Just watched the movie. Watching this movie,I can’t but think how badly Disney screwed this trilogy over
1. They gave JJ complete control of movie #7. He decide to take an approach where he uses nostalgia to set up a franchise for a new generation of fans. Quite honestly, I think JJ pulled it off nicely. I didn’t think the movie was 10/10 but it was enough for people like my Gf or friends who ever watched Star Wars. They definitely decided to become fans. The standard rule (and most safest path) is for the first movie of the trilogy to create a roadmap which movie #8 can develop so that #9 can close out. JJ did that fine. He introduced a similar bad guy, a bad empire, Death Star, fake Darth Vader..etc.
2. Disney then decided to give a new director complete control of #8. He decides to completely ruin whatever rest up JJ created. He decides to use movie #8 as a set up with very little development. He even takes the extra set to somewhat ruin pre-established developed themes/arc..etc. IE; Luke takes a huge 180 degree change,
3. In comes number movie 9. Honestly, this movie did fine considered what movie 8 managed to ruin. JJ had to do some damage control and re-establish other basic developments. Snokes is gone? You can use Ben/Kylo as the main bad guy, he has been trashed back and forth in previous movies. Rey is no one? Can’t do that either? You pretty much gave too many hints that she wasn’t. Luke was character was completely destroyed so now you have to fix that?
All in all. I gave this movie 7/10 considering all the previous issues established with movie 8 (TLJ). That said, as a stand alone, watching this movie, it’s pretty bad. I’d give it a 6/10. Most of the point is because of good visuals, music/soundtrack, and acting. The story itself, it’s abysmal.
I don’t blame this too much on Rian. I think it’s a Disney problem. They should have created a road map for the movies and allowed directors some control on how to get conclude each part of the trilogy. Instead, each director was given full control with what feels like little oversight.
It seems Disney was more focused on checklist of what this movies should include (Ie strong female role, homosexual character, nostalgia..etc).
Here is hoping star wars goes on a decently long hiatus. It needs a good break!
I disagree, Luke was some what redeemed with the X Wing lift, something he never could do, he finally managed to do. However all in all Luke got seriously owned. Then again, he was never that OP even though everyone thought all along. His projection feat from the last movie was the best thing he ever did.
Palp told us about the life extention/resurection powers that his master taught him, we at least got to see that in action and what that was like.
The force teleport was very cool. And this movie made the force actually cool and caught it up to a lot of the EU and Video game feats. People had no problem with EU feats and the power of the force, so I dont know why they have a problem with the power of the force in this film.
Ben got to see his dad again and it was cool to see Han.
Leah, well Carrie Fischer died, so she had to as well.
Sidious was the prime evil for 9 movies, so the force brought balance by using his grand daughter to defeat him.
Anakin was a side show and ultimatly a let down.
Ben ended up being a good part of the movies.
I think the actres who played Rey did extremly well with what she was given and she was a good actor.
The films will go on a long break and The Mandelorian will take the reigns for a while and baby yoda is at least fun.
The EU was also full of ridiculous feats. It ventured so far from the original material even within the original saga. The duels in ROTS are on a completely different level in the novel than they are in the movie, so you are used to it as an EU reader.
The movies were never over the top, though. To all of a sudden have corpse Palpatine raising thousands of Star destroyers through a sheet of ice and taking out fleets of ships with lightning when he's never even sniffed that kind of power through the first 6 movies is retarded. Why wasn't he just sitting on Endor blasting the Rebel fleet out of the sky in ROTJ?
The sudden vast increase in power was absurd.
It'll more than likely be explained in the EU but I wish the movie explained how Palpatine came back which it never did. Would've helped maybe if the wrecked Death Star was somehow connected to the Force like Dagobah and Rei gets a flashback to the events of ROTJ to see where the Emperor wound up after his literal fall.