Star Wars: The Last Jedi

[Dragonfire]

I went to see Star Wars: The Last Jedi yesterday - Friday - afternoon.  At first I thought I was going to end up waiting until next week, but I got the chance to go and I'm glad I did. 

The movie is really good.  Really good.  Several things were awesome.  I didn't think it was predictable at all.  I had convinced myself that one of two things were more than likely going to happen..if not both.  Neither one did.  No I'm not saying what I thought would happen.   I have seen some things posted online - after I saw the movie - where some people are disappointed for ...whatever reason.  I didn't feel that way.  I was really wanting to see it, but I still did't have my expectations super high if that makes sense.  All I knew about the movie going in was the little from the trailers I had seen.  I think that was good.  People really need to see without knowing what to expect. 

I saw the normal version.  I do want to see it again in the theater.  Maybe I'll check out the 3D that time.  There were a lot of things that I think have the potential to look cool in 3D. 

Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher were wonderful in the movie.  Once the credits started, there was the tribute to Carrie, and yes, that did make me tear up a bit.  Her daughter does have a nice supporting part.  She doesn't steal any scenes or anything, but she was good too. 

I know I am being very vague here.  I don't want to accidentally spoil anything for anyone.  The movie is awesome.  Go see it immediately.

[GSyren]

I don't go to the cinema anymore, so I'll have to wait for the Bluray. I guess I might rewatch The Force Awakens while I'm waiting. Good things come to those who wait, they say.

[Achim]

I saw it on Sunday morning (the 8:40 showing was only about half full, but I attribute that to the time slot).

I also really, really like it upon that first viewing. I like how they play with expectations and basically not a single predication I had made for myself came true. For me this ranks high up within the Star Wars movies, at least for now I'd say its number 3 behind Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back.

There is a section in the middle of the movie which feels like they are trying to give something to the fans of the prequel trilogy and I really did not enjoy much. [spoiler]The bit with those alien horses, didn't care myself, they could have cut that and the pot would have stayed the same.[/spoiler]

I liked this much better than Force Awakens, so at this point I am a little concerned about Episode IX, since J.J. is coming back. But I can see how they let Rian Johnson outline, possibly direct a whole other trilogy.

Things I expected that did not happen (or vice versa):
[spoiler]

• I expected Kylo Ren and Rey to flip sides, but so far they only revealed that Rey has some kind of tendency to the dark side and keep pointing out that Kylo is not entirely bad (yet).
• I did not expect Snoke to die. That was great! But since we didn't even get to know him yet, he feels somewhat meaningless/wasted overall? So will he come back...?
• I did not expect Luke to die. However, I assume he will be back as a force ghost (they reminded us that those exist in this film). BTW, I was not one of the people who were disappointed by the fact that Luke merely projected himself onto the battlefield.
• It looks like Leia is set up to be "a" center of the next film, which they kept even after Fisher's passing. I wonder how they will work this out in the next one.

[Dragonfire]

I saw it on Sunday morning (the 8:40 showing was only about half full, but I attribute that to the time slot).

I also really, really like it upon that first viewing. I like how they play with expectations and basically not a single predication I had made for myself came true. For me this ranks high up within the Star Wars movies, at least for now I'd say its number 3 behind Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back.

There is a section in the middle of the movie which feels like they are trying to give something to the fans of the prequel trilogy and I really did not enjoy much. [spoiler]The bit with those alien horses, didn't care myself, they could have cut that and the pot would have stayed the same.[/spoiler]

I liked this much better than Force Awakens, so at this point I am a little concerned about Episode IX, since J.J. is coming back. But I can see how they let Rian Johnson outline, possibly direct a whole other trilogy.

Things I expected that did not happen (or vice versa):
[spoiler]

• I expected Kylo Ren and Rey to flip sides, but so far they only revealed that Rey has some kind of tendency to the dark side and keep pointing out that Kylo is not entirely bad (yet).
• I did not expect Snoke to die. That was great! But since we didn't even get to know him yet, he feels somewhat meaningless/wasted overall? So will he come back...?
• I did not expect Luke to die. However, I assume he will be back as a force ghost (they reminded us that those exist in this film). BTW, I was not one of the people who were disappointed by the fact that Luke merely projected himself onto the battlefield.
• It looks like Leia is set up to be "a" center of the next film, which they kept even after Fisher's passing. I wonder how they will work this out in the next one.

I also think it is one of the best Star Wars movies.  So much better than the prequels - and I liked those more than most I think..lol. 

