I liked it overall (I think), but it certainly was....odd? I was really hyped up for this movie, but I feel underwhelmed. Some of it has already been mentioned by you guys. I will give Rian Johnson credit, though...there's no way I could have predicted what he came up with. Disney thought highly of him, since he'll be in charge of a totally-unrelated trilogy in the future.
Mark Hamill gave the best acting performance of the cast, hands down. Even with his shock and disbelief at what his character had become, he did as asked by Rian and made us believe it. I'm disappointed that Luke didn't have a REAL final battle. Projecting himself as his last previous form that Leia and Kylo would recognize was a great power for him to have learned. I thought the bookend to his character was done really well with the twin sunset as he transitioned into Force Ghostdom, but it seems like something that could have happened in the next film instead.
Grand Master Trolling (puppet!) Yoda was a great surprise. That, along with Luke's reunion with R2 might have been two of my favorite parts of the film. You get to see Luke have a final moment with C3P0 as well. The droids have taken a backseat in these two films; I thought they were rather important as side characters and really added to the OT. C3PO's blunders, R2-D2's wonders, and their constant bickering was always welcome.
Poe is a good character, and I'm glad he wasn't killed off previously as planned. His interactions with Leia and Holdo were fun to watch. Kylo Ren took a step forward, and Adam Driver seemed more comfortable in the role.
Snoke being built up as this all-powerful Sith master and then just totally wasted as a throwaway character....I hope his death is somehow a red herring....perhaps he isn't actually dead. The throne room was awesome. We even got to see a fraction of his power with the brief appearance of Force lightning! He reveals that he bridged Rey and Kylo together telepathically in a physical state, and yet they are still able to use that ability after he's "dead." Hmmm....
The casino portion of the film could have been so much more. Finn and Rose together...I don't know. I think Finn going out trying to destroy that battering ram cannon was actually a fitting end. His death could have been motivation for Rose to become something more, while he got his revenge on the First Order. Benicio's DJ character felt incomplete. Hmm, how could we really make this character stand out? I know, give him a stutter! That will go over well! Ugh. And Captain Phasma presumably dead yet again after what...five minutes of screentime? Another waste.
Luke milking a creature with four tits and drinking it...what the hell was that nonsense?
I still find it odd that Rey has such a huge grasp of the Force before any training. The "reveal" of her parents being nobody, just crappy junkers...that was good. Being related to the Skywalkers or Palpatine or another major character was far too easy. But, at the same time, maybe it was just an idea that Kylo planted in her head and made her accept it as truth. Maybe there is more to who is Force-sensitive and how they become that way. Still, she is fun to watch as the protagonist, although there was a moment or two I hoped she would turn and join Kylo to perhaps battle Luke later on, where he would lose in that great battle.
Superman/Iron Man/Wicked Witch Leia in space....lol, wow. That was something. I wish any previous Force training she had was mentioned. I think it's great that she learned to use some of her power, but man...that looked ridiculous. I thought her death in space was going to be their way of writing her out, but nope....back in the ship she goes. How will her absence be explained in the next film? Time jump, maybe? Speaking of death, Admiral Holdo's lightspeed murder-suicide into the First Order's ships? That was a very well done scene. I have read online that perhaps it was Leia who should have been the one sacrificing herself. A memorable way to be written out. But, the plan where all the good guys end up together trying to outrun the First Order instead of splitting off so that maybe SOME of them have a chance to survive....that seemed silly.
Maybe it will all work out okay by the end of Episode IX, and The Last Jedi will make more sense. Maybe it will all come together in the hands of J.J. Abrams. I'd still like to see what George Lucas had planned for Episodes VII-IX.
Also, R.I.P. Admiral Ackbar.
After some time to digest, and get over my first inclinations, I feel like last jedi was a bit rough. There were some parts I didn't agree with. But, overall it was a good movie. When I heard that Johnson was given full freedom to put his personal touch on the film, and that he was focusing on his vision, and not caring about leaving a clear path for the writers and director of episode IX, I was concerned.
The hardest part for me about the film is that it is not formulaic. Its an almost anything can happen crazy house with a rough fluidity. The main characters get little time to grow. Rey and Kylo don't seem like they are much further along then they were before. Some other characters are killed off unexpectedly, and the new characters are given little space to be rounded out. Its very fast paced and its fucking discombobulating as hell. There are so many twists and turns.
I thought Mark Hamil stole the show as a broken Luke closed to the force. It was not the Luke I was anticipating on seeing, and I didn't quite agree with it. That said I agree that Hamil brought the acting chops. I too was upset that his final battle with Kylo wasn't longer. He showed a couple cool moves and even pulled a matrix bend, but then let kylo "cut" him down. I thought that could have been more kick ass. Sad to see Luke go, but I bet we see his force ghost in IX. I enjoyed the return of Yoda, but felt the chosen dialogue was a miss. Could have gotten alot more creative with that.
I was glad to see BB8 get some comic relief time, but R2D2 got one scene and C3P0 just a few. Could have used them more.
The Finn\Rose side mission seemed ill written. Going to a far away planet to find a master code cracker to break onto the first order ship while the resistance keeps getting pounded...weak sauce. That said I enjoyed Canto Bight....cool scenes...then DJ barely used...we don't really get to know who he is. Rose falls for Finn...we see her in several scenes but not alot of development...just more comic relief. I enjoyed the Phasma\Finn fight...thought the fight could have been better...too quick.
The Rey\Kylo force talks were a little bit too much. Then Rey doesn't really recieve much training. And now that Luke is gone she has no one to train her. Maybe Maz Kanata? Force Ghosts? Kylo seemingly finishes his training after killing Snoke rather easily. Snoke who is supposed to be some powerful acient force user who has been around to see it all...yet he is easily struck down and we don't really know who the hell he is or what his exact motives are...I guess just taking over the galaxy and ruling. Huh oh well. Seems a waste of story\character buildng. But, if you think about it Snoke must die for Kylo to finish his training.
Now Rey if we are to believe Kylo is a nobody. Does that work? Does it move the plotline? Maybe it shows heritiage doesn't matter. Her parents apparently traded her for parts. I'm not so sure. I think there maybe a twist here. I found it interesting that they both saw each other turning when they touched hands during one of their force meetings....virtual sex? Anyway, she sees conflict in him and sees good there. We know he couldn't bring himself to kill his mom. Maybe Ben is still in there huh. As for Rey she is easily drawn to the darkside. Too easily. It scares Luke. She goes into the islands butthole to find out what is calling her but comes out saying there is nothing there for her. Then she resists Kylo's advances to join him.
Kylo says that she will turn, that he knows who her parents are. He has seen them and she will turn for that reason especially. If they are nobodies does she turn out of anger of being abandonded and having no family. Though Finn, Poe and peeps are her true fams. Or, is she related to somone from the darkside like Sidious.
Anyway, it was hard watching Leia's scenes. I thought when she got sucked out she was gone, but nope. Its the first time I think we have seen her use the force other than to hear\call out to luke\when she felt Han and Luke die. It was weird to watch too, very superman I agree. Like she was being reborn in the light of the Krypton sun.
It was excruciatingly sad knowing this was Leias last harrah too, though the character survives the movie, it has been stated she will not appear in IX at all. I wonder how they pull that off...all the old characters minus some robots and chewy gone, no more mentor for Rey. She doesn't seem finished training. Kylo mostly does. Though his boy tantrum when he ordered Luke shot by every gun they had was a bit cry baby. He still has some growing up to do. I guess both of them are self training now. Or they don't need training because they are so dang powerful.
I feel good that JJ is back in the helm for IX. He will clean this up and we will get a more formulaic smooth end to the series.
