Star Wars: The Last Jedi

[shapinglight]

Went to see The Last Jedi last night.

Really enjoyed it.

Slight spoilers behind cut.



Okay, it was maybe a little long and I have no idea what they're going to do about Princess Leia in the final movie, given that she's still alive at the end of this one, but other than that, I thought it was great and I don't really understand the backlash. I've heard one exists, but am not interested enough to do a lot of searching to discover the reasons for it.

However, I did read this article on Vox, which not only analyses the various complaints about the movie in what seems to me a pretty even-handed way, but also illustrates many of the reasons why I like it (and, incidentally, if not entirely relevantly to this post, explains why I prefer the LotR movies to the books).

Speaking of LotR, I was on my own on Tuesday evening for the last time before Christmas and took it into my head to watch the extended version of the final Hobbit movie. What a disappointment. Nothing else of any interest at all. Just lots and lots of extra fighting.

Comments

[elisi]

Yay, I loved it too! :D

And as it happens I've had that article open in a tab for days, waiting for enough time to read it - thank you for the extra push, it was worth it. And yes, I think I'm with you: The reason it resonated is the reason it didn't for others.

I've always liked Star Wars well enough, and The Force Awakens and Rogue One I am very fond of, but this one did something *more*. I want to re-watch it, and am very sad I will have to wait a long time for the DVDs...

[shapinglight]

Yes, I'd like to see it again, though I would rather do it at home this time, I think, so will have to wait for the DVD too.

The reason it resonated is the reason it didn't for others.

Same here, I suspect. With regard to the 'all the white men in the movie are evil' complaint that the article mentions, first, it's not true, and second...well, the 'verse needed more diversity.

As for what else the article mentions, I prefer my heroes flawed so am fine with Luke not being perfect and right about everything. He still saves the day after all.

[elisi]

Yes, I'd like to see it again, though I would rather do it at home this time, I think, so will have to wait for the DVD too.
I like the cinema experience, and think the 3D might be pretty spectacular. However money is an issue...

Same here, I suspect. With regard to the 'all the white men in the movie are evil' complaint that the article mentions, first, it's not true, and second...well, the 'verse needed more diversity.
Plus, considering just how many of the world's ills were perpetrated by white men - not inaccurate.

As for what else the article mentions, I prefer my heroes flawed so am fine with Luke not being perfect and right about everything. He still saves the day after all.
This, so very much. And I like the fact that the whole film is about how sometimes good people screw up. How people make mistakes, or the brilliant plan doesn't work out, or good intentions are misplaced. Give me that any day. :)

[shapinglight]

I like the cinema experience, and think the 3D might be pretty spectacular.

I like the cinema experience too, but as you say it's very expensive. I hate 3D. The glasses always give me a headache.

And I like the fact that the whole film is about how sometimes good people screw up. How people make mistakes, or the brilliant plan doesn't work out, or good intentions are misplaced. Give me that any day. :)

Agreed. And that Ren doesn't have to be 'someone.' She can be no one and still be someone.

[elisi]

I like the cinema experience too, but as you say it's very expensive. I hate 3D. The glasses always give me a headache.
Oh the purely physical aspect isn't good (and I wear glasses generally, so an extra pair is a pain), but for example the Rey & Kylo Ren fight scene, with all the burning ashes falling down... That must be incredible.

Agreed. And that Ren doesn't have to be 'someone.' She can be no one and still be someone.
It's possible Kylo Ren lied, but it still doesn't matter. And it's especially poignant when contrasted with the whole mess of the Skywalker family... They could probably take a few prizes in Most Dysfunctional.

[beer_good_foamy]

I like that article. As someone pointed out, few people seem to hate Star Wars as much as Star Wars fans. I don't feel bad that the things I did like about the movie seem to mostly be the things that the Usual Crowd hated; I loved the basic idea behind it, I loved the unreveal of Rey's parents, I loved the humour. I can even live with the porgs once I found out the reason for them (there were so many puffins on that island they couldn't shoo them off and had to incorporate them instead). Basically, the film is a bit of a mess, but it has a good heart and sharp elbows, and that's as much as I can demand of a SW movie these days.

[shapinglight]

Basically, the film is a bit of a mess, but it has a good heart and sharp elbows, and that's as much as I can demand of a SW movie these days.

Yeah, that's a very good description. I also can cope with the porgs after knowing the reason for them - though am a bit disgusted to realise this was actually filmed during the breeding season. They should have waited, to minimise the disruption. Puffins would all have been gone by the end of July. :(

As someone pointed out, few people seem to hate Star Wars as much as Star Wars fans.

This does appear to be the case, and I don't really understand it - especially if much of it derives from a belief that the film is disrespectful to Jedi tradition (which was basically made up as it went along by George Lucas and others - and in fact made some kind of sense to me in this film for the first time ever). Anyway, my son-in-law is a huge Star Wars fan and he really liked it.

[shapinglight]

And it's especially poignant when contrasted with the whole mess of the Skywalker family...

Yes, I would have thought that if anything, the die-hard fans would be annoyed to learn that Han and Leia could have a son who would turn to the dark side so readily, yet I don't remember any fuss about that when The Force Awakens came out. However, I didn't go looking for it, so it may have been happening all along.

[beer_good_foamy]

I was just happy when we got a scene where Luke asked Rey if she knew what the Force was, geared up for an explanation... and said NOTHING about fucking midichlorians.

damn kids today think you can ruin Star Wars even though they never saw The Phantom Menace in theatres grumble grumble get off my lawn

[shapinglight]

damn kids today think you can ruin Star Wars even though they never saw The Phantom Menace in theatres grumble grumble get off my lawn

Heh! And midichlorians? What on earth are those? I've forgotten.

[beer_good_foamy]

That was the "scientific" explanation we got for the Force in the prequel trilogy. Refer to this skit.

[sueworld]

I found the film to be enjoyable and bloody aggravating in equal measure. Imo they manage to piss away so much of the old characters. So much potential and yet in the end it was wasted.

A very average movie imo.

[shapinglight]

Heh! Think I prefer the explanation in the new film.

[shapinglight]

Well, as you know, I profoundly disagree with you. But we can't all like the same thing.

[orangerful]

LOL I put off reading this because of spoilers but you didn't really say a whole lot and you agree with my assessment. :) I really want to see it again because I always get so wrapped up in the spectacle that I need at least one more viewing to focus.

Also, right there with you on the Hobbit movies, I pretty much ignore them because they were just so painful compared to the perfection that is the LotR trilogy (which I finally finished rewatching this year! I rarely get to the end of RotK but I did yesterday HUZZAH!)

[shapinglight]

Well done! It is the hardest one to get through, both film and book.