The Last Jedi

[71 dB]

I do agree that they could've spent more time on Luke's character development than on the whole Finn and Rose subplot, but it wasn't a major gripe of mine. Hopefully they'll expand more upon those flashbacks of Luke and Kylo in the next episode.

The story as told so far kind of needs such flashbacks, but Star Wars has been about chronological storytelling. It seems nobody in Lucasfilm bothered to craft the general story arc for episodes 7-9 or consult Lucas for story ideas (Lucas had them). Instead they start producing these movies in too fast pace. Episode 7 could have been about Kylo Ren turning into the dark side tempted by Snoke and destroying the Jedi. Luke would have sensed the existence of Rey via Force and he would have search for her and teach her to become a Jedi (slowly, not in the 'Mary Sue' style) so that in episode 9 Luke and Rey would finally be ready to fight Snoke and Kylo. Rey would perhaps be able to bring Kylo back from the dark side and Luke would possible sacrifice himself to take Snoke out. Meanwhile Leia and Han fight against First Order. This is a story arc generated in 10 seconds in my head and it's in no way "great" as such, but more coherent and "starwarsy" than the "ping pong" mess Disney was put out so far. I really don't know how J. J. Abrams is going to take this trilogy to the end in the next movie. It is a challenge for sure.

The story in TFA didn't look that bad prior to TLJ, because I assumed they will build on it in an interesting way, but Rian Johnson doesn't seem to be on the same page. Now after seeing TLJ even TFA looks worse, because the things set up by it didn't pay off in the next movie. TLJ should have made TFA look more meaningful, not meaningless. These movies look to me now like a collection of plotpoints forced together. Things happen in order to get them off of Kathleen Kennedy's bucketlist, not because the story needs them.

TLJ looks and sounds great, but is almost a kiss of death to Star Wars. It's forgettable popcorn entertainment showing the middle finger to Lucas' legacy.

[Mirror Image]

It's forgettable popcorn entertainment showing the middle finger to Lucas' legacy.

Almost as forgettable as your empty rhetoric and incessant need to continuously rattle on about Lucas being the only person who can tell a Star Wars story. Plenty of people enjoyed The Last Jedi. We get that you don't like the film and how you feel about Disney. Just get over it.

[Rinaldo]

It's forgettable popcorn entertainment showing the middle finger to Lucas' legacy.

It's fascinating how divise this movie is. I found it quite memorable and it rekindled what I loved about the original Star Wars.

[Jaakko Keskinen]

It's fascinating how divise this movie is.

That may have something to do with the fact that humans themselves are divisive.

[71 dB]

Almost as forgettable as your empty rhetoric and incessant need to continuously rattle on about Lucas being the only person who can tell a Star Wars story. Plenty of people enjoyed The Last Jedi. We get that you don't like the film and how you feel about Disney. Just get over it.

Yeah, I know. My opinion only matters if I agree with you. Well I don't care. I state my opinions as they are. Just get over it.

[Mirror Image]

Yeah, I know. My opinion only matters if I agree with you. Well I don't care. I state my opinions as they are. Just get over it.

No, that's not my point. My point is you're beating a dead horse. There's no need to reiterate for the umpteenth time of how you feel that Disney has somehow ruined Lucas' legacy. That's complete BS and you know it. So....you get over it.

[71 dB]

No, that's not my point. My point is you're beating a dead horse. There's no need to reiterate for the umpteenth time of how you feel that Disney has somehow ruined Lucas' legacy. That's complete BS and you know it. So....you get over it.

I don't express my opinion because someone "needs it." I express it because I choose to do so. I choose myself how many times I express my opinion. Once? Umpteen times? It's my own choice. Instead of making counterarguments you attack me. Do you really think what I say is "complete BS"? I don't think so. Why would I write here something I felt is BS? I write what I think makes sense. If it's BS to you then we simply disagree. I can debate about it, but you make debating difficult attacking me more than my claims.

Also, just so that you know: I am dealing just fine with Disney messing up the franchise. I had to deal with XL-Recordings going downhill and becoming a label of stupid artificially artistic hippie bands some 15 years ago so I have the experience of how to deal with great things getting ruined. New great things do emerge and it's about finding those.

[Mirror Image]

I don't express my opinion because someone "needs it." I express it because I choose to do so. I choose myself how many times I express my opinion. Once? Umpteen times? It's my own choice. Instead of making counterarguments you attack me. Do you really think what I say is "complete BS"? I don't think so. Why would I write here something I felt is BS? I write what I think makes sense. If it's BS to you then we simply disagree. I can debate about it, but you make debating difficult attacking me more than my claims.

Also, just so that you know: I am dealing just fine with Disney messing up the franchise. I had to deal with XL-Recordings going downhill and becoming a label of stupid artificially artistic hippie bands some 15 years ago so I have the experience of how to deal with great things getting ruined. New great things do emerge and it's about finding those.

