ST Star Wars: The Last Jedi - Fan Reviews Here

I don't have the link but yeah as I was referring to how Daisy mentioned that JJ told her who her parents were back when TFA was being worked on and how in a separate interview it was confirmed that RJ and JJ had come to the same conclusion about Rey's parents. Sorry I don't have the links!

I've said this before but it kinda bugs me that we now know that JJ had intended to make Rey a random but he also knew that he wouldn't have final say on that so he made her parentage a big secret in order to give the next director leeway to decide who Rey's parents are...and then RJ makes Rey a random! Ugh...

Obviously JJ couldn't have known that would happen and TFA was already into production when RJ came on board but there is a part of me that wishes the powers that be had planned this out better.

Maybe they should've made a definitive decision about Rey's parents right from the get go. I'm not sure why JJ and/or Lucasfilm felt like they needed to give the director of Ep. 8 the final say on whose Rey's parents are.

The way I rationalize it is that my hopes and wishes for who Rey's parents would be kinda mirrors Rey's delusions of who her parents are and by creating all this anticipation my initial disappointment mirrored Rey's disappointment and heartbreak over the truth about her parents. Of course that wasn't really JJ's intentions but it helps me get over the sting of how TFA invited us to speculate that her parents might OT characters when they knew from the get go they weren't.

If TFA revealed that Rey was a random the only thing that would've changed in TLJ is that one scene when Rey is in the underground cave and the scene when Kylo tell Rey that he saw her parents. The rest of the movie would remain exactly the same. That said I recognize that the Kylo/Rey scene is a huge character moment that probably would've felt rushed if it was in TFA. And admittedly if we learned right off the bat in TFA that Rey is a random and she's heartbroken over her parents abandoning her I don't know that that would've had the same emotional impact as the TLJ scene had on me. Actually I think I can say that it definitely wouldn't have had the same impact on me. It would've had as much emotional impact on me as learning that Finn was taken from his family, i.e. "man that's messed up...anywho moving on."

 

I don't think it would be in their best interest to spread the news that JJ had something different in mind, if that was the case.

 

If it makes ya feel any better, it ain’t over yet...

http://comicbook.com/starwars/2018/01/01/star-wars-the-last-jedi-reys-parents-still-open/

 

Ha. No. Fool me twice shame on me. I'm not buying it. Yes technically JJ could change Rey's parentage but considering he also thought Rey should be a random I don't see it happening. Maybe JJ could fiddle with the details but what would be the point? Even if JJ changed why Rey's parents sold her off it wouldn't change the fact that she was sold off by her parents!

 

I guess the only thing you could do (which to me totally undercuts what TLJ does with Kylo - the son of legends who has everything and throws it all away - and Rey from nowhere - the daughter of nobodies - who finds love and belonging - in TLJ and TFA) would be to have the nobodies not actually be her parents but people she believed to be her parents. And for what, the sake of a Rey Skywalker reveal? Could it work? I mean, maybe. There are things I love in TLJ that I would have been sceptical on on paper. But it seems very, very unlikely to me. And imo TLJ and TFA make perfect sense with Rey Random and (at present) not much sense at all if we end up with Rey Related in 9.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Big time. Finding out that Rey is secretly a Skywalker in Ep. 9 would be as horrible as if Return of the Jedi revealed that Luke's dad was actually some really nice guy that Darth Vader did kill.

On a side note I have to agree that Rey as a random sold off for drinking money makes way more sense than my own personal theory that she was Luke's kid who was kidnapped and hidden away on Jakku to keep her safe from Ben Solo. I was so in love with that theory but it was too convoluted. Rey's parents being losers works much better. It sidesteps the big question about how Rey could've been kidnapped under Luke's watchful eye. It sidesteps the question, "why didn't Luke spend the rest of his life looking for his lost daughter?" It cuts down on having to explain who Luke's wife/girlfriend was and what happened to her, (though I think they could've done some interesting things with that). It avoids wondering why Han and Leia didn't recognize or sense their own niece. Simply put Rey Random avoids a lot of narrative clutter.

