Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi

[Keef Monkey]

I'm going to have to come to terms with the fact that I'm wrong, an idiot, or both, because I thought it was fantastic.

That makes two of us.  Flawed, challenging, but fantastic.

Me three.

Me four! Loved it, am booked in to see it again next week and am really, really looking forward to it. I went on my own at the weekend because I wanted to get in ahead of the spoilers, going with my wife and some friends next time and I really can't wait to see it with them and get their reactions to it because I know they'll love it too.

I can understand people not liking it for various reasons (which I don't agree with - I genuinely haven't seen a single piece of criticism I can get on board with, other than the fact that the casino section felt a bit side-questy), but the way people backlash against this stuff nowadays (with petitions and threats and insults to the people involved) is such an incredibly disproportionate response to having some complaints about a film you were looking forward to. Working in games I see it all the time in that area too, because complaints snowball online in a way that there is literally nothing you can do whatsoever that won't be greeted with thousands of angry comments or emoji responses.

It's a shame because it creates such an angry tide that it drowns out any of the positive stuff, and gives the impression nobody likes it. I'm willing to bet the people who actually hate the film are a small vocal minority.

Not saying anyone here is reacting that way, everyone seems to have their own well defined and articulated reasons for being unhappy with it here, but the WORST MOVIE EVER YOU KILLED STAR WARS mob need to get a drokking grip on themselves.

[Theblazeuk]

Its way better than any of the prequels, so the ship of 'Ruined star wars' sailed a long time ago....

[Dandontdare]

Some of the comments really baffle me - one guy on the Guardian website said " I felt like it was watching a live late term abortion ...... On every level I felt betrayed."

a lot of criticisms I've seen could be equally levelled at the original trilogy, if you take away those decades of nostalgia. For example, all those who think Leia floating through space was ridiculous, I wonder what they'd have made of Obi Wan Kenobi's death if it had taken place like that in this film - "WTF? He gets hit with a lightsabre and just disappears leaving an empty robe? That makes no sense!" and yet it's perfectly acceptable canon as it happened in the OT.

[Professor Bear]

You presume the criticism is relative rather than objective: IE - Leia floating through space like Mary Bleedin Pawpins looked dumb.

"WTF? He gets hit with a lightsabre and just disappears leaving an empty robe? That makes no sense!" and yet it's perfectly acceptable canon as it happened in the OT.

It's the first installment of the series, what canon is it going to contradict, exactly?

[GrudgeJohnDeed]

Haha, a live late term abortion ouch. Leah Poppins definitely looked a bit silly. It also undermined the cool scene of her death.   A lot of events amount to nought in the film.

[dweezil2]

I didn't hate the film but I didn't love it either.
And silly things like superhero Leia, force sensitive Oliver Twist at the end and 'The Force'?' Master Yoda says it's a load of bollocks and he says we should burn it down while he's on crack really let the film down.
I think I actually enjoyed FA more so welcome back J.J Abrams, all is forgiven!

[TordelBack]

You presume the criticism is relative rather than objective: IE - Leia floating through space like Mary Bleedin Pawpins looked dumb.

It did indeed look dumb.  While I liked the idea a lot (last hurrah and all that), the execution was lacking.  Coming after GotG2 was especially unfortunate, and that its weird visuals were coincident with the ignoble death of a beloved bit-player meant it couldn't just be ignored.  Imagine how cool it could have been if a less Poppinesque Leia had gathered up a few of the bridge crew as she went, even if they were DoA.

[Dandontdare]

Maybe canon was the wrong word - My point was that many haters seem to love the OT but hate this film, but many of these criticisms are equally applicable to the first movies - but because we saw those when we were kids and have decades of nostalgia, they are seen as great, whilst the same scene now would be decried as an insult to the everything SW. Leia floating through space was no more ridiculous than Obi Wan disappearing out of his bathrobe.

and I don't think it looked dumb - how else would someone telekinetically floating through space look?

[radiator]

You can try to justify it all you like - enough people thought it looked silly that it's become a talking point. In my screening, people laughed out loud at it.

Maybe a better scene would have been her telekinetically using some debris to patch up the hole, or contain the explosion or something?

[The Legendary Shark]

I got the impression that Leia was either unconscious or semi-conscious and saved herself instinctively, which was why she didn't have the presence of mind to save anyone else - who would probably be quite widespread, distant and fast-moving by that point anyway. Unless I'm misremembering, of course. I also liked the stable boy bit at the end very much - the Force has awakened, after all, and cast a bleary eye over the galaxy to see billions of potential vessels. I think this is why Luke and Yoda want to end the Jedi; to make the Force available to all rather than just a hypocritical elite. Looking forward to watching it again.

[Rusty]

Maybe canon was the wrong word - My point was that many haters seem to love the OT but hate this film, but many of these criticisms are equally applicable to the first movies - but because we saw those when we were kids and have decades of nostalgia, they are seen as great, whilst the same scene now would be decried as an insult to the everything SW. Leia floating through space was no more ridiculous than Obi Wan disappearing out of his bathrobe.

and I don't think it looked dumb - how else would someone telekinetically floating through space look?

The point is, if you think it would be stupid, look stupid and make literally no sense and have zero impact on the film as a whole, then why do it? Out of all the various ways you could depict a scene to trick the audience into believing a character has died, they pick that one? It's OK saying that originals were flawed, which they were, but the flaws felt like honest mistakes rather than ridiculously jarring ones. Plus, the makers of these new films have had 3 decades to mull over those so called mistakes. Enough time to make sure they don't produce ones as big, or worse in this case. They should be striving to improve over the originals. Not bury a hatchet in them.

[Professor Bear]

I do agree there's a double standard when it comes to Star Wars criticism, but there's quite the Wurzel Gummidge being built on the back of what was a simple practical effect that required no suspension of disbelief because it's the kind of thing stage magicians do all the time.
Not so much Leia floating through space like - oh let's say "Tinkerbell" this time.

[Steve Green]

Anyone who watched the trailer might know that she survives past that point - unless they Rogue One-d it and reshot half the film

[Dandontdare]

The point is, if you think it would be stupid, look stupid and make literally no sense and have zero impact on the film as a whole, then why do it?

but I don't think any of those things - I thought it was absolutely fine both in the context of the plot, the greater SW universe and the on-screen depiction (but my 10 year old self thought Kenobi's death looked a bit silly)

[von Boom]

Just back from my first viewing of The Last Jedi.

There were a few moments of genuine interest for me, but there was a lot that felt forced or just plain dumb.

The opening with Poe and Hux was just dumb. Shoot Poe and move on. Ginger git.

On the plus side I was glad to see Snoke killed off and Ken take control.

The Last Jedi felt like a retelling of Empire Strikes back and Return of the Jedi (the Millennium Falcon chase through the caves looked very, very close to the chase through the second Death Star to my eye). Very similar stories going on and very similar themes. So no new territory there.

I really want to like it, but I'm struggling at the moment.