theplatypus wrote:
I loved this hard. Way better than The Force Awakens, up there with Rogue One. I like all the left turns it took, the silliness of some moments and the visceral, gut-wrenching emotion of others. Fights were thrilling, production and art design were gorgeous, and most of the cast was great (it feels cruel to say but Carrie Fisher wasn't even a little bit good). The star of the show was Hamill, of course. How anyone could fault what he brings to this role is beyond me. From the moment he gets the chance to sabotage both expectations and his dramatic re-entry by carelessly chucking his formerly beloved saber over a cliff, his entire performance is a joy. And I love what they did with the character. In promising Rey three lessons, Luke further undoes what we've come to expect of him, becoming a master whose only true aim is to prove how fruitless his life's work has been. His bitterness is such an amazing wrench to hurl into these works. Two scenes in particular, the beautiful "second lesson" and the entire segment with Yoda, really exemplify what Luke (and Hamill) make of this world three decades on.
Rey, of course, once again holds her own, both with her newfound cranky master and later with Kylo Ren. I was really surprised and overjoyed seeing them fight together, and I'm pretty sad that we won't get to see that again. That scene could've been twice as long and I would've been happy. Kylo Ren was even better here than on TFA, his petulance now teeming with something heavier and darker.
There's also a lot of lovely, long game symmetry -- of seemingly hypothetical statements made "real" by movie's end. Like when Luke asks Rey, "What, did you think I was going to grab a laser sword and take on the First Order?" Or when Yoda tells Luke that the sacred cave with the Jedi texts doesn't have anything Rey doesn't already possess.
Quick thoughts: I liked Rose and Finn's sidequest, though it went on a bit long. I enjoyed how it tied the film together thematically, which you don't really realize until the very end. Some of Rose's dialogue was cringy. I loved the rebels in-fighting and Poe's failed mutiny. Sound design and score were on point. Most scenes would have indeed been improved by a wall of flames. But I am very happy with what we got.
Rey, of course, once again holds her own, both with her newfound cranky master and later with Kylo Ren. I was really surprised and overjoyed seeing them fight together, and I'm pretty sad that we won't get to see that again. That scene could've been twice as long and I would've been happy. Kylo Ren was even better here than on TFA, his petulance now teeming with something heavier and darker.
There's also a lot of lovely, long game symmetry -- of seemingly hypothetical statements made "real" by movie's end. Like when Luke asks Rey, "What, did you think I was going to grab a laser sword and take on the First Order?" Or when Yoda tells Luke that the sacred cave with the Jedi texts doesn't have anything Rey doesn't already possess.
Quick thoughts: I liked Rose and Finn's sidequest, though it went on a bit long. I enjoyed how it tied the film together thematically, which you don't really realize until the very end. Some of Rose's dialogue was cringy. I loved the rebels in-fighting and Poe's failed mutiny. Sound design and score were on point. Most scenes would have indeed been improved by a wall of flames. But I am very happy with what we got.