 

What do you think about the phrase of Maz in TFA? She said that she talked with Han, and so she knew that whoever she was waiting for would never come back, but there was someone who could. "Luke".
In the case she has nothing to do with Luke, don't you find that line to be a weird mixture between Rey's personal biography and her, let's say, civil duties? But a part from the phrase, how could Han know that Rey was delusional? They just had a very brief conversation about Jakku. This is what leaves me perplex. And why does the lightsaber show to Rey her parents leaving?

Agreed. Now it's too late.

 

No, I don’t. I said at the time that Maz (and thus the film) was always separating Luke out from Rey’s family.

The only stuff in that offscreen Han and Maz scene after “who’s the girl” was info the audience already knew and that Han repeated to Maz. She’s some scavenger kid from Jakku who wants to get back to her family.

Maz knows the truth because she senses it through the Force like Kylo does and knows that Rey knows deep down they are never going back.

Maz knows that she’s not a Skywalker or Solo because she knows neither the Solos nor Luke have any unaccounted for kids. And so she knows the Skywalker saber calling to a nobody is a big call from destiny and one that Rey needs to answer if they are to win the fight against the darkside (which we know that Maz believes must be fought, and we know Rey is willing to help if she can).

On a personal level, Maz is right to sense that the belonging Rey is looking for will come from her friends in the Resistance if she lets go of the past and moves forwards - something she does in both TFA and TLJ. And on the wider level, I think she senses that Rey taking the saber to Luke will trigger the chain of events that sees Luke restore the spark of hope to the fight. It’s worth remembering that the Force can’t get through to Luke because he’s cut himself off from it, so it has to work though someone else. That someone is Rey.

Re her parents leaving, either they’re just flying somewhere else on Jakku, or they end up back on Jakku, or the details are being twisted by Kylo but the basics (she is a nobody) will remain the same. Whoever left her with an ******* like Unkar was never going to be winning parent of the year award, and Rey already knew who they were. That part of the answer never comes from Kylo.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

But this is not what she says. She talks explicitly about Luke as if he was a sort of consolation for not having her parents back.
I'm just saying that I find it a strange way to phrase it.

Anyway, it's pretty clear that the events have gone in that way. Thanks for the clarification, btw.

 

I think that’s what she meant. You can’t get your parents back but in trying to bring Luke back you will find your belonging? It is a little vague I admit, but I think that’s part of them trying to leave all options open.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

The exact exchange is this:

• Rey - "What was that? I shouldn't have gone in there"
• Maz - "That lightsaber was Luke's, and his father's before him and now it calls to you!"
• Rey - "I have to get back to Jakku"
• Maz - "Han told me" (they hold hands) "Dear child, I see your eyes - you already know the truth. Whomever you are waiting for on Jakku, they're never coming back" Rey cries "but, there's someone who still could"
• Rey - "Luke"
• Maz - "The belonging you seek is not behind you, it is ahead. I am no jedi, but I know the force. It moves through and surrounds every living thing. Close your eyes, feel it. The light. It's always been there. It will guide you. The sabre - take it."
• Rey - "I'm never touching that thing again, I don't want any part of this"

So, in retrospect Maz is referring more about the possibility that the people she wants to come back will not but that Luke Skywalker, himself, could come back to this fight if she continues on her journey. This line was misread and analyzed differently by many as a sign of parentage in the lineage thread but looking at it again it seems to be more about just trying to get Luke back in general.

As for the beloning she seeeks... it could even be that when Luke isn't providing the belonging she seeks that Rey begins to think more that it's Ben Solo who will provide the belonging she seeks based on their connection and her vision of the future.

 

Ok ok, I get it. I just find it weird: Luke coming back is surely important, but since it has nothing to do with Rey's personal experience, that phrase seems to me completely misplaced.

