The Last Jedi: CONTAINS SPOILERS!

[8thJinx]

When I got up from my seat after the credits rolled, my first thought was of Kurt Vonnegut's theory that all of western literature can be boiled down to just 7 story lines.  This is the 9th Star Wars film, and my first gut reaction, standing there in the aisle this afternoon, was simply, "Vonnegut was right."

Not that this is a bad thing.  A well of seven basic story lines, when laced together in adjacent story frames (i.e. The Fall of Giants), or stacked one frame inside of another (a frame within a frame, i.e. American War and The Handmaid's Tale), can give you a slew of great story possibilities.

So I think this movie will grow on me the more I watch it.  I also think it's a setup for trilogies to come.  Well, that's obvious.

For now, I remain convinced that the best Star Wars movie ever made was Rogue One (Man Falls in a Hole and Dies).

 

[BoilerDown]

I can't really put Rogue One ahead of 4 or 5.  Especially not ahead of 5.

I'd put this one between 6 and 3 (or 3 and 6 if that's your thing).

Its strange but as much as I didn't want the previous movie to follow the plot of the originals, but it did, I felt like this one needed to mirror the originals more, but it didn't.

I wanted Luke to be a badass.  Ideally like Vader at the end of Rogue One, but minimally like the elder Dr. Jones in The Last Crusade.  Instead he's a grumpy old man who barely helps at all.

I don't understand why the last two Star Wars movies have done little but tarnish the legacy of the icons of the previous series.  Luke was a hero who turns into a failed instructor who leaves the known galaxy to sulk for thirty years.  Han thirty years later was a loser who was barely staying ahead of the bounty on his head.  He never increased his station in life or earned any semblance of retirement.  Only Leia at least made something of herself, but she let the galaxy fall fully back into the hands of Empire, and she barely developed her own force powers.  Maybe Lando will return in the 9th movie to lead the Alliance / Rebellion?

In Star Trek Generations, Kirk at least died fighting and kicked more bellybutton frankly than the TNG characters did.  The Star Wars elders deserve at least as much before throwing the reins to the next generation.

Rogue One showed us just how much the Rebellion sacrificed to defeat the Empire, maybe Luke and Han should have watched it and appreciated how much was given to them.  I don't actually blame the characters, I blame the writing and I blame Lucas for waiting too long to make these movies, and if he wasn't going to do it he should have sold to Disney 10 year sooner.

Anyways, I really wanted The Last Jedi to be another Episode 5, in most ways that can be interpreted.  It wasn't.  It was still worth going to the movie theater to see, but I left the theater annoyed at its treatment of the classic characters.

[Gman]

So I think this movie will grow on me the more I watch it.  I also think it's a setup for trilogies to come.  Well, that's obvious.

I remember seeing TESB, and also that it wasn't nearly as popular then as it became in later years, frequently the top of the ranking list with so, so many fans.  I think this film may become more popular over time.  I saw it Thursday and Friday nights, may go again tomorrow afternoon too.  Still have mixed feelings, many similar to what BoilerDown wrote so I won't repost all that.  Visually stunning, surprising story lines I didn't expect, and many, many holes and issues. 

I do wonder what Rian the director has planned for the new trilogy. He's already gone on the record stating it won't be Knights of the Old Republic based, or from that time.  So, I wonder, maybe prequels to the Ben Solo story?  The only flashback scene I can remember in a SW film came in this one, perhaps for a reason. Maybe all that early Ben Solo stuff was to set up the new trilogy, showing Luke SW back when he founded his new temple/school, and the battles that happened then.  Who knows.  I just know it won't be from the KOTOR era, which I what I would have expected.

[8thJinx]

I don't understand why the last two Star Wars movies have done little but tarnish the legacy of the icons of the previous series. 

BD, that kind of thing has been going on since the stone age.  The only way to make room for new heroes is to knock off the old ones.  I'm kind of encouraged that they're doing this, since it appears they at least have a plan.  And given their multi-billion dollar investment, one would hope that they know what they're doing

[ROC]

I'm convinced that with the entire Star Wars universe that is available in print, they had to stray from any similarity to avoid royalties.
I've got an entire office closet filled with Star Wars books.  The stories were amazing.  I try very hard not to remember those story lines and simply enjoy the movies as they are.

[zack1234]

The new Churchill Film with gary oldman looks good

[Meatwad]

BD, that kind of thing has been going on since the stone age.  The only way to make room for new heroes is to knock off the old ones.  I'm kind of encouraged that they're doing this, since it appears they at least have a plan.  And given their multi-billion dollar investment, one would hope that they know what they're doing

Merchandising. Invent new characters, make them "special and important" in their own way. Really push the toys on TV every third commercial. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[Spikes]

There is also the "political correctness" that must be involved in each movie, that started with TFA.

I thought TLJ sucked.