For your spoilers..

[Spoiler]I wasn't overly fond of that race either.  I agree it didn't seem to serve much of an actual purpose. Everything on that casino planet kind of falls into that, but the race especially. [/Spoiler]

I really liked The Force Awakens [Spoiler]Except for Kylo killing Han.  I still don't like that it happened..yes I know it worked for the story and all that, but I don't like it.  I was actually sitting in the theater thinking no no no, don't go over there..don't get that close to Kylo when I watched it the first time.  Because of Kylo killing Han, I don't want to see him follow the same redemption arc that Anakin did..he killed Harrison Ford..that is unforgivable.  LOL.  Yes I know it is a bit..irrational, but that's how I feel..at this point anyway. [/Spoiler] too so at this point, I don't have concerns about J.J. coming back.  Though I do wonder how certain things can be dealt with given what Johnson did - or didn't do - in this one.  I've heard that Johnson was basically given free reign for this movie and told he could do whatever he wanted with the story..include what he wanted or leave out what he wanted.  Certain things may have had more..cohesion if he'd been given at least some sort of ...hmm..guidance or restriction or something. 

[Spoiler]I went in to the movie almost certain - like 99.9% - that either Rey or Luke, or even both, would turn to the dark side.  I'm glad that didn't happen. 
Rey does seem to be able to..hmmmm....I guess tap into the dark side to learn things without having to give in to it.  That she can explore into the dark some without being turned..like in that cave or pit or whatever on the island.  She does seem to be able to balance the light and dark sides.  She is a bit like Luke was with Anakin/Vader insisting that there is still good to him despite what he's done.  She did have me sort of hoping she was right despite my feelings before the movie started that Kylo had gone too far when he killed Han. 

I absolutely didn't expect Kylo to kill Snoke..or for Snoke to die at all for that matter.  That worked well..and it did seem like Kylo had flipped back for ..oh all of 2 minutes.  It is kind of disappointing that we didn't find out a little more about Snoke before he was killed...like how did he become in charge of the First Order to begin with?  Who trained him in the force because he clearly was pretty powerful with the force.  I do wonder if he will be back somehow or at least mentioned or something.

I was kind of 50/50 before seeing the movie that Luke could die.  I didn't want that to happen of course, but I wasn't exactly surprised either.  He better be back a force ghost.  That would be so wasted if he isn't.  It made me so happy when Yoda's ghost showed up.  Though I do wonder, since when can a force ghost do what he did?  Though Yoda was very powerful when he died and he's had years to figure out how to do more as a force ghost. 
I wasn't disappointed that Luke projected himself either.  I think that shows just how powerful a Jedi he was that he could do that..and sustain it for so long.  Though I didn't know Jedis could do that..at least I don't remember any other jedi doing that.  I liked how once all the dusk settled, he just brushed off his shoulder.  Yes Luke was a bit..mopey and was fully in grumpy old man mode for a lot of the movie, but he was there when it counted.  I did like that he and Leia had their reunion.  It did make me a little teary knowing Carrie is gone.  Of course a few other moments did too.  I really thought when Leia got sucked out of the ship that she was gone then.  I know some people had issues with her surviving that and getting back on the ship.  I'm ok with that. 

I do wonder how things are going to work out regarding Leia and the next movie.  I had read and heard before that there was a plan from before The Force Awakens for each of them to have a bigger part in one movie each - Han, Luke, Leia.  So I don't know how that will be handled.  I'd be ok if they did CGI like they did in Rogue One, but evidently they already said they wouldn't do that.  I don't really want to see Leia die either...but I also kind of don't want it to be something where in the next movie, oh by the way, Leia died..or just have it mentioned in the opening crawl.  The character deserves better than that.  I've read that some people think she should have been the one to stay behind on the ship and then done the light speed through the First Order ship.  While that would have worked in some ways, then Luke and Leia wouldn't have had their reunion.  So really, I'm glad she survived the movie.  I just don't know what to expect with her story for the next one. 
I did read a little something online somewhere that people think that the original plan was to have Leia bring Kylo back to the light side in the next movie.  I could see that being the plan..though like I said, I'm not sure I want to see Kylo turn back after killing his father.  So..I guess I'm conflicted about that.  Though I have thought since the last movie that Kylo really wasn't fully dark like Vader.  I think that for the most part Kylo could only tap into the dark side powers by having his...temper tantrums.  He used temporary anger instead of it being more natural like it was for grandpa Vader. [/Spoiler]

Ok..I think I'm done for now.