility there.

Possible - my point is there are things in all the Star Wars movies that in the surface seem off but you can explain away with thinking/theories like that

 

[Iowamomof4]

Possible - my point is there are things in all the Star Wars movies that in the surface seem off but you can explain away with thinking/theories like that

Another one that occurred to me today: Why does Wedge tell Porkins to "eject" during the first Death Star battle?

I honestly don't care, but it's the type of thing that would be ripped apart if it had happened in TLJ or TFA.

 

[OnSpaceshipEarth]

This movie is really dropping like a rock at the box office!

 

[paradesintherain]

cringeworthy dialogue

Ah yes, Star Wars IS known for its believable dialogue

 

[umichigan10]

Another one that occurred to me today: Why does Wedge tell Porkins to "eject" during the first Death Star battle?

I honestly don't care, but it's the type of thing that would be ripped apart if it had happened in TLJ or TFA.

“Just eject Porkins, we’ll figure the rest out later”

 

[kbelle8995]

Everyone will have different opinions on this film. I thought it was good but I thought that there were areas in which it was weak. Not the worst film but not the best. I think there were parts that dragged. And I think that Kylo still comes off to me as a petulant child. Especially when Luke makes an appearance. Rey had a lot more patience for Kylo's appearances than I did.

I liked the ideas of Poe's story but think that it was thin and couild have been fleshed out more. I really like Oscar Issac's take on the character. I did not see the point of Benicio's Del Toro's character at all. But there were moments that just really just sung for me. Luke's scenes with some of the older characters. Any time BB-8 was on screen. Leia in general. Poe, Finn and Rose I actually liked but wished their storyline had been carried out in a different way.

 

[skier_pete]

It doesn't help that the current attitude at Lucasfilm is to look down on the older longtime fans of the franchise, dismiss them as a bunch of old white male farts whose opinions don't matter anymore because of their race/gender. Good luck with that mentality, Lucasfilm. It's not as if this franchise wouldn't even exist today without those fans.

I don't think that's their attitude at all. They are trying to keep true to the heart of Star Wars and the old fans while delivering something new for new fans.

It's sort of funny that TFA gets "Oh, this is too beholden to the old movies" while TLJ gets "This is too different, I don't like it!"

Honestly, I don't feel hypocritical because while I liked TFA I DID feel it was too beholden to the "old ways", and I liked that it sort of "burned down" the old one.

As an old white fanboy I loved it...and as a new fangirl my 14 year old daughter loved it.

Here's something all Star Wars fans should realize - they cannot recapture the moment when we were 10 years old and they showed us something we had never seen. It's hard to imagine how revolutionary Star Wars was back in the day. There's only maybe 6 moments like that in film history - where you are just watching something totally new. (Wizard of Oz maybe? I list Jurassic Park in there, when they actually had believable CGI.) These new movies are never going to scratch that itch any more than the prequels did.

I CAN totally get where this movie could be divisive. It did things that were not where the first one felt to be going. I've said it before - I think the one mistake they are making is not planning this trilogy as an overarcing story of three movies. Each one comes along written with very little thought to what is being done in the next one. That's part of what made this so jarring. Luke tossing aside that lightsabre at the beginning really BUGGED people. Maybe because I'm a fan but I didn't OBSESSED about what would happen for the last 2 years - i haven't seen TFA since 2 years ago - I liked that it didn't go anywhere near what you would expect. I don't know that I will bother to see it again in theaters, but I do want to see it again and see if I still enjoy it as much when I know what's coming.

 

[mcjaco]

And I think that Kylo still comes off to me as a petulant child. Especially when Luke makes an appearance.

And he's got reasons.

And why does everyone seem to forget how g-d damn whiny Luke was in A New Hope? I never thought Luke was that strong a character.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

I don't think that's their attitude at all. They are trying to keep true to the heart of Star Wars and the old fans while delivering something new for new fans.

It's sort of funny that TFA gets "Oh, this is too beholden to the old movies" while TLJ gets "This is too different, I don't like it!"

Honestly, I don't feel hypocritical because while I liked TFA I DID feel it was too beholden to the "old ways", and I liked that it sort of "burned down" the old one.

