The only spoiler here was my night’s sleep. I picked up teen 2 from the cinema at 02:50 this morning with three friends. They weren’t exactly gushing about it.

Kudos that he was up at 7:30 for school. Along with his friend, who happens to be the son of Teen2’s form teacher. I had a lie in.

It does feel a bit like JJ Abrams came up with a load of stuff for TFA which felt star wars-y but wasn’t that well thought out, and this film tosses a lot of it rather than following it through. Snoke a bit random – kill him off without finding out who he is. Skywalker theme music when Rey is discovering her powers – but she’s not a Skywalker after all. I’m a bit conflicted just now.

Loved it from the start with the bomb dropping scene, to the Porgs popping up everywhere, to the humour (started well with the ‘Still holding for…’ scene near the start), the jump to light speed kamikaze run and…well, all of it, for me better than Rogue 1 & Force Awakens

but she’s not a Skywalker after all. 

Or is she…

Skywalker theme music when Rey is discovering her powers – but she’s not a Skywalker after all.

Still hasn’t been revealed who she is.

Half the man he use to be.

Very good! 🙂

Also really enjoyed it……can’t ‘love it’ tho as Han Solo is no more!

Good points

It’s a lot of fun – if you’re taking an 8/9 yo to see this it will blow them away with the set pieces, quips etc.

Kylo Ren / Adam Driver – no doubting that Kylo Ren is bad ass, but he brings just the right amount of ‘petulant teen’ to the role to make it quite different for something such as Star Wars

Photography- some ace bits particularly with the guards in Snoke’s red room and on the mining planet with the red / white contrasts.

Style/tone – thinking about it, it did feel quite different for a massive Star Wars film. Much more tongue in cheek.

Bad points

Mary Poppins bit – why?!?

Rey and the underground mirror – plot device in terms of ensuring that audience would believe that she’d do anything to find out about her parents potentially is the only reason I could find for this. Quite a long scene which slowed the pace and doesn’t seem relevant to story and it’s already a long film

Disney ending – with the kid and the broom, I get the meaning and all that but was a little hammy. I also get that it’s Star Wars!!!

Can’t wait to take the kids to see it tho now Dad has “cleared it”. Ahem!

I actually like the idea that she is not a Skywalker, that she came from nothing and rose as a counterpoint to Kylo Ren, as explained by Snoke. All that ties into the force balance she discusses with Luke earlier on. It just annoys me in retrospect that it seemed so heavily telegraphed in TFA that she was one of the clan. Almost like JJ Abrams put the music there because it sounded good, with no regard for what it communicated.

Also if she isn’t a Skywalker then the whole I-IX sequence surely then centres on Vader rather than the Skywalker clan as a whole, which would be cool. And it makes her bond with Kylo more interesting. I concur that a final revelation that she IS a Skywalker after all could make for some good drama, I just don’t think TFA and TLJ together demonstrate that they know what the overall arc of this trilogy was going to be.

Still hasn’t been revealed who she is.

I think that was pretty well resolved, she’s a nobody.

Good things;

Eddie Hitler has made good.

The humour, like it, messing around with scifi that’s normally a bit Po faced (see what I did there)

The light jump through the fleet

Luke and Yoda

Like the relationship between Ray and Ben

Bad points.

The opening bombing run, just felt a bit lame to me (too much 40’s film influence)

the Casino side story was bit a bit weak.

Snoke? who? what? why? when?

I was really disappointed by it, i loved Rogue One being a stand along Star Wars war film and didn’t mind Force Awakens as despite the fact it was a remake of New Hope it got the tone right.

Last Jedi was all over the shop, it really didn’t know what it wanted to be, one minute Inbetweeners level humour (Hold please…) next minute 60’s arthouse (Ray in the many images in the mirror).

There were some good bits in there and the action sequences were often good, but the Leia floating back on to the bridge from space, whoever thought was a good idea, just cringe worthy?

Plus there seemed to be gaping holes in the plot:

– Absolutely no backstory or explanation of Snook who then gets killed.
– How Ray managed to become a trained Jedi with just two press-ups and a meditation session? And the one thing Luke did try to teach her about the Force she ignores and decides to go down the random big hole anyway?
– Was the Del Toro character actually the code-breaker or that James Bond style smoothie who was actually wearing the flower on lapel?

So i really liked some sequences but overall, i don’t think we needed Star Wars the Comedy as whilst it is good to have humour, so bits seemed childish.

Plus Kylo Ren has more changes of heart and mood than my wife dress shopping.