Disney, whatever the naysayers continue to say, has done great things with Star Wars. In fact, they're the only company who wanted to do something with the franchise since your holiness Lucas was sitting on his so-called 'ideas' that he had instead of putting them into motion. Lucas was too busy making money off all the merchandizing and continued to ignore what the fans truly wanted, which was another film. If you're going to accuse Disney of being a cash cow, then point the finger back to Lucas who was doing the same thing, but, yet, wasn't providing any new stories for his longstanding fanbase. Disney, for better or for worse, have had the gal to continue Star Wars and wanted to see the franchise flourish not stagnate. Their idea may be making money, but making money is a part of this business, again, for better or for worse. So, yes, I do disagree with you and I do think you're full of it, because you continue to spew garbage that not even the people who collect it would want to pick up. As I said, you don't like what Disney is doing with Star Wars...then fine! Stop watching! Go live in your fantasy world where Lucas continues to produce films that don't exist to audiences that don't exist while the rest of us, who love this franchise, will continue to support a company that, again, had the courage to say "Hey, this is a fantastic franchise, so let's continue making movies for the fans." If you can't understand any of this, then don't bother replying, because you're exactly why there's a division amongst the new Star Wars fanbase and the old one. Thankfully, my own viewpoint is I love Lucas' visionary work, but I'm open and absolutely thrilled to see some of my favorite characters, and new ones, continue to grace the big screen and bring happiness, awe, and joy to those who are willing to look past their own preconceived notions of what the franchise should be or what it should be doing.

[relm1]

It's fascinating how divise this movie is. I found it quite memorable and it rekindled what I loved about the original Star Wars.

Finally, a wise opinion!  I agree with you.  Ignore the cynics!!!

[Karl Henning]

While discussion of the movie's worth tussles back and forth, the global box office numbers for The Last Jedi stand at an estimated $1.04 billion.  Which is what it is really all about 

Over the weekend, I read the BFI monograph on Star Wars, and one of the themes is how Lucas finds that he becomes Darth Vader, and the head of a corporation.

It was his density!

[Karl Henning]

Separately, a provocative op-ed piece:

How Wonder Woman and The Last Jedi could make our politics worse

[Jaakko Keskinen]

One of the deficiencies of The Last Jedi was that it tries too hard to retain the original trilogy style and ideals without having the courage to try something new.

[Rinaldo]

..having the courage to try something new.

There was plenty of 'new' IMO. And a lot of fans seem to have a problem with it (Leia, the Force projections, Snoke..). I just hope Abrams will be as bold as Johnson.

[Jaakko Keskinen]

There was plenty of 'new' IMO. And a lot of fans seem to have a problem with it (Leia, the Force projections, Snoke..). I just hope Abrams will be as bold as Johnson.

Umm, I wouldn't call Snoke a "new" conception by any stretch of imagination, he was Emperor clone (ironically, in the expanded universe Emperor literally cloned himself) and he was repeating the same things Palpatine always said, only lacking the charisma that the original had. And Force projections, while, true, did not appear in the original trilogy, have been around decades in some of the books, way way before this movie.

[Rinaldo]

Umm, I wouldn't call Snoke a "new" conception by any stretch of imagination, he was Emperor clone (ironically, in the expanded universe Emperor literally cloned himself) and he was repeating the same things Palpatine always said, only lacking the charisma that the original had. And Force projections, while, true, did not appear in the original trilogy, have been around decades in some of the books, way way before this movie.

I meant ditching him midway through the new trilogy, that was pretty bold. In overall, I found TLJ to be quite packed with unexpected twists and that's why it all felt 'new' to me.

[Pat B]

I meant ditching him midway through the new trilogy, that was pretty bold. In overall, I found TLJ to be quite packed with unexpected twists and that's why it all felt 'new' to me.

The reveal of Rey's ancestry was a significant departure for a franchise that had previously been largely about the Destiny of the Chosen One. A welcome departure, for me, but apparently not for everyone.

The tendency for Plan That Is So Crazy It Just Might Work to not actually work was a similarly welcome, for me, departure.

The film is not perfect — it probably should have been trimmed a bit, and some of the jokes were really obvious — but overall, count me as a fan on one viewing.

[Karl Henning]

As to obvious jokes . . . the review of the first three movies confirmed what I knew years ago, that I've got a bad feeling about this had a much shorter shelf-life than Lucasfilm was fond to think.

[kyjo]

In overall, I found TLJ to be quite packed with unexpected twists and that's why it all felt 'new' to me.

+1 I felt that Rian Johnson made a lot of bold 'new' moves with TLJ which thrilled some viewers (like myself) but disappointed others. Yet, it still genuinely felt like a Star Wars movie and there were plenty of nostalgic references to previous films in the series.

[bwv 1080]

It's forgettable popcorn entertainment showing the middle finger to Lucas' legacy.

I thought popcorn entertainment was Lucas's legacy (except that he did not really succeed with that in the prequels)

[Karl Henning]

A hit! A very palpable hit.