Star Wars The Last Jedi *SPOILERS*

[David Walton]

There's a part of me that wishes they'd jumped further into the future to kick off TFA, with most of the OT characters already being dead and revisited in flashback. Maybe one or two alive but elderly. This would have taken some of the weight off making the OT characters 'fail' and they could have kept at least some of their successes from ROTJ going. A good model for this kind of approach is The Legend of Korra animated series. You get a real sense of the good that the characters from Avatar: The Last Airbender accomplished and it's not undermined even as new challenges to their work arise. And you avoid the problem of needing the OT character's arcs to fit the needs of the ST. Rian Johnson felt like ROTJ's characterization of Luke would have been redundant when placed next to Rey, essentially the same character with the same goals. He might have been right and the setup wasn't his fault.

All this said, I'm not trying to paint a negative picture of TLJ, which I think is an excellent film. I still have mixed feelings about Luke's character arc and I wish the film hadn't been so divisive. There was probably a better way for Lucasfilm to go about the continuation that didn't make a good portion of OT fans feel as though their heroes had been intentionally slighted to make way for the new ones but hindsight's always 20/20.

[Starter Set]

There's a part of me that wishes they'd jumped further into the future to kick off TFA, with most of the OT characters already being dead and revisited in flashback

I would have preferred that too.

And no Empire 2.0.

Oh and no Rebellion 2.0 would have been cool too.

Ah well. It's all over soon.

I'm actually kinda curious to see where they are going to go from there.

[Serpico Jones]

George Lucas’ story treatment for the ST did not feature a rebellion or an Empire. I would love to read what he wrote.

[David Walton]

I would have preferred that too.

And no Empire 2.0.

Oh and no Rebellion 2.0 would have been cool too.

Ah well. It's all over soon.

I'm actually kinda curious to see where they are going to go from there.

I would loved to have seen a re-established Jedi Order acting as peacekeepers for the New Republic.

As far as where they're going, I'm not entirely sure. But I would really hate to see the Skywalker line ended forever!

[David Walton]

George Lucas’ story treatment for the ST did not feature a rebellion or an Empire. I would love to read what he wrote.

It would be fascinating!

[Starter Set]

I would loved to have seen a re-established Jedi Order acting as peacekeepers for the New Republic

I know right? Not exactly the same deal of course, as after all the order did have its flaws and to re-do the same thing would be boring maybe for the audience, but there is potential in that concept for some kick ass storytelling.

[Scott Taylor]

I had no problem with Luke.

This is an guy who was constantly being told by everyone that he was the big hero. he was the savior. It was his destiny to be great. Then, when they needed him the most in a single moment of doubt he messed up and it all came crashing down. He made a mistake and it broke him. he pushes his sister and his best friends' kid down a path of darkness.

I can easily understand why he'd become a cynical hermit after that.

His comeback at the end though, that was completely badass. I wish we would have gotten a little bit ore of that, but I can't complain too much.

Wait, no one ever said that to Luke. Who said that? Except maybe himself. He wasn't Neo from the Matrix, LOL.

When Luke left Dagobah all half-assed with his training, as is his m.o., Yoda and Ben talked and pretty much completely wrote him off as the loser little crybaby whiner that he was. And they agreed that maybe Leia would be better.

Making Luke a badass at the end of TLJ was the last thing anyone should have expected. It wasn't earned at all, considering all the rest of his life. What should have happened is he showed up, Kylo waved his hand with his famous "force-dissipate" move, and Luke would be back on his island saying "damn" and go back to milking space walrus-cows. Thats a very "Luke-y" end for Luke.

I enjoyed all of the scenes with Luke, Rey and Ren. It was everything else that bored me to tears. Finn and Poe Dameron are not compelling characters.

Yah I am in the same boat, really. The good stuff they did with Finn and Poe in the first movie seemed to get pushed aside. Rose was an ok character, but seemed to be just kind of stuck in there for no other reason than to ... kiss Finn? The slow speed chase, the gambling planet stuff, all the Hux blah blah blah, Purple Hair Lady's posturing and being stupid for reasons, Leai Poppins - super boring stuff there. Big turd of a movie that had some momentary awesomeness thrown in.

[Moon Ronin]

But I would really hate to see the Skywalker line ended forever!

That seems to be where it is headed. With Ben Solo being the last and no one really whats to root for him. I don't think the Kilo Ren redemption would be as well received as Vader's and really don't hope they go that route. I would have liked it better where Luke was more of a ronin type Jedi as opposed to the the republic peacekeeping knights that they were in the past. But they just put him on an island drinking sea cow green milk sulking over a mistake instead of owning up to it. It is kind of sad to see the Skywalker lineage die out the way that it is.

[Username taken]

I would have preferred that too.

And no Empire 2.0.

Oh and no Rebellion 2.0 would have been cool too.

Ah well. It's all over soon.

I'm actually kinda curious to see where they are going to go from there.

Amen to all of this.

I would have actually loved for them to move the franchise in an entirely different direction.

