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"Star Wars: The Last Jedi" - Post-Viewing Thoughts and Reflections
I was planning on writing this post as soon as I got home from the theater, but I needed to wait until today to give it time to sink in. Suffice to say I loved it, but I have thoughts. You can read my pre-viewing speculation here.
SPOILERS FOR STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI BELOW
Rey and Kylo Ren
Before this movie I didn't care for Reylo as a ship and I still don't in a romantic sense, but the messy, twisted interactions shown on screen in this movie? I was so here for it. I was mostly wary of this because I was concerned it would be a betrayal of the characters, but instead it gave them so much great material and I'm excited to see where that dynamic goes from here. (I think the people that think Rey is 100% done now and the people who think Rey and Kylo are gonna be making out at the end of IX are both very wrong though.) I do think that the trajectory of Kylo Ren's character will probably be the one most impacted by the absence of Leia in the next movie, so there might be some hints in this movie that amount to nothing.
I do wonder if there'll be more added to the Rey origin story or if that'll be it. Also, what happened to all of Kylo Ren's disciples? Is that what Episode IX will be?
Stray thoughts:
- The evil space vagina was probably too blatant a metaphor but I'll allow it
- Everyone is swooning over that Kylo Ren shirtless scene but honestly I was so distracted by how high his pants were I felt nothing
- "What Kylo said about Rey being nothing was manipulative!" yeah that was the point fucko
- I was promised that Snoke would be moist and I was let down. Also: over/under on how important he and/or his backstory will be to IX?
- Hux getting beaten up constantly and him and Kylo fucking hating each other is everything I ever wanted out of that character and that dynamic and I feel so blessed. Truly the high grade Kylux we all deserve.
Luke
I don't understand people saying that they "ruined" Luke for this movie? Like it's been thirty years of course he's changed and grown - It would be more surprising if he hadn't be affected by what's happened to him. Also, he explicitly stated that his reaction to seeing into Ben's mind was an instantaneous reaction that he immediately regretted, so comparing it to his conviction that Vader could be saved (which he mulled over for the better part of a year) is very disingenuous. A better comparison might be to him finding out that Vader is his father - You know, where he started screaming and then fell out of a star destroyer?
Mark Hamill was great in this movie, and I suspect we may see him as a force ghost in IX especially since Carrie won't be in it.
Stray thoughts:
- Of all things that could have happened in this movie, I never would have predicted Yoda committing arson
- Him throwing away the lightsaber was the funniest fucking thing
- The shot of him limboing in slow motion under Kylo's lightsaber was dumb
- The twin suns scene at the end was A++
- R2-D2 playing that Leia hologram was a cheap trick and it worked on me
Finn and Rose
The Canto Bight stuff could've connected to the rest of the film better, but I absolutely adored them in this movie. Rose in particular is very different from Star Wars characters we've encountered in film before, and her prominence is the film was a definite strength. I wish there had been one more scene to help further cement her bond with Finn before the Crait sequence. Though speaking of which, Rose brings something to the table that none of the other new main characters do: A deep, positive, and loving familial relationship. Finn never knew his parents and Rey essentially didn't. Kylo Ren straight up murdered his father and [SPOILERS FOR PHASMA] Phasma killed Hux's dad with his blessing [/END SPOILERS]. (Poe has but it hasn't been explored onscreen as it's not his primary character arc.) It's having and knowing this type of bond that made it a logical choice in her mind to risk her life for Finn, who never had someone who would've been willing to do that as part of The First Order.
Also: I was so afraid Rose died and I'm so happy she's alive. I wonder if FinnRose will happen for real or if they'll decide not to go there. For what it's worth I hope they do.
Stray thoughts:
- DJ is gonna be in the next movie right? Thematically his role seems incomplete.
- Phasma has to be dead, right? Like, when she fell I thought maybe she was still alive like last time, but there are so many fucking characters in this trilogy that they desperately needed to cut some fat. The Phasma book also gives her better stuff than an appearance in IX probably could anyway.
- Finn's fight with Phasma is great and seemed like an (unintentional) contrast with the season 2 finale of Rebels. Anakin had his mask cracked the same way and (presumably) killed Ahsoka, whom he still had a conflicted relationship with. Phasma cracked her mask but got defeated by Finn because he successfully overcame her as an influence (and literally rose above her).
- Real talk: People who said that Rose kissing Finn didn't make sense confuse me. Like, you're saying that if you were injured and high on adrenaline in the desert you wouldn't kiss John Boyega given the chance? Can't relate.
Poe and Holdo
I think I benefited from reading Leia: Princess of Alderaan before seeing this movie because for some reason people didn't like Holdo. I was thrown at first but in the end she seemed a fairly logical evolution of the character we met in the book. Also people are saying Poe is OOC?? His backstory in Before the Awakening was literally him constantly disobeying orders in the New Republic military and then joining the Resistance. He wasn't faced with any sort of moral choice in The Force Awakens so that wouldn't have been indicative of anything, and thinking of him as just this "soft boy" who hugs BB-8 all the time is a huge insult to the character and Oscar Isaac's acting abilities. I LOVED how much Poe got to do in this movie, and how complex his conflict with Holdo was. And Holdo's death might be one of the coolest in Star Wars.
