STAR WARS The Last Jedi *SPOILERS!*

[Zuriyel]

New interview with Rian Johnson:

"Is there an overarching plot for where the trilogy goes? You obviously have The Force Awakens as a jumping off point, but is there a place you need to get to, in order to set up J.J. Abrams’ Episode IX?

RJ: Not really. That’s what’s been really cool about the storytelling process. There is definitely the idea that we know it is a three-movie arc. We know the first film is an introduction, then the middle act is training, meaning challenging the characters. The third is where they all come together and you have to resolve everything.

But I was truly able to write this script without bases to tag, and without a big outline on the wall. That meant I could react to what I felt from The Force Awakens, and what I wanted to see. I could make this movie personal. I could also just take these characters where it felt right and most interesting to take them. I think part of the reason the movie feels like it goes to some unexpected places with the characters is that we had that freedom. If it had all just been planned out and written down beforehand, it might have felt a little more calculated, I suppose."

http://deadline.com/2017/12/star-war...ns-1202227741/

[MikeP]

And sometimes the heroes do things that DO make things worse. I trust everyone remembers how Luke's little rescue expedition to Cloud City in ESB worked out?

Yes, and Luke's attempted rescue was born from his love of his friends, not out of pride or arrogance. And because he drew Vader's attention away, most of them escaped.

Everything about the Resistance in TLJ was just... stupid, and none of their actions made any sense. Poe wanted to blow up a dreadnaught because reasons, even though escaping was the whole damn point. That purple haired admiral was being a bitch and refusing to at least throw him a bone, even when it would have helped (like during the attempted mutiny). It was a comedy of errors, and by the end, I was hoping the First Order would just put them out of their misery.

And nothing in this movie feels epic. Was that the First Order's entire fleet? A few handful of capital ships? It feels less like deciding the fate of the galaxy, and more like two bratty children squabbling over in the corner while everyone else is doing their best to ignore them.

[brettc1]

New interview with Rian Johnson:

"Is there an overarching plot for where the trilogy goes? You obviously have The Force Awakens as a jumping off point, but is there a place you need to get to, in order to set up J.J. Abrams’ Episode IX?

RJ: Not really. That’s what’s been really cool about the storytelling process. There is definitely the idea that we know it is a three-movie arc. We know the first film is an introduction, then the middle act is training, meaning challenging the characters. The third is where they all come together and you have to resolve everything.

But I was truly able to write this script without bases to tag, and without a big outline on the wall. That meant I could react to what I felt from The Force Awakens, and what I wanted to see. I could make this movie personal. I could also just take these characters where it felt right and most interesting to take them. I think part of the reason the movie feels like it goes to some unexpected places with the characters is that we had that freedom. If it had all just been planned out and written down beforehand, it might have felt a little more calculated, I suppose."

http://deadline.com/2017/12/star-war...ns-1202227741/

Uh okay.

Yeah, I really think when Tolkien started writing The Lord of the Rings he had a kind of plan in mind. Certainly by the time the first book was published he knew how it was going to go.

[jtd]

Star Wars : Age Of Ultron ???

Regardless the millions the movie will make this weekend...will Disney's expectations be dashed?

Will they be similarly disappointed as they were when the Avengers sequel, Avengers Age Of Ultron failed to meet the expectations (fan reception wise and monetarily)?

[The Cool Thatguy]

I am really, really fascinated by where all these weird theories of the Jedi Order sprung from. If arrogance, child-stealing, brainwashing, etc. are an impression that people came away with from the prequels, that just seems really odd. Mastering control of the Force is the most difficult thing in the universe. It requires great sacrifices, and is also the most dangerous thing in the universe if you don't absolutely dedicate all your attention to it. The Jedi didn't see the rise of the Empire coming because Palpatine clouded the Force in ways that could not have been anticipated, because there'd never been anyone so powerful on the dark side before (until he created Anakin and turned him).

I'm not sure what the need is to read more into it than that.

Because we see the Jedi training young children in every Star Wars canon, yet Vader was nearly turned away for being too old (he was what, ten?). Hell, in the movie itself it was noted that if Annie had been born on a core world, he would have already been training as a Jedi.

The idea that an adult is incapable of learning to handle the force is ridiculous, as that is exactly what Luke himself does.

So yeah. The prequels pretty clearly demonstrate that children are inducted into the order at an age in which they don't know any better and trained to serve the order and forbidden to pursue outside relationships.

How is that not a cult?

[brettc1]

Yes, and Luke's attempted rescue was born from his love of his friends, not out of pride or arrogance. And because he drew Vader's attention away, most of them escaped.

Everything about the Resistance in TLJ was just... stupid, and none of their actions made any sense. Poe wanted to blow up a dreadnaught because reasons, even though escaping was the whole damn point. That purple haired admiral was being a bitch and refusing to at least throw him a bone, even when it would have helped (like during the attempted mutiny). It was a comedy of errors, and by the end, I was hoping the First Order would just put them out of their misery.

And nothing in this movie feels epic. Was that the First Order's entire fleet? A few handful of capital ships? It feels less like deciding the fate of the galaxy, and more like two bratty children squabbling over in the corner while everyone else is doing their best to ignore them.

I think 'mistakes' was a big part of what this movie was about.

LOL I can certainly see in the new trilogy Star Wars universe the winner is ultimately not the one who does the best, but the one who fails the least.

I agree the Holdo thing was badly handled. If they have been worrying about a traitor who was revealing their position, it would have made sense.