 

Well, as weird as it may seem out of context, it seems perfectly in line with some of the key themes of this trilogy. Don't let the past hold you back - let go of the past in order to progress and move forward in life. Rey needs to let go of her past that has done nothing but hold her back in life in order to accept a new call to adventure and try to bring Luke Skywalker back into the fight.

 

I don't honestly understand the whole "f u JJ" idea that floats around in fandom regarding TLJ. My perspective regarding the elements people brought up are as follows:

1. Luke tossing the lightsaber aside - Given the history of Luke and Kylo that Han described and the fact that he exiled himself, all told to us in TFA, why on earth would anyone expect that he'd embrace his old lightsaber right away and go out to join the fight?? The picture of Luke suggested by TFA was always of someone who wanted nothing more to do with galactic events. To make him suddenly change his mind upon seeing his old lightsaber would make Luke uncharacteristically fickle. So that whole dynamic was started by JJ, not Rian.

2. Snoke was a mysterious character who's only purpose in TFA was to mastermind the First Order. The film in no way promises the audience that we will learn more about Snoke.

3. Rey's parents - Maz in TFA is clearly trying to get Rey to let go of the past: "Whoever you're waiting for on Jakku...they're never coming back". In the trailer for TFA, Maz asks who she is and she replies "I'm no one". The revelation that Rey's parents are nobody is perfectly in line with TFA.

The problem is not that TLJ contradicts TFA. The problem is that it contradicts fan head cannon. Period. For those two reasons, I predict the superiority of most fan's head cannon will erode over time


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I have found most of the complaints are more about the poor writing. Watch the Plinkett reviews of the prequels and most of his points on why the original trilogy writing works and the prequels don't applies to TLJ as well. I think if there would have been surprises not thought of that were part of an well written story things would be much better. This thing was amateur hour for writing.

 

I was responding specifically to the people
who think TLJ contradicted TFA or what TFA implied. Personally, I disagree that it was bad writing, but that's a different argument.

 

Sure, I was just pointing out I think the bitter pill is harder to swallow for most because of the WAY the contradictions were done. It seemed very sloppy to me, and most people I see complaining are mostly hitting it hard because of that more than anything. It is one thing to highly redirect a storyline, but to do it in the way this one was done was pretty brave and requires master level skill in writing. I don't think this crew accomplished that well, but as you put it... opinion

 

Of course it has to do with Rey's experience. She is seeking belonging. and Luke can give that to her.

 

Why Luke? He didn't even know her. They're just both Force sensitive. Suppose you and I are both good in playing chess, but you are much better. Let's also assume that I don't know who my parents are. I can ask you to teach me how to improve my chess skills, as Rey does with Luke for using the Force, but it doesn't necessarily mean that you can provide me with the belonging I'm seeking. They're two unrelated things.

 

Spectacular review. I do hope Disney cancels the trilogy they foolishly gave him.

 

Yeah, not going to happen.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

My 6 year old daughter's review: "I can't decide if I like the porgs or the crystal foxes more. How could Kylo Ren and Rey talk like that? That was amazing! How could Luke just appear like that? Can he do anything? I bet he can do whatever he wants now that he's a Jedi Ghost. The Force is so cool."

 

Yeah, from what I’ve heard and seen, kids adore this movie. Coming out of my screenings, the kids always sound really excited. Mainly about Luke and what happens with Snoke.

My younger siblings are in love with it. Think it’s way better than The Force Awakens. They love Porgs, they love BB-8, they love all the jokes, they love Rey, they love Finn, they love Luke, they love Leia. No other movie excited them this year like this one has.
They are 9 and 13 years old.

 

I had to cover her eyes for some of the stuff. There's nothing as intense as burning the village in TLJ but just the sheer number of Resistance ships getting blown up gets depressing after a while.

 

I just listened to The Rebel Grrrl Podcast Review on TLJ I would recommend this podcast to anyone who wants to hear an in-depth Thoughtful review of the film! They seem to really like TLJ with a few critiques! This Is honestly the best Podcast review I have ever heard on TLJ to date.
https://makingstarwars.net/rebel-grrrl-podcast/