As an old white fanboy I loved it...and as a new fangirl my 14 year old daughter loved it.

Here's something all Star Wars fans should realize - they cannot recapture the moment when we were 10 years old and they showed us something we had never seen. It's hard to imagine how revolutionary Star Wars was back in the day. There's only maybe 6 moments like that in film history - where you are just watching something totally new. (Wizard of Oz maybe? I list Jurassic Park in there, when they actually had believable CGI.) These new movies are never going to scratch that itch any more than the prequels did.

I CAN totally get where this movie could be divisive. It did things that were not where the first one felt to be going. I've said it before - I think the one mistake they are making is not planning this trilogy as an overarcing story of three movies. Each one comes along written with very little thought to what is being done in the next one. That's part of what made this so jarring. Luke tossing aside that lightsabre at the beginning really BUGGED people. Maybe because I'm a fan but I didn't OBSESSED about what would happen for the last 2 years - i haven't seen TFA since 2 years ago - I liked that it didn't go anywhere near what you would expect. I don't know that I will bother to see it again in theaters, but I do want to see it again and see if I still enjoy it as much when I know what's coming.

Agree on ALL points!!

I will just add this: when Luke threw his lightsaber over his shoulder, our theater erupted with laughter. It seemed to hit exactly as the filmmaker intended. The guy next to me was an older gent in costume — and he chuckled and said “no he didn’t!”

All that to say it didn’t hit every “old” fan the same way. I sort of laugh/cringed, if that’s a thing...

 

[BrianL]

Another one that occurred to me today: Why does Wedge tell Porkins to "eject" during the first Death Star battle?

I honestly don't care, but it's the type of thing that would be ripped apart if it had happened in TLJ or TFA.

I believe that the whole cockpit would actually disengage from the engines in the case of an "eject" scenario. I know Y-Wings can do this (the front part comes off) but I'm not sure how it technically works on X-Wings. Needless to say, I think the ejection is survivable by the pilot. Of course, landing on the surface of the Death Star wasn't going to be fun, but I guess there's a chance.

 

[umichigan10]

And he's got reasons.

And why does everyone seem to forget how g-d damn whiny Luke was in A New Hope? I never thought Luke was that strong a character.

But I wanted to go down to toshi station and get some power converterrrrrssss!

 

[umichigan10]

I don't think that's their attitude at all. They are trying to keep true to the heart of Star Wars and the old fans while delivering something new for new fans.

It's sort of funny that TFA gets "Oh, this is too beholden to the old movies" while TLJ gets "This is too different, I don't like it!"

Honestly, I don't feel hypocritical because while I liked TFA I DID feel it was too beholden to the "old ways", and I liked that it sort of "burned down" the old one.

As an old white fanboy I loved it...and as a new fangirl my 14 year old daughter loved it.

Here's something all Star Wars fans should realize - they cannot recapture the moment when we were 10 years old and they showed us something we had never seen. It's hard to imagine how revolutionary Star Wars was back in the day. There's only maybe 6 moments like that in film history - where you are just watching something totally new. (Wizard of Oz maybe? I list Jurassic Park in there, when they actually had believable CGI.) These new movies are never going to scratch that itch any more than the prequels did.

I CAN totally get where this movie could be divisive. It did things that were not where the first one felt to be going. I've said it before - I think the one mistake they are making is not planning this trilogy as an overarcing story of three movies. Each one comes along written with very little thought to what is being done in the next one. That's part of what made this so jarring. Luke tossing aside that lightsabre at the beginning really BUGGED people. Maybe because I'm a fan but I didn't OBSESSED about what would happen for the last 2 years - i haven't seen TFA since 2 years ago - I liked that it didn't go anywhere near what you would expect. I don't know that I will bother to see it again in theaters, but I do want to see it again and see if I still enjoy it as much when I know what's coming.

This x100000

 

[kbelle8995]

And he's got reasons.

And why does everyone seem to forget how g-d damn whiny Luke was in A New Hope? I never thought Luke was that strong a character.

