ST I want to like The Last Jedi (seriously) - Revisited

I posted something about the Last Jedi over a year ago. I have had a serious roller coaster of opinion on this movie and as we go into this year waiting on the final of the sequel movies, I wanted to discuss it a bit more.

For those that didn't read the post (and I am not very active here, though I would like to be) I first explained that I am a life long Star Wars fan. I was born in 1976. One of my earliest memories is my Dad bringing home the Empire Strikes Back read along RECORD ALBUM! I remember when Return of the Jedi came out and for my 7th birthday my Mom had bought every single Star Wars action figure that was available at the time and put them on layaway to give me all at once on my birthday. I remember losing my brothers Lando in disguise figure at school and the trouble that got me in. Fast forward a bit and in the early 90s I discover the first of what would become the Expanded Universe novels, Heir to the Empire. I would go on to read nearly every novel in the post RotJ era Expanded Universe. Go a bit forward and my first son is born and my wife, bless her, allows me to name him Lucas after both George Lucas and Luke Skywalker. I am a fan. A few years later I wait 12+ hours in line to be #6 on opening night for the Phantom Menace and later that year I do for my son the same my Mom did for me and get him all the action figures that were released for The Phantom Menace. So to be clear, I am a huge fan of Star Wars. I listen to the John Williams soundtrack obsessively. I know stupid obscure trivia about this universe.

So when The Force Awakens was announced and I saw the first trailer with Han & Chewie saying "We're Home" I can honestly admit it teared me up considerably. My heroes from my childhood were going to be in new movies and would help introduce new characters to the universe and move the story forward. I got to see TFA on opening night and about 3 times after (including Imax) and loved it. I was one of the few that didn't have issue with the close parallels to A New Hope and was willing to give Rey a chance. The setup that she had a big connection to something/someone in the past that helped explain her quick development of her force talents was something that made me look forward to the next film. Why did Ben Solo turn on his family and join Snoke? Who was Snoke? All these great plot lines and build up. And that brings us to The Last Jedi....

Again I was there on opening night with my family. I watched the movie and initially the opening felt rushed and just...different, but I could not put my finger on it (I would later realize the humor was out of place). Then we get to what I had waited about 2 years for...my childhood hero, the character I named my firstborn son after, would finally have more than 30 seconds screen time. And as Rey handed him his father's lightsaber....he tosses it over his shoulder. What the hell? He then proceeds to be this grumpy old man and as we learn, the most hopeful and idealistic man in the galaxy, the man that felt the good in his father in spite of all that Anakin/Vader had done...has a vision and considers killing his own nephew. This was so absolutely out of character with the hero of my childhood. The Expanded Universe depiction of him was so much more of what I expected. This was the thing that destroyed the movie for me. It was slightly offset by seeing Yoda again...that gave me goosebumps and really teared me up again (I am a super softy lol). But then we watch as the Resistance runs from the First Order and for the first time in 40+ years of Star Wars story telling we are presented with the idea of these ships having fuel issues. They are running out of gas. The logistics and physics of how this was presented was ludicrous for anyone that even has the slightest clue how objects move in space. I get this is Sci-Fi/Fantasy but again, it was never presented like this previously. In addition we have a leadership that suddenly becomes unwilling to tell it's people the plans for their very survival. Did they suspect a spy? Did they have reason to believe someone was a traitor? This was not established at all in the film, so why not let the group in on the plan? This is the same military that has everyone in a big room each and every time they make big plans for the rebellion/resistance. There was no need for it and it created a kind of mutiny story that didn't even need to exist as well as created the reasoning for Finn & Rose to go on a pointless mission. We then finally find out that we are going to a former Rebel base. But on the way we wait until all but a few ships are destroyed to do this new attack tactic of flying a large ship into the enemy via light speed. Why not do this when there were dozens of ships and hundreds of Resistance members to save...why wait until down to so few? Why not have a droid do this? Regardless they make it to the surface and then we get the moment we have been waiting for...Luke shows up. Oh yeah business is about to pick up! He goes out and has a big ...lightsaber-less duel with his nephew and at the end it is revealed that he is not actually there but is projecting himself across the galaxy. Wow he truly is a powerful Jedi!. But wait...he dies from the exertion? Huh? The hero of my childhood is reduced to a grumpy old man, willing to consider killing his nephew instead of trying to redeem him as he did his father, and then after he shows up as a distraction projection he dies from the effort? What the actual hell? Regardless at that point we see that Rey is super powerful in the force and able to wield it's powers with literally no formal training. Something that has taken every force user in the established film history extremely long and arduous training. Not to mention the big scary super powerful force user Snoke ends up being nothing. Rey doesn't have a history that explains her powers...it is just a mess.

So, I tried to convince myself after my first showing that my misgivings were just because the story went in such a different direction than I expected and so I went and saw it two more times. I tried to look past my issues and enjoy the story. And I just can't do it. It has really put a huge damper on my ability to enjoy the story, universe and characters that have had such an impact on my life for 40+ years.

Now I know there are a ton of criticisms about the "SJW" messaging and things of that nature. I have watched and read enough in the past year to know there are a lot of opinions and some I agree with some I don't. But for me, this movie just feels so out of place with the rest of the Star Wars movies. The humor, the sudden change in how the ships operate in space (running out of gas, slowing down immediately once they do with no inertia to carry them endlessly forward etc.), the extreme change to the character of Luke Skywalker (which Mark Hamill himself said is not the Luke he portrayed but in his head is an alternate character like Jake Skywalker as his actions and attitude do not match up with the character from before at all) and I guess the lack of feeling like there is a cohesive story being told as well as what appears as a concerted effort to tear down the history of the franchise just don't feel like any of the Star Wars films that came before.

So again, if you have read through this extremely long post I appreciate it. If you would like to discuss it, I am really looking for someone to help. This may sound silly and probably is, but after being a lifelong fan, it is terrible and so disheartening to feel like that which I loved has been completely torn apart. I want to believe that Abrams will find a way to restore the story and end this sequel trilogy in a way that will reunite fans like myself that feel like it has been irrevocably destroyed as well as those that loved TLJ. I want to be a fan that doesn't have to cling to the original and prequel trilogy as well as the Expanded Universe as "my Star Wars".

Anyone feel similar or have suggestions?

 

@mbowsher76 , I read your whole post, and I agree with it. I feel very much as you do about TLJ. Unfortunately, given the massive negative impact this film had on the OT characters, the OT films, and even the new characters, I don’t see how this can end in a way that would be satisfying for me and for the skywalker saga. In my opinion, too much damage has been done, and as much as I have tried, I don’t see a way that this can possibly be fixed. I don’t see a way where they can change my mind and bring me back.

You and I are not the only ones who feel this way though. There are others who post in the criticism thread who feel the same way. Sadly, most of us aren’t expecting much from episode ix that will improve things, unless there are some massive retcons in the film.