I wonder if Poe will get a more significant role in the resistance in IX due to Leia's exit. Or maybe they'll beef up D'Acy's role? She seemed pretty chill.
Stray thoughts:
- It was cool seeing Connix take a more active role in the plot. I want gay Poe but if they "pair the spares" him with her I won't be mad.
- I seriously need to stress again how much Poe's whole arc was the most narratively satisfying for me personally.
- Poe's interactions with Finn this whole movie? Gay.
- I don't really care about them but where are the pilots Poe flew with in The Force Awakens? If Snap Wexley died offscreen then this movie is even more blessed. (Sorry for people that like him but I fucking hated him in the Aftermath books).
Leia
WHEN SHE GOT SUCKED OUT OF THE SHIP I- Seriously that whole plot point was a fucking trip. And I guess the rumors about Leia falling into a coma were true, but I'm glad she woke up and played a significant role in this movie. She was excellent in this movie and her role as a 'Mon Mothma-type figure but not really' was definitely earned. I wish we had gotten a scene between her and Kylo Ren but honestly I'm just so relieved we got that Luke and Leia reunion scene. I don't know how they're going to handle her exit, since it's very clear from watching this movie that all the talk that IX would've been her movie was true. I'm glad we got what we got with her and Poe/Holdo. I don't have a ton of other thoughts her other than Carrie was great and I already miss Leia.
Stay thoughts:
- Press said that there was an alien inspired by Gary but I didn't see it.
- Seriously though the Leia in space visual was gorgeous but I think everyone collectively suffered seeing Carrie like that.
- I kept forgetting C-3PO was in this movie and I can't really recall anything he does other than that door scene.
- Heck yeah Leia stunned Poe. Did people really expect her to waste time they do not have talking him down???
In Summation
I'm sure I'll have more thoughts as time goes on but these are my hot takes as of right now. I loved the movie, but I thought it was probably 15 minutes too long. Also, it had like 5 moments towards the end where I thought it would end but then it kept going so by the time we got to the boy and the broom I was fucking exhausted. Speaking of which: I get what they were going for, but it felt extremely heavy-handed and unnecessary. On twitter I pointed out how it felt similar to the Addison end scene of the Pretty Little Liars series finale.
If I'm being perfectly honest, my final thoughts on this film probably won't completely solidify until I see where IX goes from here. And man, this movie made me really excited to see it!
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
SPOILERS FOR STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI BELOW
Rey and Kylo Ren
Before this movie I didn't care for Reylo as a ship and I still don't in a romantic sense, but the messy, twisted interactions shown on screen in this movie? I was so here for it. I was mostly wary of this because I was concerned it would be a betrayal of the characters, but instead it gave them so much great material and I'm excited to see where that dynamic goes from here. (I think the people that think Rey is 100% done now and the people who think Rey and Kylo are gonna be making out at the end of IX are both very wrong though.) I do think that the trajectory of Kylo Ren's character will probably be the one most impacted by the absence of Leia in the next movie, so there might be some hints in this movie that amount to nothing.
I do wonder if there'll be more added to the Rey origin story or if that'll be it. Also, what happened to all of Kylo Ren's disciples? Is that what Episode IX will be?
Stray thoughts:
- The evil space vagina was probably too blatant a metaphor but I'll allow it
- Everyone is swooning over that Kylo Ren shirtless scene but honestly I was so distracted by how high his pants were I felt nothing
- "What Kylo said about Rey being nothing was manipulative!" yeah that was the point fucko
- I was promised that Snoke would be moist and I was let down. Also: over/under on how important he and/or his backstory will be to IX?
- Hux getting beaten up constantly and him and Kylo fucking hating each other is everything I ever wanted out of that character and that dynamic and I feel so blessed. Truly the high grade Kylux we all deserve.
Luke
I don't understand people saying that they "ruined" Luke for this movie? Like it's been thirty years of course he's changed and grown - It would be more surprising if he hadn't be affected by what's happened to him. Also, he explicitly stated that his reaction to seeing into Ben's mind was an instantaneous reaction that he immediately regretted, so comparing it to his conviction that Vader could be saved (which he mulled over for the better part of a year) is very disingenuous. A better comparison might be to him finding out that Vader is his father - You know, where he started screaming and then fell out of a star destroyer?
Mark Hamill was great in this movie, and I suspect we may see him as a force ghost in IX especially since Carrie won't be in it.