But the lack of a huge FO fleet does make sense to me. Star Killer based was a massive investment of resources, and it did its job by destroying the Republic Fleet [which stupidly seems to have all been in one place. Come on guys, the USA didnt have ALL its naval vessels at Pearl Harbor.]

But anyway, clearly the FO didn't think it could take on the Republic in a capital ship slugging match. That suggests to me their total fleet strength was relatively small.

[brettc1]

On another topic, what happened to that scene of Rey running across the sand with the blue lightsabre that we saw in so many trailers?

[AJBopp]

Luke trained as an adult and didn't turn to the Dark Side, while Dooku presumably went through the child induction program and was Yoda's Padawn and still went bad.

The idea that an adult is incapable of learning to handle the force is ridiculous, as that is exactly what Luke himself does.

There's no valid argument in comparing Anakin or Luke to the rest of the Jedi. Anakin is the only known being in the galaxy to born directly from the influence of the Force. The rules are different for the Skywalker family. Both the original trilogy and the prequels made that abundantly clear. And it's precisely the reason that Star Wars is, itself, the Skywalker Saga.

As for indentured servitude and cult and all the rest of it, that's the product of overthinking the story. It's a space fantasy. If you start applying the rules of 21st century Earth to Star Wars (or Lord Of The Rings or Blade Runner or Conan or Cinderella) you'll always find excuses to be disappointed. Fantasy stories aren't meant to work that way.

[Ken Ashcroft]

Star Wars : Age Of Ultron ???

Regardless the millions the movie will make this weekend...will Disney's expectations be dashed?

Will they be similarly disappointed as they were when the Avengers sequel, Avengers Age Of Ultron failed to meet the expectations (fan reception wise and monetarily)?

The critics though universally approved this movie unlike the Avengers sequel. Would that make up for some of the negative fan reaction?

[AJBopp]

On another topic, what happened to that scene of Rey running across the sand with the blue lightsabre that we saw in so many trailers?

It was cut from the final release? Just throwing that out there as a possibility

[AJBopp]

This is the first thing I've read about the movie that makes me lean toward seeing it, rather than away. Spoiler-free.

https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/...ng-for-w513450

[Buried Alien]

This is the first thing I've read about the movie that makes me lean toward seeing it, rather than away. Spoiler-free.

https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/...ng-for-w513450

Go see it, man. You're approaching each cinematic prospect as if you're deciding whether or not you should join the army.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[AJBopp]

Go see it, man. You're approaching each cinematic prospect as if you're deciding whether or not you should join the army.

I might, but I won't see it until it hits the second run theaters in any case. I never watch a movie first run anymore (unless I can finagle a free seat from contacts I have). To me there is no movie worth the price they are charging for first-run shows these days. Thinking about the amount dropped to see the movie early ruins my enjoyment of it.

[SiegePerilous02]

Random Thoughts:

- Love the reveal of Rey's parents. A nice subversive twist on the big reveal of Empire.
- The cinematography, particularly the use of the color red, was very striking in several spots
- I continue to be utterly disappointed about everything Phasma related.
- The subplot with Finn and Rose on the casino world ended up being kind of pointless. Ultimately this was done to show Poe's impulsiveness not leading to a solution (though Holdo not sharing her plan with him could have avoided this), be humbled by it and learn from the experience so he could be a better leader. On that level it worked, but the planet itself wasn't engaging. The one serious weak spot of this film.
- Kylo killing Snoke and being sympathetic to Rey while still ultimately turning to the Dark Side was another subversive callback to Luke successfully getting Vader to turn on Palpatine. Kylo is still a pale imitation to Vader, but that continues to be the whole point, and his lack of composure make him a different kind of threat entirely. It may be too dark, but I hope this trilogy either ends with Kylo NOT being redeemed or for him and Rey to find some sort of true balance between Dark and Light by representing each half without a need for one to destroy the other. Just as long as it isn't a rehash of Vader's arc.
- I loved Holdo and her interactions with Leia. She went out like an utter badass. Yeah her not communicating with Poe was kind of stupid, but he also didn't give her much reason to trust him. I think the lack of communication (but for somewhat understandable reasons for both of them) leading to tragedy is interesting. It probably should have been conveyed a bit better, but the idea is sound. I love that these new films continue to use more women and pass the Bechdel test.
- I know the internet has latched onto Poe/Finn as gay lovers based entirely on questionable evidence, and God knows we could use some LGBT representation in more Blockbuster films, but the amount of hate the director is getting for not going that route is fucking ridiculous. Especially when it leads to hate towards the character of Rose, who I really liked and whose only crime is kissing a man who is gay/bi only in the minds of fans (so far?).
- Speaking of hypocrisy and questionable shipping evidence, that one scene at the end kind of has me shipping Rey/Poe. I'm not sure what it was, but I got that vibe.

[AJBopp]

Go see it, man. You're approaching each cinematic prospect as if you're deciding whether or not you should join the army.

Also, this is another type of review that makes me more inclined to see the movie rather than less. This guy (from Rotten Tomatoes) seems...not well

James W
December 17, 2017
READ CAREFULLY: What makes Star Wars so great is the stories and characters therein. They must have purpose and motives that can seemly be understood and hopefully achieved. Each movie should progress the story and more of what was in the shadow should incrementally be revealed. That is story progression and makes for good story telling. This is not Marvel, DISNEY!!! its STAR WARS!!! Im sick of children prancing around all in their hormones and emotions. Where are the seasoned adults. I can not begin to stress the importance of following the rules of an EPIC!!! I sat in the theater watching people act foolish and excited over this rubbish of filth. Im DONE, the games are trash the movies are trash. Star Wars is dead for true fans.