The Last Jedi Discussion, Spoilers welcome

[Airship Ariadne]

Ok, Wow. That was NOT what I expected...but THAT's OK! So many fans complained The FOrce Awakens was too much like a carbon copy of the first movie (which is always just "Star Wars" to me, "A New Hope" was not in the title crawl when I saw it the first, second, or even 10th time I saw it).

I liked that Rey wasn't somehow the long lost relative of another character. So many thoeries were she was Han and Leia's kid (like what? DId they get a memory wipe?), a Kenobi, even a Palpatine...but if we will except Anakin being conceived by the Force in the prequels, Rey manifesting strong powers and being the child of just junk traders...just a child from nowhere...makes the whole discussion she has with Maz make sense.

BB-8 driving an AT-ST is one of my favorite moments. And all puppies dream of having someone greet them the way Poe greets BB-8 at he end of the film...I LOVE their interactions...and Poe is just so damn funny in this film.

While Phasma was killed off with such short screentime, at least it wasn't as indignant as what happened to Boba-Fett in ROTJ.

I could have used a little explanation of Snoke's backstory...where was he during the OT? But I do feel it was a great use of the set-up from the end of ROTJ with the tables turned. Had it happened in the third film, it would not have been as unexpected. And the Rey-Klyo lightsaber team-up in the throne room was awesome.

I didn't like (like Hamill) the Luke story...but i didn't write it, and other than Mara Jade, there isn't much in the books about Luke after ROTJ that was really appealing either...so I am fine with this. I did LOVE how as he died he saw the twin suns...nice.

I wish they hadn't killed off Luke now that we know Leia will not be around either. Having one original actor besides Anthony Daniels as 3-PO would have been nice. I suppose he could be a Force ghost, inthe next, but I just don't think it will be the same.

I do like how Carrie's daughter Billie had her role upgraded and was more a part of the gang with Poe, so at least we will have some type of bloodline in the films if even just in the actors.

The end shot made it clear, we are ending the Skywalker story some...the Force isn't skipping past every other bloodline and only focusing on the one family (which makes sense, there were so many other Jedi at only two generations back...why would the Force suddenly change how it worked with Anakin's brood?)

 

[FlowerGleamAndGlow]

I thought Last Jedi was done well. I agree about Phasma. She can be inducted into the group of "Characters With Awesome Outfits Who Were Killed Off Before Ever Actually Doing Much" along with Gen. Grievous and Boba Fett. Although, Grievous had more screen time in the "Clone Wars" TV show.

I was thinking today about all the Jedi hiding out while the galaxy is terrorized by the Dark Side: Obi-Wan on Tatooine, Yoda on Dagobah, and now Luke on some Grecian island (Themyscira?). Not that I'm judging, I just think it's interesting how it all seems to kind of come full circle.

I did think it was great that they had Yoda come back for a bit as a "Force ghost" (as you put it). And, when Ben/Kylo Ren killed Snoke, people in the audience started cheering, and I was thinking to myself, "Why don't we save the applause until we see what he decides to do next?"

 

[supernova]

I was thinking today about all the Jedi hiding out while the galaxy is terrorized by the Dark Side: Obi-Wan on Tatooine, Yoda on Dagobah, and now Luke on some Grecian island (Themyscira?).

The island is off Ireland, not Greece. My wife and I visited during the summer of 2015 and our tour guide was quick to point out the island to us as where Star Wars had filmed. It was neat to see the film later that year and watch for the island to be shown. I have a photo from the mainland, if anyone would like to see it.

What's weird is that this summer we visited Spain and were taken to the grounds if their World's Fair pavilions, and our your guide took us into the rotunda where they filmed a scene from Episode II. Can't wait to see what Star Wars connection is made during this year's trip.