Star Wars: The Last Jedi - Reaction and Discussion *CONTAINS SPOILERS*

[SWRdtWD]

They are repetitive because each new person posts why they liked or disliked it. There are only so many things to like or not, but that's kind of what the thread is for. If you visit my office I could point you to a half dozen people that really didn't like it, and about the same amount that did. Lot of people in the world, a lot of opinions. My dad like it, my brother in law thinks Rian should be... well he thinks something horrible should happen to him. I fall mostly in the dislike camp, but there are sequences and characters I like. Just overall, my feeling after the movie was not a positive one.

It's divisive and what gets me (sorta...I'm non combatitive) is that the critics appear to be following some sort of "agenda"...I'm not talking bribes, I'm talking choosing to bow to disney likely for future considerations...and the fan response - while brought down by trolls and inflated by Pom poms - is indcredibly split.

That's not good for the franchise...shedding fans was never a reasonable goal of Disney's acquisition of LFL...and rian Johnson sure shouldn't have been given the keys to dad's car with that in play.

 

[BrianL]

Though if I remember when Phantom Menace came out it had it's defenders. Eventually though almost no one genuinely liked TPM.

I do! There are more of us than you know. Many fans actually enjoy the prequels quite a bit, but they have been shouted down for years and years by the anti-prequel set. The same is happening with Last Jedi where there is an extremely vocal set of critics.

 

[SWRdtWD]

I do! There are more of us than you know. Many fans actually enjoy the prequels quite a bit, but they have been shouted down for years and years by the anti-prequel set. The same is happening with Last Jedi where there is an extremely vocal set of critics.

Any theories as to why?

 

[BrianL]

Any theories as to why?

I dunno. Internet?

 

[skier_pete]

Is this REALLY going to shed fans? The prequels didn't shed fans. Abrams sort of OK Episode VII didn't shed fans. Are hardcore fans really going to go "I'm never watching another Star Wars thing ever again?" I mean sure they'll say this today, but do we really think Solo isn't going to make $1 billion?

(I guess I didn't leave.)

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Is this REALLY going to shed fans? The prequels didn't shed fans.

My thoughts exactly.

I didn’t like the prequels. Still came back for TFA and TLJ. And will come back for the next even though I thought TLJ had its issues.

I fell in love with SW OT when I was a kid. There’s no “shedding” me, even if I don’t like a film.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

I do! There are more of us than you know. Many fans actually enjoy the prequels quite a bit, but they have been shouted down for years and years by the anti-prequel set. The same is happening with Last Jedi where there is an extremely vocal set of critics.

The only people I know who like them are people who saw them first — the younger set. OT fans I know tolerate the prequels at best. There’s no split at all among people I know like there is with TLJ.

 

[BrianL]

The only people I know who like them are people who saw them first — the younger set. OT fans I know tolerate the prequels at best. There’s no split at all among people I know like there is with TLJ.

Well, I definitely did not see them first. I was born in '78, grew up on the OT (and Ewoks & Droids cartoons and eating C3POs). I loved the Phantom Menace when I first saw it and continue to do so to this day. I think it's because my inner 10 year old never grew up. That's really who Star Wars is for after all. The funny thing is that everyone I knew who saw it loved it at the time. Many of them still do, but some have soured on it. I never even heard about the dislike for Ep I until Ep II was about to come out. It was surprising to me. Anyway, somewhere up-thread I gave my ranking for Star Wars movies. Phantom Menace is at the top with Return of the Jedi. Just my preference.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Well, I definitely did not see them first. I was born in '78, grew up on the OT (and Ewoks & Droids cartoons and eating C3POs). I loved the Phantom Menace when I first saw it and continue to do so to this day. I think it's because my inner 10 year old never grew up. That's really who Star Wars is for after all. The funny thing is that everyone I knew who saw it loved it at the time. Many of them still do, but some have soured on it. I never even heard about the dislike for Ep I until Ep II was about to come out. It was surprising to me. Anyway, somewhere up-thread I gave my ranking for Star Wars movies. Phantom Menace is at the top with Return of the Jedi. Just my preference.

and honestly, I think that is one reason Star Wars is so big as a franchise ... because there are people that like different ones for different reason - and people who live the expanded universe and people that don't give a hoot about them, etc. and there are like 1,000 different levels of fandom you can have - like, it has a mainstream appeal but then also a rapid fan base that goes crazy deep into it. i think Harry Potter is similar, but you don't really have the same with, say, Star Trek

 

[saskdw]

I talked to another half dozen people out in the real world (not online) and all of them have said they liked it or loved it, though one mentioned that their dad hated it.

This is exactly what I'm finding. I can't find a real person anywhere that didn't like or outright love the movie. Just a handful of people online on a few different web forums.

A large portion of the "haters" are really angry and angry with those that think it's a great movie. And they all want to debate and argue about it.

This is the reason I'm no longer reading any reviews or posts from those that didn't like it. As soon as I see they didn't like it I stop reading all their posts and move on to the next one. I don't have the desire or energy to debate with these people why I liked the movie and disagree with everything they have to say.

 

[jknezek]

Different opinions in an opinionated world. How could that be?

 

[SWRdtWD]

Is this REALLY going to shed fans? The prequels didn't shed fans. Abrams sort of OK Episode VII didn't shed fans. Are hardcore fans really going to go "I'm never watching another Star Wars thing ever again?" I mean sure they'll say this today, but do we really think Solo isn't going to make $1 billion?

