Star Wars: Episode VIII (The Last Jedi) - SPOILERS POSSIBLE*

The first one I saw at the cinema was ROTJ when I was a kid (my dad took me to see Superman III, but it wasn't showing, so he asked me if I wanted to see ROTJ that instead as that was, well.... of course!). I've seen every one since too (including the 1997 releases).

When I first saw Attack Of the Clones, I thought it was better than The Phantom Menace... but over time I've come to see it as worse. Only because The Phantom Menace has Darth Maul going for it (if nothing much else), but I don't see as Attack Of The Clones has anything going for it now. Mind you, you might be right, as Attack Of The Clones doesn't have much Jar Jar in it.

It really is a case of trying to select the least offensive turd out of the two.

 

3.5/5 for me. And it could drop (or rise) upon further viewings.

I'd say that's pretty much in the middle. And everyone I know personally who has seen it pretty much agrees with me with thinking it was good but not great, and we're all over 30.

 

No, he's showing that not EVERYONE hated it.

 

@Vidiot
I can't seem to find your post to quote concerning your opening weekend estimated take.....but a story on BBC news just stated it has done a staggering $450 million.

 

Nice history, thanks.

 

The most cringe worthy moment for me was when John Williams broke out a variation of the“Cantina theme” when they hit the casino. It immediately went through my mind “Oh no, not another melange of colorful aliens.” That bit is starting to feel like the Macy’s day parade, it gets trotted out every film.


I’ve been picking but I more or less enjoyed it. It’s an OK movie.

 

J.J. Abrams coming back to Episode IX looking for the plot points he and Lawrence Kasdan setup in THE FORCE AWAKENS.

(Stealing this from Twitter)

 

I really liked how different it was and enjoyed all the characterizations, that is all.
Not perfect but nothing bothered me majorily, I knew the casino sequence was coming so I was prepared for it and found it fine, I like those kind of odd sci-fi enviroments. Definitely want to see it again, it’s a much better and more interesting movie than Rogue One.

 

Somebody I think in the "Predicting the Movie Hits & Bombs of 2017" thread expressed doubt that The Last Jedi would do well, and that the public is burned out on Star Wars. I first said, "the movie is predicted to make about $200M, which I agree with," and then a few days ago I followed that up with, "I'm upping my bet that Last Jedi will exceed expectations and make $220M domestic this weekend, and will eventually gross more than $1.2 billion." At this rate, it'll hit $2 billion in three months or less.

 

Took my stepson to see The Last Jedi on Saturday. We enjoyed it...IMO it was about twelve parsecs ahead of Rogue One and at least on par with (if not better than) The Force Awakens. Didn't feel like two and half hours.

I have no real complaints with the film- even "Leia in space" made sense to me (about time she used the Force!). I liked Luke's little "reunion" scene with Yoda the best, probably. I am curious to know how the hell they plan on wrapping up this story in Episode 9.

 

I'm glad. The Force Awakens wasn't as enjoyable. It was such a rip on the original Star Wars, and it was very clear that it was going to be that only about 1/3 of the way through. While I liked the pacing and dialogue (relative to the prequels, it was refreshing), it just wasn't that good a movie. Last Jedi was better, with possible exception of the abomination that was floating Leia.

Rogue 1 was best of these three new films. We LOVED that one.

 

That's just the gross, but add in the turbo-charged merchandise market, and it wouldn't shock me if Disney has already recouped it's 4 Billion.

 

What I'm also finding laughable is that people are comparing Rose as the Jar Jar of this film?! And even more ridiculous - those numbnuts out there calling JJ Abrams Jar Jar Abrams?!

While the film wasn't perfect and did appear disjointed in places, I look forward to watching the deleted scenes. And while we've never had a Director's Cut or Extended Edition of a Star Wars movie before, could this be a first for the franchise?! Mind you there were a couple scenes added in The Phantom Menace with extended shots of the Pod Race and that Air Taxi scene on Coruscant for example. I welcome an Extended Cut, if it will help add more coherence to the film.

 

Well, that's the thing, isn't it: they're not going to wrap it up, the franchise is going to continue forever.

 

Where was the cliffhanger.
What or why should I want to see what happens in the next/ last episode.
Am I waiting to see the kid with the broom be the next Luke?
And the one big question as to how Rey has the force was never addressed.
I was waiting for Luke to say to Kylo that there is one more Jedi, it is your sister.
This at least would have left me wanting to see the next episode.

 

Just got back, and my first impression is that it's a misshapen film with an overly complicated plot, and because of that it lacks substantial momentum. One thing happens, then another thing happens, then another thing, etc. It's entertaining in sections but doesn't cohere as a story, with far too many short scenes thrown in just to tell you Things You Need To Know. While I see the point of the casino section, that whole sidebar felt poorly integrated into the overall story. Odd tonal shifts as well -- some of the humor seems right out of a sitcom or a cartoon. The comic book/superhero ethos is all over this film, and that may affect your enjoyment one way or another. I personally didn't care for it.

