Star Wars: The Last Jedi

I adore Rose as a character but I hate that they are trying to force a romance with her and Finn. It felt very one-sided to me, which who knows, maybe it will be revealed to be. I'm not really that into shipping for the new trilogy but if I had to choose a ship I really want Finn and Rey to be a thing. Their one tiny moment together in TLJ moved me so much and they really have a great chemistry.

I was surprised they didn't kill Leia. It makes me really wonder how on earth they will finish her arc in Episode IX. I would hate if she dies off screen or dies between films, as some have suggested may happen, but at this point it seems like the only solution.

Some people thought the scene with her flying through space was cheesy but I actually thought it was kind of badass.

I liked Rey and Kylo's storyline and the part where Luke fought Kylo was epic. Some people are mad about Luke wanting to kill Kylo Ren but I have a defense for that.

My biggest problems with the film so far are, as I said, Finn's storyline and parts of Poe's storyline (narratively there were some plot holes but I need to watch it again-- I also feel like they were trying to imply that Poe is sexist when he didn't respect Holdo and I feel like that is OOC for someone who admires Leia so much. But I could have read that wrong, he might have just been mad that he wasn't appointed the next in command. I need to watch it again to see for sure.). I am also worried that they tried to backtrack on the message at the end. Like, I was totally with Luke that the Jedi need to end, or at least the Jedi order as they were in the prequels, but then at the end of the film he calls Rey a Jedi, so did he go back on his views or is he implying that she is a new kind of Jedi? I need to watch again to determine my opinion on this.

But overall I really liked it! It truly feels like this is Star Wars for a new generation. It had enough references and similarities to pay homage to the old Star Wars films, but not too much to the point where it was distracting. I'm looking forward to watching the film again!

It’s interesting to me how divisive The Last Jedi is with audiences. I can’t say I’m surprised, I mean, it is a weird film at some points and it does do something totally different. I get this maybe not being everyone’s cup of tea, but I’d have to say I am truly baffled at people who think Luke was out of character.

To me he was the best part of the film. Every character choice felt right. Thanks to Mark Hamill’s performance he was still recognizable as the Luke from the OT, particularly in his speech patterns (the scene where he is reunited with R2 was a great little moment, the same old Luke we know and love really came out here!), but it was also evident how Luke had changed with age in a realistic and subtle way, which especially makes sense given all he has been through in the past 30 years. Like, I hate to break it to you, but people change as they get older. Like, it’s been 30 freaking years, of course Luke isn’t going to be EXACTLY the same. But the film strikes a wonderful balance of giving him new character traits while keeping a lot of the old ones that make him recognizable as Luke (again, Hamill’s performance really sells this). I have a feeling people are only upset about his characterization because of the plot twist, and about that…

Listen, I get it. I really do get why people would be shocked or upset that Luke considered killing Kylo Ren. I really do. I mean, the reason myself and so many people admire him so much is because of his great compassion and his ability to see the good in people. It’s an important part of his character and I really do understand why that choice might upset people. But at the same time is it REALLY all that out of character?

First off, the film makes it CLEAR that he was not going to go through with it at all, it was a TEMPTATION. He was NOT planning to murder Kylo Ren, he was just tempted. The same way he is tempted to kill Darth Vader. In Return of the Jedi you can really see the temptation play out. He truly considers killing Darth Vader.

It also makes sense that he would be tempted to kill Kylo because this time his Jedi Order is at stake. In Return of the Jedi he has nothing to lose. To him, Leia is a second hope if he fails. If Vader doesn’t turn good, Luke doesn’t stand a chance of defeating the Emperor alone. If he kills Vader, he will likely end up being won over by the Dark Side or defeated by the Emperor if he refuses to join the Dark Side. His only hope is for Vader to join him and he is willing to sacrifice himself if it means getting a chance to bring Vader back to the light.

By the time Luke starts training more Jedi, though, there is much more at risk. It is not Luke’s own life at stake, but the lives of all of his students, and if Kylo Ren is a threat to all of that then Luke considers doing what he thinks will protect his students. He soon realizes this is wrong to even consider, but by that point it is too late. He made a mistake and had to pay for it. Is it really that unrealistic that Luke would make a mistake or be tempted? His compassion is his best trait, but even the most compassionate Jedi can be tempted by the Dark Side. He realizes later that he made a mistake and clearly feels remorse for it. It’s not like he turned to the Dark Side or actually murdered someone, so I’m not sure why people are upset at the thought of him being tempted. Do we not want our characters to be challenged and consider doing the wrong thing? Aren’t character flaws a good thing?

Luke is not perfect, and this is what makes him such a great character. Stories need conflict and nobody wants to watch a hero who has no flaws. I’m happy with the way Luke was handled in this film and I hope that more people eventually realize the excellent writing of his character in this film.