(I guess I didn't leave.)

I think the prequels were given a mulligan by many gen Xers...and Lucas took the brunt of that on a personal level. Watch the documentary about that...it will change your life.

Problem is disney is a soulless, rapicious company (Roy e Disney's words...not mine) and you're not gonna get two mulligans on the course for them.

Eroding any of the old guards - also known as the generation that now controls all the money for entertainment - is dangerous.

These two movies combined...are a mess...even if you like them individually...as the foundation point and the bridge to chapter 3 they're in deep trouble.

They axed 2 iconic characters...didn't the one they needed to...and now have 2 hours to fix a mess that hasn't really gotten too far as a narrative. It's like a tortured episode of the OC at this point.

Couple that with TWO director firings...put solo in near DOA status and admitting to the world that they don't even have a story for 9...and this is way more transformers at this point than lord of the rings or Harry Potter.

Viva Garett Edwards!, by the way...I hope he made it into the falcon at the end

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

Well, I definitely did not see them first. I was born in '78, grew up on the OT (and Ewoks & Droids cartoons and eating C3POs). I loved the Phantom Menace when I first saw it and continue to do so to this day. I think it's because my inner 10 year old never grew up. That's really who Star Wars is for after all. The funny thing is that everyone I knew who saw it loved it at the time. Many of them still do, but some have soured on it. I never even heard about the dislike for Ep I until Ep II was about to come out. It was surprising to me. Anyway, somewhere up-thread I gave my ranking for Star Wars movies. Phantom Menace is at the top with Return of the Jedi. Just my preference.

I said I thought PM was ok when it first came out. I think I just really, really wanted to like it. But over time can to admit that I really didn’t like any of the prequels. There was a lot of Jar Jar hate from the very beginning though. But I think the disillusionment with the prequels grew with time. Most people I knew at the time were happy they were being released. Happy to have new SW movies.

This is exactly what I'm finding. I can't find a real person anywhere that didn't like or outright love the movie. Just a handful of people online on a few different web forums.

I’m an engineer and in my office of about 60 engineers there’s a Love It / Hate It poll and it’s evenly split. So I know at least 30 real life people who don’t like it (and about 30 who do). Interestingly hardware engineers are more likely to dislike it and software engineers more likely to love it. There’s got to be someone’s psychology dissertation there.

Also, after TFA came out there was so much buzz around my office. Half the cubes you walked past had people sharing ideas and theories about who Rey’s parents were, who Snoke was, etc. There isn’t much of any of that this time other than the poll. It just doesn’t have the same buzz.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I’m an engineer and in my office of about 60 engineers there’s a Love It / Hate It poll and it’s evenly split. So I know at least 30 real life people who don’t like it (and about 30 who do). Interestingly hardware engineers are more likely to dislike it and software engineers more likely to love it. There’s got to be someone’s psychology dissertation there.

My degree is in computer engineering, though now I do corporate finance and I liked it - not sure where that fits into you poll

I would think Hardware is more old school and software is more new school so maybe that explains it?

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I'm not even sure where to look for a character buffet recommendation? Do they have one with Gepetto?

There is a restaurant forum (https://www.disboards.com/forums/disney-restaurants.14/). There is no character buffet at Walt Disney World (and it is Walt Disney World, not just Disney World) that has Geppetto

 

[SWRdtWD]

Well, I definitely did not see them first. I was born in '78, grew up on the OT (and Ewoks & Droids cartoons and eating C3POs). I loved the Phantom Menace when I first saw it and continue to do so to this day. I think it's because my inner 10 year old never grew up. That's really who Star Wars is for after all. The funny thing is that everyone I knew who saw it loved it at the time. Many of them still do, but some have soured on it. I never even heard about the dislike for Ep I until Ep II was about to come out. It was surprising to me. Anyway, somewhere up-thread I gave my ranking for Star Wars movies. Phantom Menace is at the top with Return of the Jedi. Just my preference.

Well I fit your general demographic and I have to stay that I'm Appalled by phantom menace and still am...15 years to write a backstory that already had an endpoint everyone accepted/loved and that effort was appalling.

Did you ever hear about Liam Nieson's height? That's a doozy...

Anyway...I'm just pointing out the differences in opinion. It's a "burrito/enchilada" world

 

[SWRdtWD]

There is a restaurant forum (https://www.disboards.com/forums/disney-restaurants.14/). There is no character buffet at Walt Disney World (and it is Walt Disney World, not just Disney World) that has Geppetto

...and why not? Everyone loves geppetto!! He always has the longest lines...

 

[saskdw]

Also, after TFA came out there was so much buzz around my office. Half the cubes you walked past had people sharing ideas and theories about who Rey’s parents were, who Snoke was, etc. There isn’t much of any of that this time other than the poll. It just doesn’t have the same buzz.

It's the opposite at my work. When TFA came out everyone liked it, but not that much chatter. For both Rogue One and TLJ the whole place starts vibrating again everytime someone else sees it for the first time. Same thing at my gym. I've been a member there for 25 years so everyone knows me and chats with me. Everyone there that's into this type of movie is crazy about it.

 

[saskdw]

I just used the ignore function for the first time ever on DIS.

 

[SWRdtWD]

Differing opinions are not allowed on movies? I guess I don't get it...aww shucks...