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

Maybe you're right, I'm really not sure about all that. But I would say - never underestimate the kids. They may enjoy the show, and to be enthusiastic about it for some short period, but are they going to be really interested in this story in longer term, or really fascinated by characters like Fin, Poe, Rose etc.? I don't really know, but I can't believe it. The OT was a simple but effective classic tale about good and evil, with main characters that were not just enjoyable or exotic, but also captivating and essential to the story. The new characters (save for Rey, perhaps) are forced and artificial, and the kids are usually very sensitive about this - they may enjoy and have fun, but not to believe in them and to accept them as their heroes. Just my opinion, of course, I might be completely wrong about that.

 

@HamillHimself‏Verified account @HamillHimself 17m17 minutes ago
I'm really enjoying the conversations about #TheLastJedi both Pro AND Con. Everyone's entitled to their own opinion-but let me make one thing perfectly clear: Neither @Disney or #Lucasfilm has complained or told me what to say- EVER. #PeriodEndOfStory -mh

 

Gotta love this guy. Between Luke Skywalker and his voice work, he's a national treasure!

Plus, here's something to look out for the next time you see The Last Jedi...


Mark Hamill Thanks 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' Director For Not Cutting His Kids' Cameos

 

It's funny that Mr. Rob Cain has suddenly quieted down the " this movie is bombing!" Articles at Forbes. I guess he finally got the memo that no one was buying it.

 

The only thing getting bought is Last Jedi tickets.

 

When I saw Phantom Menace in the theatre, people were throwing popcorn and soda at the credits. Easily the worst Star Wars film.

 

It'll outpace Rogue One, which doesn't bode well for the Han Solo standalone in six months. Especially given that flick's troubled gestation.

Has Hamil confirmed he's not in the next film? One possibility I haven't really seen considered: what if Luke isn't really dead? It would be kind of a cheat, but would certainly come as a surprise.

 

I would expect him to show up as a force ghost.

 

Seems so obvious.

 

This is a total nothing story ... they’re just taking out of context George’s comments from Phantom Menace behind the scenes footage, where he was concerned there might be too much going on at once in the film’s finale.

 

I just started reading the books last month - they're very easy reads, I'm verging on finishing my 9th or 10th. But so far I'm only reading stuff set before the first Death Star because when disney took over they basically abolished all of the previously written books, comics etc. as non-canon.

The only thing that remained canon was the 6 films and the Clone Wars animated series (and not the 2003 short form series, but the 2008 22 minute series, which was also cancelled before it ended when Disney took over.)

If I had to guess I'd say 60 percent of the 'expanded universe' books out there are non-canon material (as of 2014) set during and after the Original Trilogy, including a long and complicated history of what happened to Luke, Leia, Han, Lando as well as their children, the resurrected Jedi Order and Republic etc. I could see why anyone invested in reading those might be put out by the unilateral declaration of 'that never happened' when the mouse took the helm (as understandable as it is for their intentions of making new films.)

Since the sale in 2014, there have been several books that are now considered canon, but it's a confusing proposition to anyone perusing the science fiction shelf at their local library, and easy to pick up and read something only to find out 'oh, whoops, disney decided that never happened a year after it came out.'

 

I think he's right in that it's not the $2 billion hit that The Force Awakens is, but it's not a bomb. The original Star Wars made $775 million worldwide (in 1977 dollars), but Empire only made $538 million; does that make Empire a failure? No, but it did make less money than the original. I think that's fairly typical for sequels.

 

There's almost always going to be a percentage of people who don't like the first film in a series and not bother with the second. It's a rare occurrence for a sequel to make more than the original. A film like Terminator 2 would be the exception rather than the rule.

 

And yet now Empire is regarded as - by far - the best of the Star Wars films. Which it is - a spectacular script, crisp dialog, incredible effects for the time (asteroids, Bespin, Hoth battle), and the best acting of the entire bunch.

I recall as a kid (I think I was 11 when it came out) being somewhat disappointed with Empire - it certainly left me with a melancholy feeling - but after seeing it during the big re-release in the 1990's I was blown away by how much better it is than Star Wars, particularly the acting and dialog. It's the only truly adult film of the bunch - the fact that it manages to work pretty well for kids is quite the achievement.

 

I actually prefer the effects of that era to today's effects. CGI, used sparingly, is okay, but I think that filmmakers tend to go overboard with it. I saw Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 in the theater, and there is a scene in the film that seems to have been inspired by the asteroid field chase scene in Empire. In my opinion, the scene in Empire, a film released in 1980, looks far more realistic than the CGI laden scene in Guardians. I'm a huge fan of old-school effects.

 

It's interesting tho - the Star Wars prequels get slammed for having too much CGI, and maybe they do - the fake sets in particular give the film a plasticky, videogame feel - but more of that film was practical effects than I think most people realize:

 

I really don't see how they are more "forced and artificial" than the original heroes. The perception of the new characters is all over the place.
And I'm not a kid, just a 30-something fan of SW since 1990.

 

He's too busy remaking Leone-like westerns at the moment.

 

I saw it for the 2nd time a couple of days ago. I have to say, I pretty much felt the same way; I enjoyed most of the Luke/Rey/Kylo scenes, and didn't much care for the Resistance stuff. It just seems to me that they could've come up with a better mission for them to do, something a little more streamlined. I ended up disliking Poe even more this time around. And it does seem a bit ridiculous that Snoke wouldn't realize that Kylo was turning the lightsaber towards him. And Hux seems to be a little over the top, as well.

 

I don't think anyone really forsaw TFA making so much. It was probably the first time since the original in 1977 (and a the lesser extent Episode I in 1999) that a Star Wars movie was a cultural event. So to expect TLJ to reach the same hights was foolhardy, even if TLJ wasn't divisive among the fandom.

I honestly think that after Episode IX comes out, Disney should rest Star Wars for at least two years before putting out the rumored Obi-wan movie. A Star Wars movie every year is just too much honestly. As a fan it's been cool to get three movies in three years, but for the casual it's already starting to get tiresome. I think spacing them out every other year would be better.

 

Ah the ol' 'Double Force Projection' a classic maneuver. Well played Master Skywalker, well played.

 

Totally agree.... I read Episode IX is scheduled for christmas 2019 and that's soon enough. I hope Kylo Ren will (has to be?) the central character...

 

It's become much less rare, though, as a fair # of sequels have outgrossed their predecessors.

Each "LOTR" movie made more than the last.

"Spy Who Shagged Me" made WAY more than "International Man of Mystery".

"Matrix Reloaded" far outgrossed "Matrix".

"Pitch Perfect 2" did almost 3 times the gross of "Pitch Perfect".

The initial sequels to "Captain America" and "Thor" did better than the 1st films.

"Dark Knight" blew away "Batman Begins".

And so on. It's true that 1st films still usually do better than sequels, but it's not unusual for sequels to outperform the originals...

 

I'm sure it's going to be Kylo and Rey at the center as it's been in both TFA and TLJ. Poe will likely be the leader of the Resistance/ Rebel Alliance and Finn will either be his side kick or Rey's. Of course with a very special appearance by Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker.

 

For most franchises,yes. However, that so far hasn't been the case for Star Wars.