Stray thoughts:
- Of all things that could have happened in this movie, I never would have predicted Yoda committing arson
- Him throwing away the lightsaber was the funniest fucking thing
- The shot of him limboing in slow motion under Kylo's lightsaber was dumb
- The twin suns scene at the end was A++
- R2-D2 playing that Leia hologram was a cheap trick and it worked on me
Finn and Rose
The Canto Bight stuff could've connected to the rest of the film better, but I absolutely adored them in this movie. Rose in particular is very different from Star Wars characters we've encountered in film before, and her prominence is the film was a definite strength. I wish there had been one more scene to help further cement her bond with Finn before the Crait sequence. Though speaking of which, Rose brings something to the table that none of the other new main characters do: A deep, positive, and loving familial relationship. Finn never knew his parents and Rey essentially didn't. Kylo Ren straight up murdered his father and [SPOILERS FOR PHASMA] Phasma killed Hux's dad with his blessing [/END SPOILERS]. (Poe has but it hasn't been explored onscreen as it's not his primary character arc.) It's having and knowing this type of bond that made it a logical choice in her mind to risk her life for Finn, who never had someone who would've been willing to do that as part of The First Order.
Also: I was so afraid Rose died and I'm so happy she's alive. I wonder if FinnRose will happen for real or if they'll decide not to go there. For what it's worth I hope they do.
Stray thoughts:
- DJ is gonna be in the next movie right? Thematically his role seems incomplete.
- Phasma has to be dead, right? Like, when she fell I thought maybe she was still alive like last time, but there are so many fucking characters in this trilogy that they desperately needed to cut some fat. The Phasma book also gives her better stuff than an appearance in IX probably could anyway.
- Finn's fight with Phasma is great and seemed like an (unintentional) contrast with the season 2 finale of Rebels. Anakin had his mask cracked the same way and (presumably) killed Ahsoka, whom he still had a conflicted relationship with. Phasma cracked her mask but got defeated by Finn because he successfully overcame her as an influence (and literally rose above her).
- Real talk: People who said that Rose kissing Finn didn't make sense confuse me. Like, you're saying that if you were injured and high on adrenaline in the desert you wouldn't kiss John Boyega given the chance? Can't relate.
Poe and Holdo
I think I benefited from reading Leia: Princess of Alderaan before seeing this movie because for some reason people didn't like Holdo. I was thrown at first but in the end she seemed a fairly logical evolution of the character we met in the book. Also people are saying Poe is OOC?? His backstory in Before the Awakening was literally him constantly disobeying orders in the New Republic military and then joining the Resistance. He wasn't faced with any sort of moral choice in The Force Awakens so that wouldn't have been indicative of anything, and thinking of him as just this "soft boy" who hugs BB-8 all the time is a huge insult to the character and Oscar Isaac's acting abilities. I LOVED how much Poe got to do in this movie, and how complex his conflict with Holdo was. And Holdo's death might be one of the coolest in Star Wars.
I wonder if Poe will get a more significant role in the resistance in IX due to Leia's exit. Or maybe they'll beef up D'Acy's role? She seemed pretty chill.
Stray thoughts:
- It was cool seeing Connix take a more active role in the plot. I want gay Poe but if they "pair the spares" him with her I won't be mad.
- I seriously need to stress again how much Poe's whole arc was the most narratively satisfying for me personally.
- Poe's interactions with Finn this whole movie? Gay.
- I don't really care about them but where are the pilots Poe flew with in The Force Awakens? If Snap Wexley died offscreen then this movie is even more blessed. (Sorry for people that like him but I fucking hated him in the Aftermath books).
Leia
WHEN SHE GOT SUCKED OUT OF THE SHIP I- Seriously that whole plot point was a fucking trip. And I guess the rumors about Leia falling into a coma were true, but I'm glad she woke up and played a significant role in this movie. She was excellent in this movie and her role as a 'Mon Mothma-type figure but not really' was definitely earned. I wish we had gotten a scene between her and Kylo Ren but honestly I'm just so relieved we got that Luke and Leia reunion scene. I don't know how they're going to handle her exit, since it's very clear from watching this movie that all the talk that IX would've been her movie was true. I'm glad we got what we got with her and Poe/Holdo. I don't have a ton of other thoughts her other than Carrie was great and I already miss Leia.
Stay thoughts:
- Press said that there was an alien inspired by Gary but I didn't see it.
- Seriously though the Leia in space visual was gorgeous but I think everyone collectively suffered seeing Carrie like that.
- I kept forgetting C-3PO was in this movie and I can't really recall anything he does other than that door scene.
- Heck yeah Leia stunned Poe. Did people really expect her to waste time they do not have talking him down???
In Summation
I'm sure I'll have more thoughts as time goes on but these are my hot takes as of right now. I loved the movie, but I thought it was probably 15 minutes too long. Also, it had like 5 moments towards the end where I thought it would end but then it kept going so by the time we got to the boy and the broom I was fucking exhausted. Speaking of which: I get what they were going for, but it felt extremely heavy-handed and unnecessary. On twitter I pointed out how it felt similar to the Addison end scene of the Pretty Little Liars series finale.
If I'm being perfectly honest, my final thoughts on this film probably won't completely solidify until I see where IX goes from here. And man, this movie made me really excited to see it!
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