![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
"Star Wars: The Last Jedi" - Pre-Viewing Thoughts and Reflections
Preface: This year I made it my goal to read every book of substance in the new Star Wars canon before I saw The Last Jedi (barring incomplete Young Readers series Adventures in Wild Space and Join the Resistance). I came very close to reaching this goal, only stalling on the last book - the novelization of The Force Awakens, which I still have five hours left to listen to when my viewing of The Last Jedi is slated to begin in less than three. I've also opted to read Cobalt Squadron after seeing The Last Jedi due to fear of spoilers.
Not only am I happy that Star Wars has reignited my love for reading (even though most of it is via audiobook), but I've fallen in love with the Star Wars story, both the good and bad parts, and I'm excited to see how The Last Jedi continues that story.
I feel like I've done a decent job of avoiding spoilers, and I've managed to stay off social media since late Thursday night in order to do so. However, I do know some things based off trailers and vague impressions I saw online prior to the premiere. I know Rey trains with Luke and it's not smooth sailing, and that in all likelihood she and Kylo Ren both leave their masters together by the end of the movie (presumably after some form of confrontation in Snoke's throne room). I know a lot of people are angry about this, or, frankly, and form of interaction between Rey and Kylo Ren that doesn't involve Rey stabbing him to death and dispatching him from the franchise entirely. I'm thankful these people have no input whatsoever on the story of this franchise, as that would be a very bland and disappointing continuation of the events shown in The Force Awakens. While I think I straightforward "Kylo Ren is good now!" story wouldn't really work, I think the franchise has a lot of interesting places it could go with that character (yes, even a redemption arc) and I'm excited to see what happens to him. Also, I'm going to go out on a limb and say the Rey Skywalker theory is dead, seeing as all the info I know about this movie's plot seems to actively work against that specific plot development.
Going back to spoilers: I also know that Finn and Rose flee the Resistance base on Crait after it is compromised and attacked by the first Order (my gut says that Rose's sister Paige dies in this fight). They then go to Canto Bight, a city that's essentially Space Las Vegas, in order to infiltrate/get information on The First Order, as it's one of the few places in the galaxy that has a true neutral stance on the war. I must confess that I'm really looking forward to the Canto Bight story. I adored the Canto Bight novella collection, and I think some of the characters from that book make cameos in this movie. Rose is easily the new character I'm most excited to meet in this new movie, and I adore Kelly Marie Tran as a human being. I also don't have any strong investment into any potential coupling in this new trilogy, so if Finn/Rose happens I'll be happy. I do wonder if Finn and Rey have any scenes together in this movie. I feel like they must but I don't even know how that would work logistically.
The third portion of this movie I know about involves the political interactions between Leia, Poe, and new character Amilyn Holdo. Holdo actually isn't a new character to me, as she appeared as a major part of the Leia: Princess of Alderaan book (which I adored). She had a very space-Luna Lovegood slant, but with more of an intentional rebellious nature in why she was so weird. Much of the speculation I've heard is that she'll be a villain of sorts in this movie, which doesn't mesh at all with the character the book presented (though the book was set forty years earlier). I do know that Poe and Holdo will clash in some way. This is the part of the movie I know the least about, and I'm interested to see which way this goes.
The movie starts in two hours now. The reviews have been great, so I'm very excited for this movie. It feels like the culmination of so many things I've done this year and so much of the media I've consumed. In many ways, this may be the defining Star Wars movie for me, and I can't wait to see what it says.
Watch Status Roundup:
Cardcaptor Sakura - 48/71
Natsume's Book of Friends - 2/80
The X-Files - 74/210
The Golden Girls Extended Universe - 76/442
Not only am I happy that Star Wars has reignited my love for reading (even though most of it is via audiobook), but I've fallen in love with the Star Wars story, both the good and bad parts, and I'm excited to see how The Last Jedi continues that story.
I feel like I've done a decent job of avoiding spoilers, and I've managed to stay off social media since late Thursday night in order to do so. However, I do know some things based off trailers and vague impressions I saw online prior to the premiere. I know Rey trains with Luke and it's not smooth sailing, and that in all likelihood she and Kylo Ren both leave their masters together by the end of the movie (presumably after some form of confrontation in Snoke's throne room). I know a lot of people are angry about this, or, frankly, and form of interaction between Rey and Kylo Ren that doesn't involve Rey stabbing him to death and dispatching him from the franchise entirely. I'm thankful these people have no input whatsoever on the story of this franchise, as that would be a very bland and disappointing continuation of the events shown in The Force Awakens. While I think I straightforward "Kylo Ren is good now!" story wouldn't really work, I think the franchise has a lot of interesting places it could go with that character (yes, even a redemption arc) and I'm excited to see what happens to him. Also, I'm going to go out on a limb and say the Rey Skywalker theory is dead, seeing as all the info I know about this movie's plot seems to actively work against that specific plot development.
Going back to spoilers: I also know that Finn and Rose flee the Resistance base on Crait after it is compromised and attacked by the first Order (my gut says that Rose's sister Paige dies in this fight). They then go to Canto Bight, a city that's essentially Space Las Vegas, in order to infiltrate/get information on The First Order, as it's one of the few places in the galaxy that has a true neutral stance on the war. I must confess that I'm really looking forward to the Canto Bight story. I adored the Canto Bight novella collection, and I think some of the characters from that book make cameos in this movie. Rose is easily the new character I'm most excited to meet in this new movie, and I adore Kelly Marie Tran as a human being. I also don't have any strong investment into any potential coupling in this new trilogy, so if Finn/Rose happens I'll be happy. I do wonder if Finn and Rey have any scenes together in this movie. I feel like they must but I don't even know how that would work logistically.
The third portion of this movie I know about involves the political interactions between Leia, Poe, and new character Amilyn Holdo. Holdo actually isn't a new character to me, as she appeared as a major part of the Leia: Princess of Alderaan book (which I adored). She had a very space-Luna Lovegood slant, but with more of an intentional rebellious nature in why she was so weird. Much of the speculation I've heard is that she'll be a villain of sorts in this movie, which doesn't mesh at all with the character the book presented (though the book was set forty years earlier). I do know that Poe and Holdo will clash in some way. This is the part of the movie I know the least about, and I'm interested to see which way this goes.
The movie starts in two hours now. The reviews have been great, so I'm very excited for this movie. It feels like the culmination of so many things I've done this year and so much of the media I've consumed. In many ways, this may be the defining Star Wars movie for me, and I can't wait to see what it says.
Watch Status Roundup:
Cardcaptor Sakura - 48/71
Natsume's Book of Friends - 2/80
The X-Files - 74/210
The Golden Girls Extended Universe - 76/442