Thoughts After Seeing The Last Jedi (Spoiler Free)

[Truth66]

Just finished seeing The Last Jedi with my friend and 12 year daughter for the Fan night viewing.

My personal thoughts are that this movie is filled with a lot of humor, which is something we all enjoyed. The movie is also filled with some great moments. Many people in the theater, including my friend and I were commenting that this movie was definitely missing something. I think because many people were looking for some kind of huge cliff hanger moment like we saw in The Empire Strikes Back. Yes this is a darker film like Empire was, but it didn't leave much to question, or give the audience a huge incentive of looking forward to Episode 9 like Empire did.

To be perfectly honest, the most memorable moment was prior to the movie, the local news crew saw us in the theater early and my daughter having her hair as Princess Leia (From A New Hope). So they interviewed us before the movie and my daughter was so nervous she forgot how to spell her name "Emily" when they asked her.

Anyhow, I'm curious as to what others thought of The Last Jedi and please remember this is a Spoiler Free Thread

[Ubik]

Just finished seeing The Last Jedi with my friend and 12 year daughter for the Fan night viewing.

My personal thoughts are that this movie is filled with a lot of humor, which is something we all enjoyed. The movie is also filled with some great moments. Many people in the theater, including my friend and I were commenting that this movie was definitely missing something. I think because many people were looking for some kind of huge cliff hanger moment like we saw in The Empire Strikes Back. Yes this is a darker film like Empire was, but it didn't leave much to question, or give the audience a huge incentive of looking forward to Episode 9 like Empire did.

To be perfectly honest, the most memorable moment was prior to the movie, the local news crew saw us in the theater early and my daughter having her hair as Princess Leia (From A New Hope). So they interviewed us before the movie and my daughter was so nervous she forgot how to spell her name "Emily" when they asked her.

Anyhow, I'm curious as to what others thought of The Last Jedi and please remember this is a Spoiler Free Thread

A lot of my friends are saying it was solid but a bit underwhelming, and they also felt like something was missing. Haven't seen it yet. I am getting burned out on Hollywood cinema these days and don't often go see these big blockbuster films anymore. I also can't really afford the cinema here in the UK, it's ridiculously expensive now.

[becket]

I'm Truths friend that went with him and his daughter.
One minor compliant I have about this movie is that this is the first time in any Star Wars movie no one said I have a bad feeling about this.
But overall very good movie but yes felt it was missing something.

[Looney]

Well I saw it last night and I have to say the more I think about it the less I like it, but I still liked it. I saw no trailers and heard no spoilers so I didn't have many pre-determined expectations that weren't directly connected to the end of The Force Awakens. I agree it did feel like there was something missing. There are parts of it I LOVED and there are parts of it I didn't love to a few minor things I flat out hated. I think my main issue, however, is that I don't think I like the direction I feel they are going. I think part of my problem stems from too much knowledge of how things work in these movies. Watching this you can feel the FORCE of a Hollywood movie. Don't get me wrong, they did some awesome things in this movie and there were a lot of great twists. At the same time there were a lot of things that happened that felt FORCED and unnecessary other than the requirement of fitting a certain marketing structure. I don't know. I know I am hyper-critical and sensitive about these movies so my opinion is tainted. I think we all have a sense of what we would like to see happen and this movie gave me very little of that. It gave me some of what I wanted, but it also feels like they went a direction that is going to give me less and less of what I want to happen. WOW that was tough without spoilers. LOL

[phazedout]

I saw it thursday, alas I went to see it in 3-D way too dark and at 2.5 plus hours, too long. By the end my eyes were streaming and friend (who wears glasses) had a *massive* headache. My advice, avoid the 3-D I iontend seeing it again in 2-d, maybe tomrorow, if the girlfriend wants to come with.

As for episode 9? My only hope here, no bloody ewoks, although the cute furry things in this one were minimal and actually amusing.

[sarthaz]

It's good but not great. When someone's really negative about it, I find myself defending it; and when someone's really positive about it, I think, "yeah, but ..." It has some really cool nuance and I really appreciate some of the story choices, but it's also way too long, poorly paced, and weakly directed. It's a total mixed bag.

