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Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi

Started by TordelBack, 23 January, 2017, 04:29:12 PM

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Tiplodocus

I can see why it wasn't for some people though.

And it will be interesting to see how it goes down with a younger audience.

I get the feeling that those people creating the petition want a Star Wars film which is pretty much the equivalent of them (finally) unboxing and playing fights with all of their Star Wars toys*.

This definitely wasn't that. But has Rian thrown the baby out with the bathwater?


* e.g. the fan service, bad-ass, bad guy Vader bit at the end of Rogue One.
Be excellent to each other. And party on!

Colin YNWA

Quote from: Tiplodocus on 23 December, 2017, 04:26:27 PM
I get the feeling that those people creating the petition

There's a petition? I need to be doing some reading I think! I've been actively avoiding spoilers for the last week and half ... and this film seems to have... well stirred up emotions then I take it...

Professor Bear

More people have signed the petition to have The Last Jedi re-shot with Luke Skywalker replaced with a mystery-solving dog than have signed the petition to strike the movie from canon.  The prominence given to the latter in debate about Star Wars fans tells you far more about Last Jedi evangelicals than it does OT fanboys.

See also:
2005 - UGH a lanky-haired emo Vader that looks like he's having a tantrum what a stupid idea!  Lucas knows nothing about making a Star Wars movie!
2017 - YAY a lanky-haired emo Vader that's throwing an actual tantrum what a great idea! JJ Abrams/Rian Johnson knows how to make a Star Wars movie!

TordelBack

It all comes down to their opinions on sand.

A week on and all I know for sure is that I'm still excited about the whole crazy messy thing, and my entire family is clamouring for a repeat viewing tomorrow. I don't care if the RT score is 1%, as long as there's enough box office to warrant making loads more, and I eventually get my mitts on a super-articulated [spoiler]Final Duel Luke [/spoiler]in 3.5" scale.

Professor Bear

Anakin's sand dialogue is much-misunderstood and is actually the classic romance trope of the clumsy swerve mid-sentence to avoid saying something regrettable: clearly he was in the middle of telling Padme that he's had loads of birds on Tatooine, but halfway through he thinks better of telling her that sand gets "under the hood" as proof and waffles a bit until complete fucking shit comes out.  One sympathizes.

sheridan

Quote from: Professor Bear on 23 December, 2017, 06:14:48 PM
See also:
2005 - UGH a lanky-haired emo Vader that looks like he's having a tantrum what a stupid idea!  Lucas knows nothing about making a Star Wars movie!
2017 - YAY a lanky-haired emo Vader that's throwing an actual tantrum what a great idea! JJ Abrams/Rian Johnson knows how to make a Star Wars movie!


To be fair (to the raving fanboys) the 2005 version was supposed to be Vader, while the 2015/2017 is somebody who has grown up in Vader's shadow and feels inadequate in relation to him.  When writing American Graffiti, Lucas had help from Katz and Huyck, particularly to develop the relationship and romantic themes.  The prequel trilogy does not appear to have had this development process.  I was watching Attack of the Clones in the run-up to the midnight double-bill, and still can't see what on earth Padme would see in Anakin in the scenes where she's supposed to be falling for him.

Colin YNWA

It has problems, but none I couldn't see past, quite easily.

Of those I'm currently reading the idea of no credible threat is really curious. From the (ludirious) WWII bombing mission of the opening scene to the [spoiler]final escape on the Falcon [/spoiler] the Empir... I mean First Orders tightening grip on the Rebellian well they even stop pretending by the end) is tangible and its effects felt throughout. By the end there is literally less than [spoiler]20 left by my estimate[/spoiler].

Threat two is the whole Kylo Ren thing which genuinely gripped me throughout all added to by the relationships with Luke detailed beautifully I felt... well okay beautifully is over stating it but really well for an thrilling action piece.

I was very out of touch with popular opinion about TFA when it landed too, but people seem to have come around more to my view (its poo) ... I'll win you over on this one too!

TordelBack

I'd be surprised to learn than most people think TFA is poo (Poe, maybe), but you're certainly on the right track with TLJ.

My view on TFA is still its opening line: "this will begin to make things right". I think that's exactly what it did, reintroduced the good stuff, and it's that simple foundation that allows TLJ to go crazy and be genuinely surprising.

Colin YNWA

Well yes must people aren't as extreme as my poo based thought when it comes to TFA but I certainly think the intitial furor has died down a great deal... as might mine for TLJ of course!

darnmarr

This is the last Starwars film I am going to be bothered watching; for me, The Force Awakens felt like watching The Australian Abba or some other equivalent tribute band- but that was okay , I felt , because, in a way, it HAD to be; it was the first Disney post-prequel out of the gate, it was okay that it was so referential, it had to regain the original spirit, as it were.

But this was the film where we were going to find out if the franchise had potential- if the franchise had chops of any sort and I honestly thought it was a confusing and pointless narrative mess. People have told me ' it's just for kids and don't over-analyse it'-- so look; as far as 'kids's films' go-- Paddington 2 was by far the superior film. As far as actual films go. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone.

CrazyFoxMachine

Yeah went to a Christmas Eve screening o' this and I must say my own particular take can be summed up like this:



In other words: When the dust settles I think people will look on this as a good film. Yeah it's overlong, slightly too-linear and has one too-many silly bits but it balances things well and introduces a stance the flimsy franchise has never before covered: the very relatable fact that nobody really knows what they're doing most of the time and that perceived destiny is largely a matter of perspective and mostly wank. Kudos to it for that, a vast improvement over the comparatively flimsy TFA for me.

TordelBack

Yeah, my feeling is that in the long run this instalment will be well regarded. Abrams set up a lot of stuff that looked good, but that (surprise) he hadn't really thought through, and Johnson chose a brave course in confronting that rather than continuing to build on shaky foundations: it's going to be fascinating seeing Abrams back at the crease now.

SIP

Honestly chaps.....the dust has well and truly settled for me. It didn't take long.....I'd largely forgotten about the whole film hours after it had finished.

I will never regard this as a good film, I still think it was awful and made horrible mistakes every step of the way from the start to its miserable finale.

I'm genuinely pleased if people can enjoy it. I didn't.

Colin YNWA

Quote from: CrazyFoxMachine on 25 December, 2017, 12:16:33 AM
Yeah went to a Christmas Eve screening o' this and I must say my own particular take can be summed up like this:




Don't care if you agree with the sentiment or not, but surely we can all agree this is the greatest analogy for a film, any film, ever!

Pete Wells

I've seen it twice now and really like it (though don't LOVE it.) It was much, much better than TFA, however.

In an ideal world I would like to have seen Leia knock out Holdo and sacrifice herself, it would have been the perfect ending for her character. Obviously we didn't know Carrie was going to die in real life so it's all well and good saying stuff like that, they'll have probably had all her scenes in Crate filmed. Also, it would have robbed us of the beautiful 'reunion' scene of Luke and Leia too.

I'm sad that Luke is [spoiler]dead (I think I actually was grieving for him for a few days!) and it seems mad to spend the whole of the previous film searching for him only to kill him off after one movie[/spoiler]. That, added to Rey's parents and no Snoke backstory lends itself to a 'making it up as they go along' kinda vibe.  I did love how Luke [spoiler]died though - peacefully and on his terms while sacrificing himself for the greater good. I guess he is too big to be in the movies. [/spoiler]

The thing that concerns me most is that, for me, a lifelong Star Wars fan, there's no massive yearning to see Episode 9 now. No big questions, no cliffhangers, nothing. It's basically going to be a one and done film dealing with Kylo. Am I missing something?