[8thJinx]

I've had a day to process this.  If you assume that Disney has its head screwed on straight, and that the screenplay writers are following a plan, then everything in the movie is there for a purpose.  Let's face it, Star Wars was a huge investment for them.  The arms dealer planet, Benicio del Toro's character, the kids in the horse stables, etc, etc.  That's likely all 'setup' for the next installment, or for trilogies or stand-alones to come.  And no writer worth his salt - particularly in a multi-billion dollar franchise - would ever violate Chekov's Gun (if you describe a gun on the wall in Acts I or II, it had better be fired by Act III).  Every extraneous thing in The Last Jedi is set up for Star Wars IX and beyond.

And the casting was pretty good for the new roles.  You needed an actress of Laura Dern's caliber to pull off her story arc.  She needed to convey a whole bunch of stuff with just the lines on her face.  Same with del Toro.  He needed to be creepy, morally ambiguous, and m-e-m-o-r-a-b-l-e.  I also think Mark Hamill absolutely nailed it. 

So all things considered, I think the waters of The Last Jedi run very deep.

[Kanth]

After watching the one in 2015, i was't very enthusiastic.

    That one mainly traded upon history and historical actors to fill seats and then didn't create a strong enough bond with the new actors to make me want to come back...

    I haven't seen any amazing storyline that made me want to come back and watch this one either.

 Really they'll have to blow my socks off to get me back in the theater for this franchise. 

[The Fugitive]

I've had a day to process this.  If you assume that Disney has its head screwed on straight, and that the screenplay writers are following a plan, then everything in the movie is there for a purpose.  Let's face it, Star Wars was a huge investment for them.  The arms dealer planet, Benicio del Toro's character, the kids in the horse stables, etc, etc.  That's likely all 'setup' for the next installment, or for trilogies or stand-alones to come.  And no writer worth his salt - particularly in a multi-billion dollar franchise - would ever violate Chekov's Gun (if you describe a gun on the wall in Acts I or II, it had better be fired by Act III).  Every extraneous thing in The Last Jedi is set up for Star Wars IX and beyond.

And the casting was pretty good for the new roles.  You needed an actress of Laura Dern's caliber to pull off her story arc.  She needed to convey a whole bunch of stuff with just the lines on her face.  Same with del Toro.  He needed to be creepy, morally ambiguous, and m-e-m-o-r-a-b-l-e.  I also think Mark Hamill absolutely nailed it. 

So all things considered, I think the waters of The Last Jedi run very deep.

I just got home from watching this, and I agree with you 100%. While the movie looked good and was an ok movie I think it was more about setting up the future of the franchise.

I enjoyed the movie, the characters, the sub stories, and the filming, even the one liners tho I did think they seemed a bit forced, it does seem to be more intent on "setting up" what is yet to come.

Im looking forward to see what "they" will come up with. It's too bad that Carrie Fisher has passed away. The next movie would have been about her. The first finished off Han's story, the second Luke's the third would have been about her. How they go from here will be tricky, but as with all those "favorite" franchises , thats what makes us keep coming back.   

[BFOOT1]

I personally enjoyed the film. I've seen a lot of negativity about TLJ, and I'm a bit confused why. Yes, there were somethings I was like meh, but overall I thought it was fantastic. I believe this film showed a lot of more information about how the 'force' works. As there is a dark and light side of the force, but also a grey neutral area (aka where a user finds a balance and is able to use both sides). I thought the hand to hand combat was great, as well Luke Skywalker's role. I never once saw Mark Hamill, but instead the Luke Skywalker my hero. I thought his role was excellent.

The one liners eh, but hey it wouldn't but Star Wars without those one liners. 

[JimmyD3]

You guys have to understand, Liberalism allows NO HEROES.

[AKKuya]

The best thing about the film was how they left the ending after the narrative was finished for "Where do they go next"?

Who are the Allies out in the Outer Rim?  Where will they get the infrastructure to fight the New Order?

They left the door wide open for Episode IX to bring in new concepts and characters plus new story threads.  We can spin all kinds of ideas.  The House of the Mouse will have some kind of overall plan to protect their 4 billion dollar investment.

I liked the story of the Resistance fleet running out of fuel to be destroyed by the New Order fleet.  The chase to the planet and the end fight reminiscent of the Hoth battle.  Kept you glued to the seat.

What didn't surprise me was the cool Leia scene.  That had been done in the books and comic books.  However, it was awesome to see in film!!!

Right now C3PO and R2D2 are 13 for 13 being in Star Wars films.  Let's see if they show up next year for the Han Solo movie to be 14 for 14.   

[ghi]

I'm going to wait fot blu ray. The movie theater projection on plastic foil can't pass to viewers all the features of new millennium movies 4k cgi enhanced . I noticed after watching "Avatar" on BR  few months after movie theater,  the difference is shocking,  I was like , wt.. ,never seen this movie '.