I do find it hilarious how so many people are up in arms about it, like Star Wars is some kind of high art. The prequels are shockingly bad, the acting in A New Hope is terrible, all the "special" stuff Lucas tacks onto the original trilogy is garbage, people hate Return of the Jedi (though I enjoy it just fine), and in general it's all a very simple story without much depth or nuance. Don't get me wrong -- I love it -- but people seriously need to get a grip. Last Jedi is fine.

[Looney]

I saw it thursday, alas I went to see it in 3-D way too dark and at 2.5 plus hours, too long. By the end my eyes were streaming and friend (who wears glasses) had a *massive* headache. My advice, avoid the 3-D I iontend seeing it again in 2-d, maybe tomrorow, if the girlfriend wants to come with.

Okay so interestingly enough I saw it in 3D as well and I was shocked that it wasn't dark. It must be the difference in theaters. I know there are two places I can see movies in 3D and one of them is always dark, but that isn't the one I saw The Last Jedi in. That being said I have to say that I really didn't feel I gained much seeing it in 3D. Unless you have some reason, like you saw The Force Awakens in 3D so you have to see this one in 3D, I don't recommend spending extra for the 3D experience as it wasn't much of an experience.

Don't get me wrong -- I love it -- but people seriously need to get a grip. Last Jedi is fine.

See I didn't love it and I think part of the problem most might have is that it was just "fine." I think people wanted to be blown away and this movie definitely does not do that. There are some great twists and more unexpected things happened than I envisioned, but there was very little that made me excited for the next installment. I still liked it well enough, but after The Force Awakens I felt there might be some deep hidden gems that would be revealed in this trilogy and now I doubt that is the case. Say what you will about the prequel trilogy, and I have said many negative things about it, but the underlying plot of how The Emperor took control is amazing. After seeing The Last Jedi I see fewer possibilities that there are some multi-leveled plot intricacies at work here. I still put my money down and had my fun, but I was hoping for more as I know most of the people complaining were.

[sarthaz]

See I didn't love it and I think part of the problem most might have is that it was just "fine." I think people wanted to be blown away and this movie definitely does not do that. There are some great twists and more unexpected things happened than I envisioned, but there was very little that made me excited for the next installment. I still liked it well enough, but after The Force Awakens I felt there might be some deep hidden gems that would be revealed in this trilogy and now I doubt that is the case. Say what you will about the prequel trilogy, and I have said many negative things about it, but the underlying plot of how The Emperor took control is amazing. After seeing The Last Jedi I see fewer possibilities that there are some multi-leveled plot intricacies at work here. I still put my money down and had my fun, but I was hoping for more as I know most of the people complaining were.

To clarify, the "it" I love is Star Wars in general, not this film. But you hit on my point: "people want to be blown away." Star Wars has never been high cinema. A cool hero's quest and badass-for-the-time special effects launched this train, but the rose-colored glasses from our childhood make it seem like this franchise is better than it is and set unrealistic expectation in my opinion. That said, while flawed, I think this film is probably the deepest and most complex of them all. It's just not in the form of lore building. It's more character study and deconstructing the Jedi and the Force and looking at them for what they really are.

[Ubik]

So, finally got to see The Last Jedi.

A solid 7/10 Porgs. Not sure what everyone's been moaning about. I was sufficiently entertained. Kinda liked how brutally it severed ties with The Force Awakens and boils things down to the core cast members by the time it concludes; it efficiently trims the fat for any subequent films.

Okay, spolier alert... some of my issues.

Only scene I had any issues with was when a certain Princess meets the hard vaccum of space, it just jolted me right out of the film for a moment, way to break suspension of disbelief! For the rest, it's nicely done. In the grand scheme of Star Wars films, you could do way worse. And Porgs... they were fun. And Benicio Del Toro was cool as. Some of the humour didn't quite work, like the opening scene with Poe. It was a weird way to open the film and tonally, not sure it quite worked.

[sarthaz]

Things I didn't like:

Leia Poppins, the heavy-handed trip to Casino World just so Fin can learn the facts of life, hyperspace missile

Things I loved:

Luke's transformation into wisecracking Yoda, Luke acknowledging that the Jedi suck at protecting the galaxy, Rey not having distinct lineage, Poe's journey to leadership, and the general tone of nuance and growth from mistakes

[Looney]

I agree with most of that. I would add that I didn't like who marketing attached the cute and furry toys to.