[Username taken]

George Lucas’ story treatment for the ST did not feature a rebellion or an Empire. I would love to read what he wrote.

I actually hope we get to see it even if it's in prose form.

Lucas has some very "out there" ideas that could be very entertaining.

[Darrin Kelley]

I got Star Wars: The Last Jedi on DVD yesterday. I watched it again to see what the controversy was about. And I found none.

All I saw was a Star Wars movie. One that had a point to get tp. And got to that point well.

Kelly Marie Tran portrayed a believable character in Rose Tico. A character motivated strongly by grief. And she didn't Hold back in that portrayal. She gave it her all. Which is what the fans expect of any actor in a Star Wars movie.

Luke Skywalker. This was an amazingly hard character to play for the actor who was original to the role. It was obvious that he went in with certain expectations of familiarity with the character. And those got completely blown away. A battered and broken Luke is not what anyone expected going in. But yes, the role was pulled off well.

Admiral Holdo. The character is controversial. But it also showed someone who was playing a complete view of the picture and plans that were made. That her subordinates were not privy to. And that makes her a character that is automatically going to be disliked. But she did value her duty as an Admiral. Trying to do the best she could with a near hopeless situation. She stood her ground on it and sacrificed her life for it.

So the controversies surrounding this movie? in my view: They are hollow. Not liking characters are fine. But condemning a movie for the fact things didn't go the viewers way is just childish.

[Buried Alien]

Luke Skywalker. This was an amazingly hard character to play for the actor who was original to the role. It was obvious that he went in with certain expectations of familiarity with the character. And those got completely blown away. A battered and broken Luke is not what anyone expected going in. But yes, the role was pulled off well.

I feel that Mark Hamill's acting performance in THE LAST JEDI should be singled out for special praise. Whether you liked the way the character was written in the script or not, Hamill delivered the goods and then some in terms of performance. His acting has come a long way since the days of the Original Trilogy.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Darrin Kelley]

I feel that Mark Hamill's acting performance in THE LAST JEDI should be singled out for special praise. Whether you liked the way the character was written in the script or not, Hamill delivered the goods and then some in terms of performance. His acting has come a long way since the days of the Original Trilogy.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

For an actor to deliver the goods like that on a portrayal that he disagreed with? It takes a very special actor to do that. It shows their artistry at one of the highest levels possible.

There are so many ways that the portrayal an actor disagrees with can go wrong. But that didn't happen in this case. It had a pathos in its delivery that is unmistakeable.

If he doesn't get an Academy Award for that performance. It will be an incredible failure on behalf of the Academy. Because it is a textbook example of an actor expanding their range far beyond expectations.

[ZeroBG82]

That seems to be where it is headed. With Ben Solo being the last and no one really whats to root for him. I don't think the Kilo Ren redemption would be as well received as Vader's and really don't hope they go that route. I would have liked it better where Luke was more of a ronin type Jedi as opposed to the the republic peacekeeping knights that they were in the past. But they just put him on an island drinking sea cow green milk sulking over a mistake instead of owning up to it. It is kind of sad to see the Skywalker lineage die out the way that it is.

I don't think that's where the film is heading at all. Ben Solo getting his comeuppance, yes, absolutely. But not the end of the Skywalkers. Maybe the end of the bloodline of Darth Vader, but not the Skywalkers.

Bear with me, here while I explain what I mean:

Ben Solo has the Skywalker blood. They could go for some kind of last minute redemption with him, but it would feel so false and unearned without an amazing script to back it up. And let's be honest, JJ Abrams isn't exactly the subtle, emotionally methodical filmmaker for that. So the bloodline is almost certainly done for. And good riddance. Darth Vader and Kylo Ren aren't exactly a glowing endorsement of the family line.

But what if there could be a Skywalker who wasn't born to the line? Somebody who could earn the name, adopted into the family if you will, through deeds. Somebody who could embody the best of what the Skywalker name means. A hero, a defender of the innocent. A champion of the light, sword of hope and beginning of a new order of Jedi?

Yeah, obviously, I'm talking about Rey here. Do you really think it's a coincidence that she doesn't have a last name? (Or Finn either, for that matter. And given the symmetry between the ST and the OT, quite possibly headed for brother-town before the films are over.) I see Rey Skywalker being the final piece of her arc. Not the blood, no direct relation to Luke. But the true heir to what he stood for, the person who can try to succeed where he failed. And who may, herself, fail before all is said and done. But, in spite of Yoda back in Empire, it's actually the trying that really counts.

Almost like a title, if you will.

[SuperiorIronman]

To be completely honest, if we ever did need another Skywalker, Anakin is literally born of the Force. And even then if we take Darth Plagueis as an actual character, it wasn't uncommon knowledge to the Sith that they could create life from the Force.

So if we ever needed to have it, you could have a Skywalker manifesting a decendant and technically yes, they would be a Skywalker. Why do I have the feeling Force lineages are gonna get complicated? But regardless, not even death can stop Anakin from having another kid or Luke even manifesting another Skywalker when the time is needed.