My mini-The Last Jedi review.

Short version: …dude.

Slightly longer version: Star Wars: The Last Jedi is not as good as Empire Strikes Back. But that’s maybe just the nostalgia talking. The existing characters are solid, the new one (Rose) who you barely saw in the trailers is solid, the plot is solid, the action sequences are primo both in individual and space combat, and… how not to spoiler this?  OK. You know how George Lucas visibly didn’t give a [expletive deleted] about other people’s opinions on how the Star Wars universe worked? Yeah, well, George Lucas doesn’t own this intellectual property anymore.  There were a couple of points where I would have been yelling “YES! Exactly!” at the screen — except it would have been rude.

And David Morgan-Mar will swallow his gum at one particular point during this movie.

Moe Lane

PS: Yes. Go see this film, in case my opinion wasn’t obvious already.

14 thoughts on “My mini-The Last Jedi review.”

  1. Just saw it. I liked it, I think… but there were several aspects of the timing and plot points that threw me out of suspension of disbelief. Not nearly as bad as The Force Awakens did, though, but enough to noticeably bother me.

    1. Specific non-spoilery examples:

      Vertical ships dropping bombs straight down… IN SPACE.

      An impact that tears half a ship apart and somehow scatters hundreds of stormtroopers standing around and over our heroes, yet leaves the heroes unscathed.

      A fleet of ships ranging from large to gigantic that somehow only has a few fighters, and is unable to catch up with their targets.

    2. I have to agree with this. These problems are only the most obvious that occur. I think my objections to the movie can most succinctly be represented by one scene: That one with Leia. You all know the one.

    3. I have to side with the audience rating of the movie more than the critic rating. It doesn’t suck…but it’s getting a free pass for its supposed edginess.
      ***
      First of all, let’s just say that the entire Luke arc undercuts the premise of The Force Awakens. That is: If Luke really was soooooo reticent of ever being found. Why did he leave the freaking map to his hideaway? Sorry. But that’s a plot inconsistency as large as the Kessel Run. That no on even CALLS Luke on this is what makes it clear it was a plot hole, and not a “change of heart” by Luke.
      ***
      Second is the silliness of the bomber run, which is necessary for Poe to “learn” how to become a commander…supposedly. But as acemarke notes, the entire concept of vertical bomber runs…in space…is the worst physics breaking in a Star Wars movie yet…and the bad part is, it directly follows Poe’s StarFury-style X-Wing turn that displays that *someone* finally figured out that fighting in space with vacuum physics could still be cool.
      ***
      Third is almost every plot arc was overly long. This is where I mention that once again, a highly-rated ‘action’ movie failed the test of keeping my 15 year old awake through the movie. She woke up for the end, and liked it. But the whole Finn/Rose section in the middle? Yeah. Screeching halt to the plot. Not well executed. And not really that funny as an “interlude.”
      In this section, we can also discuss the entire transport flight. No really, the Admiral knew *exactly* what she was going to do from the start. Why did it take her watching half the ships blown up to do it? Add in the fact the ship our heroes are stuck on is struck by a large-comet sized object moving at the SPEED OF LIGHT IN A VACUUM and still manage to survive? Ermm…that impact would’ve destroyed the entire First Order fleet and everyone on all the ships. Force or No.
      ***
      So yeah. Some rather major errors that are being given a pass for the “edgy.” I wouldn’t even put this in Episode IV’s class. Let alone Empire Strikes Back. It’s not Prequel 1 & 2 dreck. But it’s closer to Episode III than V. And I’m having a hard time saying it’s even as good as Force Awakens, for all the supposed “sameness” of it.

    2. Well, I’d say that the parts that don’t suck, REALLY DON’T SUCK, but there are lots of parts that do suck. I’ll predict this film will not hold up over time, but it clears the prequel bar and is legit memorable for good reasons.

  4. I had originally planned to see it with a group of friends tonight, but had to cancel a few days ago. That may turn out to be a blessing in disguise, however. You see, the theater that they’re planning on seeing the movie at has been reported in the news as having sound problems during the movie showings…

    1. The theater I saw it at had a notice about the sound at a certain point being the director’s choice plastered all over the lobby. I wonder how many complaints drove that.

  5. It was.. okay. I liked it more than Ep 7. But just like Ep 7, the more I think about it, the more annoyed about certain plot elements I become. And as a lore nerd, there’s stuff in there that just bugs me. I’m going to stop because I keep typing spoilers that I have to delete but I didn’t regard it as highly. Good, not a triumph and probably should have had a half hour worth of edits.

    1. Definitely ran 30mins long. Don’t need a “Director’s Cut” of this one, to be sure. And sure, there were things in Ep 7 I went, “Hmmm” about after the fact. Rogue 1 didn’t stand up to rewatch as well as I thought it would either, and that was one of my favorite 1st time through.
      ***
      But the “What?” moments were more jarring to me this time. And that’s what pushes it towards the middle of the Star Wars movies. Below Jedi even, which I thought was very good until the Ewoks.
      ***
      I can see why people say this was Mark Hamill’s finest hour as an actor. I would agree he did the most with what he was given. But I’ll stand by what I said above about it.
      ***
      So long story shorter, I’m not as sanguine about the next trilogy of movies as the critics seem to be. “Surprising” is only good if it can be seen as believable after the fact.

  6. I remember my friends trying to convince themselves that The Phantom Menace didn’t suck for several days after we watched it.
    .
    The above conversation reminds me strongly of it.
    (I was once a huge Star Wars fan. Given my age and first name, it was really unavoidable. Then I saw The Phantom Menace on opening night.)

Comments are closed.