[Truth66]

I just came across this interesting article:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2017/12/25/can-star-wars-recover-from-last-jedis-rave-reviews-and-huge-grosses/#262700c37d2e

I think the reason why The Last Jedi has taken such a huge nose dive is that many are realizing that the film didn't live up to the high expectations. This was the second act of a three act trilogy. Not a stand alone film.

JMS realized the importance of a continuing story line filled with drama and enticements to keep viewers anxiously waiting for the following weeks episode. Obvious examples were the Shadow War and the march to free Earth from President Clark.

J.J. Abrams is going to have to pull of a miracle with episode 9 to end this particular trilogy with an impressive WOW!!!

[alpha128]

Well I saw it last night and I have to say the more I think about it the less I like it, but I still liked it.

I saw it for the first time on Wednesday, and I agree the more I think about it the less I like it. However, I never liked it. I walked out of the theater giving it 4/10, and upon additional reflection, I'm now at a 2/10.

In fact, just today I came up with the perfect nickname, which is, as far as I know, original to me. Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Laxative Jedi - because it sh!ts all over everything you loved about Star Wars!

[sarthaz]

I saw it for the first time on Wednesday, and I agree the more I think about it the less I like it. However, I never liked it. I walked out of the theater giving it 4/10, and upon additional reflection, I'm now at a 2/10.

In fact, just today I came up with the perfect nickname, which is, as far as I know, original to me. Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Laxative Jedi - because it sh!ts all over everything you loved about Star Wars!

People keep saying that, but I just don't see it. What is it that you loved about Star Wars that has been shat upon? When I think of Star Wars, these are the hallmarks:

The Force -- it's everywhere, some people are strong with it, there's a light and dark
The Jedi -- powerful with the force, often very arrogant. They either go dark, get killed, or break the galaxy and go into hiding
Cool spaceships and battles -- really cool special effects sequences. Zero regard for physics
Cool creatures -- lots of neat aliens, often just to amuse kids and sell toys
Strong female lead who can rescue herself
Weak male lead who goes from whiny farmboy to self-important prick
Strong male lead with roguish charm. Grows from selfish to somewhat selfless
Lots of cheesy dialogue and bad jokes
Multiple concurrent plots going on at once

I don't see anything in the new film that shits on that. Luke absolutely follows in the footsteps of his masters, Obi-Wan and Yoda. Physics is still ignored, but the special effects are amazing. Lots of silly creatures and dumb one-liners. Women still kick ass. There's light and dark to the Force, some have it some don't. You've got a pilot with roguish charm, a badass woman who doesn't need rescuing, a selfish guy who learns there's more than just himself.

It's totally the same Star Wars. It's just deeper and smarter. Not everyone is related. Not every plan works. Growth comes from big mistakes on-screen instead of a character just showing up later as a more selfless person. And Luke is so much more interesting than the douche he'd become by ROTJ.

There are dozens of faults with this film, but it's very true to the Star Wars I grew up with. I feel many people remember them as higher art than they actually were.

[Ubik]

I feel many people remember them as higher art than they actually were.

THIS. 1000 X This!

I don't get the hate for the Last Jedi. It has some flaws in terms of tonal shifts in characterisation that are sometimes hard to buy.

E.g. General Hux going from capable Space Nazi to bumbling bafoon seems a bit off. / Leia's Mary Poppins routine / Key members of the Resistance not telling each other THE PLAN...

However, I had fun, and that's all I really expect from a Star Wars film. I am not going to overthink things. I think it was rather brave to take some of the lore and say, that's done with, let the past die... time to move on. I think people are picking holes in a few scenes and plot holes, but no one is talking about the strong moments.

The Kylo and Rey scenes were very strong. Kylo finally becomes a character worth his salt. I also loved Rey's interactions with the dark and light side of the force. The underwater cave scene could have come straight out of Twin Peaks. Pretty awesome. I would like to see it a second time, but will wait for it to hit streaming sites to give it a second viewing.