To a point he has reasons. At a certain point it comes down to your own choices and he seems to go for the dark side decision every time. Yes Luke was whiny but at the end of the day he chose to help. At the end of the day both Anakin and Kylo chose what was best for their own ends and the consequences be darned.

I think I am too much of a Han Solo fan to ever let Kylo off the hook

 

[TheMaxRebo]

And he's got reasons.

And why does everyone seem to forget how g-d damn whiny Luke was in A New Hope? I never thought Luke was that strong a character.

Well, until he grew int bad*** Luke in Return of the Jedi (which is largely the only part I like of that one)

And Kylo has definitely grown since TFA and I expect him to grow more in the third movie .... plus, part of the whole Dark aside thing is giving into your emotions and using that - so would make sense he would act more emotional

 

[DVCcurious]

Two small changes would have really cemented this movie’s “theme”

When Poe was talking to Hux and making those dumb ‘on hold’ jokes he should have said “can you hear me now?” That would’ve been a real knee-slapper!

When Admiral Purple hair was lecturing Poe about how Leia demoted him and he had to sit quietly and await her command she should’ve yelled “check your privilege”!

I left Facebook because I couldn’t handle 80% of my feed being political bickering.

This entire movie was a Social Justice Warrior fantasy. It went out of its way to push the ideology of “the resistance”. And the fact the even call themselves “the resistance”... but I’m sure that’s just a coincidence!

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Two small changes would have really cemented this movie’s “theme”

When Poe was talking to Hux and making those dumb ‘on hold’ jokes he should have said “can you hear me now?” That would’ve been a real knee-slapper!

When Admiral Gender Studies was lecturing Poe about how Leia demoted him and he had to sit quietly and await her command she should’ve yelled “check your privilege”!

I left Facebook because I couldn’t handle 80% of my feed being political bickering. I like dis boards because it outlaws political bickering.

This entire movie was a Social Justice Warrior fantasy. It has nothing to do with “Star Wars” and everything about pushing the ideology of “the resistance”. And the fact the even call themselves “the resistance”...

I DESPISED Avatar in part for the political 2x4 to the head for 2hrs (though the horrid dialogue was the greatest sin in that film IMO). I think there are shades of political ideology in TLJ (evil rich people exploiting the meek, non-Jedi-royalty who shall inherit the galaxy that’s currently being ruined by said rich people). But I don’t think it’s anywhere near as much as you’re saying — JMO. And it didn’t take away from the film enough for me.

I know it has a particular meaning these days, but a “resistance” rising up is pretty standard language. Is it any different than fighting an evil “empire”? Meh.

 

[umichigan10]

Two small changes would have really cemented this movie’s “theme”

When Poe was talking to Hux and making those dumb ‘on hold’ jokes he should have said “can you hear me now?” That would’ve been a real knee-slapper!

When Admiral Purple hair was lecturing Poe about how Leia demoted him and he had to sit quietly and await her command she should’ve yelled “check your privilege”!

I left Facebook because I couldn’t handle 80% of my feed being political bickering.

This entire movie was a Social Justice Warrior fantasy. It went out of its way to push the ideology of “the resistance”. And the fact the even call themselves “the resistance”... but I’m sure that’s just a coincidence!

Star Wars has always in some way had some political commentary. I know a lot of the prequels idea of the emperor and grabbing power was an allusion to the bush/Nixon administrations, and the originals had a lot of inspiration from the post Vietnam era that it took place in, or so I’ve read.

That being said the commentary in the film was a BIT much. But it’s also supposed to reflect in a way how our society views the idea of good vs bad which you can definitely see evolving from the originals, prequels, to now

 

[umichigan10]

Star Wars has always in some way had some political commentary. I know a lot of the prequels idea of the emperor and grabbing power was an allusion to the bush/Nixon administrations, and the originals had a lot of inspiration from the post Vietnam era that it took place in, or so I’ve read.

That being said the commentary in the film was a BIT much. But it’s also supposed to reflect in a way how our society views the idea of good vs bad which you can definitely see evolving from the originals, prequels, to now

Also want to add that so much of art, not just film, is politically or societally motivated, it’s certainly not just Star Wars. But I think they could’ve done a better job making it more nuanced and not as obvious in this film