Of the things that did work:

Spoiler

- The conflict between Ren and Rey has interesting possibilities, and I found their exchanges to be the best part of the movie
- The idea of Luke as a flawed teacher who was still figuring things out
- The opening battle was effectively rousing, though Poe's recklessness should have landed him in the brig; he got many many many people killed
- The fight scene in Snoke's chambers was great

None of that makes a good movie, though. I could pick apart a lot of little moments, some bad writing, and certain characters (Asian girl, Laura Dern), which doesn't really get to the heart of the matter: I didn't care about what was happening, and I didn't feel surprised by much of anything, aside from Leia's moment of magical Force powers, which was a surprise in a bad way: we were in a Marvel or X-Men movie at that point.

Perhaps the most problematic decision was

Spoiler

to have a whole subplot revolve around the Rebel fleet moving at a painfully slow pace, with the First Order at the same pace behind them. An incredibly flimsy contrivance, and one that puts a virtual tortoise race at the center of the film. In a series built around action, this is absurd.

I found Rian Johnson's previous film, Looper, to be challenging, character driven and unpredictable, the work of someone with something original and interesting to say. I detected only a little of that in The Last Jedi, which is not to say that I question Johnson's talents. In fact, I can't imagine what he was up against in making this movie. That he was able to put any stamp of his own on this is probably a small miracle. Unfortunately, for me, the magic just ain't there.

 

A New Hope didn't have a cliffhanger ending. I wouldn't say The Phantom Menace had one, nor Attack Of the Clones come to that. I'm fairly certain that the next episode in the trilogy will have as many, if not more people (after its finished its run) curious as to where the story goes and wanting to see it. I know I will. I think if you're not wanting to see the next one, then you're probably not that interested in Star Wars in the first place.

Rey wouldn't be Kylo's sister. Neither Han (in TFA) nor Leia (in either of the films) hinted at that in any way. Plus, it'd already been addressed that her parents were "nobodies".

 

What was the phrase he used this time?

 

Anyone notice the wound continuity problems? It jumped from scarred to healed to scarred.

 

Kylo Ren might have told Rey that, but I wasn't buying it...when he said it I thought "Nah...that'd be too easy!" The Force was very strong in Rey, she had to get it from somebody IMO.

 

I thought that too, that he might've just been saying that in order to win her over. But someone posted their exchange from that part a few pages back, and Rey said it herself in answer to Kylo too.

 

I write a lot here about the 3D versions of films and I would give this 3D presentation a 9/10. There's a lot of intricate tinkering with details in the beginning of the film that look beautiful. As an avid 3D fan, I have noticed (and written about ehere) how I've seen more than one 3D film where there are spectacular 3D effect early on and then the producers seem to just let thing slide, or rein them back. Maybe they think the audience needs a rest. But I've also noticed that one becomes sort of adjusted and everything just seems NATURAL after awhile. I had a great experience. Top notch glasses and projection. I'm really a huge 3D fan. I think 3D presentations -- in whatever form they might come -- add tremendously to an artificial reality like a film. I thought The Last Jedi was very well done and a prime 3D film to own. I just wish they had pushed the effects even more.

 

Despite my fascination with ‘making of’ documentaries and books, the scoring of film tends to be the one area where I’m not so interested as to how the sausage is made. The very best scores and soundtrack albums (Williams 77-93 period, Vangelis’ Blade Runner etc) sound as though they were recieved intact and fully formed from some divine source, rather than painstakingly composed and transcribed.

Although I’ve absolutely no way of knowing, I suspected that the traditional approach to film editing - cutting and splicing film together - meant a final cut would have to be put together in plenty of time to allow VFX and scoring. Contemporary non-linear editing and digital VFX essentially allow re-editing and tweaking almost up until release day, meaning the idea of a ‘final cut’ that can be scored against essentially disappears (happy to be corrected if this isn’t the case).

Looking at Revenge of the Sith in particular, there is a scene where Obi Wan arrives in a one man ship back at the Tantive IV to meet up with Yoda & Bail Organa. There seems (I’m not certain) to be two pieces of music in the scene, the segue between which is awkwardly covered up by having the spaceship engines roar and drown out the music. Again, this is only my impressions and suspicions, but they tie in with Lucas’ reputation as someone who prefers editing to just about any other aspect of film making and as a serial fiddler.

By ROTS I’d got past the idea that Williams ‘ought’ to be composing multiple memorable new themes for each successive entry in the franchise (the score for TPM is was much better than the film itself, with several wonderful new themes). However it did strike me that the score/underscore didn’t flow as well between shots and scenes as well as it did with TPM and before. It may be just co-incidence that AOTC & pure digital shooting, pre-visualisation and editing and my opinion of the scoring dropped at the same time.

I’d heard suggestions that Horner & Cameron fell out over Aliens (a phenomenal score!), but history is littered with people that James Cameron have fallen out with. On that front I suspect Horner is just one of many. I’m assuming matters were forgiven sufficienly on both sides for Titanic?

Or perhaps it is part of the process of creative people working together? I remember reading suggestions that Howard Shore had a disagreement with Peter Jackson over the ‘splicing and dicing’ of his score for the first Hobbit film, leading to Shaore composing but not conducting for the last two Hobbit films. A shame given that his work for the Rings trilogy is the only competitor for WIlliam’s work on the original Star Wars trilogy for the sheer breadth, variety and quality of themes and complete music identity for the films.

Will check out Horner talking about Cameron on YouTube. After The Abyss making of doc, I can imagine the tone of what he might have to say.

 

He'll be tossed aside in the next instalment.