This

I was really disappointed by it, i loved Rogue One being a stand along Star Wars war film and didn’t mind Force Awakens as despite the fact it was a remake of New Hope it got the tone right.

Last Jedi was all over the shop, it really didn’t know what it wanted to be, one minute Inbetweeners level humour (Hold please…) next minute 60’s arthouse (Ray in the many images in the mirror).

There were some good bits in there and the action sequences were often good, but the Leia floating back on to the bridge from space, whoever thought was a good idea, just cringe worthy?

Plus there seemed to be gaping holes in the plot:

– Absolutely no backstory or explanation of Snook who then gets killed.
– How Ray managed to become a trained Jedi with just two press-ups and a meditation session? And the one thing Luke did try to teach her about the Force she ignores and decides to go down the random big hole anyway?
– Was the Del Toro character actually the code-breaker or that James Bond style smoothie who was actually wearing the flower on lapel?

So i really liked some sequences but overall, i don’t think we needed Star Wars the Comedy as whilst it is good to have humour, so bits seemed childish.

Plus Kylo Ren has more changes of heart and mood than my wife dress shopping.

and this

Good things;

Eddie Hitler has made good.

The humour, like it, messing around with scifi that’s normally a bit Po faced (see what I did there)

The light jump through the fleet although why did it take so long for her to do it, given she was on a suicide mission anyway

Luke and Yoda

Like the relationship between Ray and Ben

Bad points.

The opening bombing run, just felt a bit lame to me (too much 40’s film influence)

The ‘mind chats’ got a bit dull

the Casino side story was bit a bit weak.

Snoke? who? what? why? when?

I was, in summary, a bit bored. I think it suffered from a bit too much self-seriousness; I get you need some depth to characters and plot, but, come on, it’s basically a film about spaceships and lasers.

Tone certainly an issue. One part phantom menace, one part ESB and one part TFA. Needed to balance these elements much better.

Second half was on fire though.

Interesting that the critics seem to be about of sync with general public reviews.

I still think it will be a big initial hit with a drop off.

One part phantom menace, one part ESB and one part TFA

With a rehash of the Emperor/Luke/Vader scene from ROTJ thrown in for good measure.

I will light a flaming fire with this, but I’d rank it as, at best, my fifth favourite Star Wars film.

This should be Christmas number one every year.

I got hit in the neck with a hacky sack. Where’d it come from?

Oh, oh, and, too much Ja-Ja-Guinea-Pig.

Unexpected, and unnecessary, nudity.

I liked the jar jar guinea pigs (I lol’d, nice one)

the thing I disliked about it, was the fact that loads of scenes was some-one elses movie, The casino-rip off of Temple of Doom, the bombing run was every WW2 bomber film, even the chase of the Cruiser was every submarine war film, plus the new AT-ATs and big gun was more or less a shot for shot of the Battle for Helms Deep/Gondor.

A movie trope itself made from cut up movie tropes, seems legit…

Interesting that the critics seem to be about of sync with general public reviews.

i noticed this, i read a number of non-spoiler reviews, Guardian, Independent, Observer over lunchtime on Wednesday and so many were gushing about it, strangely the only one that didn’t rate the film was Den of Geek.

I liked the jar jar guinea pigs

I didn’t dislike them, there was just too much of them. Staring at Chewy while he was eating, funny. Camping out in the Falcon, too much.

And why was the bombing run so slow? They’re in spaceships, ferchristsake, not Lancasters. Not to mention that the really slow bombers appeared out of nowhere, really slowly, without the baddy ship noticing

I was surprised that Poe and Rey hadn’t met until the end of TLJ.

It obviously didn’t happen on screen in TFA but it just seemed a bit odd that they hadn’t met before Rey jumped in the falcon and headed to Ahch-to

Oooops! Misread.

It was….ok. But just ok. I agree with much of the stuff above; pacing was odd, humour seemed a bit forced, shoehorned in cute animals.

On the upside: some excellent visuals, loved Luke’s astral projection scene.

Saw it at 7am this morning at my local IMAX.

Visually phenomenal, but as above, I thought the humour was forced, the dialogue clunky, large parts of the plot were pointless, and I got a bit bored of all the twists/turns. Enjoyable enough that I don’t regret being up at 5:30 this morning for it, but it wasn’t exactly satisfying :/

Quite interested to see what Kermode makes of it.

Quite interested to see what Kermode makes of it.

As a fellow Wittertainee, if i had just seen the film, i would of expected him to pick up on the fact it isn’t very coherent and the strange humour, but as above the reviews by the broadsheet newspapers was all really good, so not so sure now. I expect he will pick up on the visual cues from other films.

I am looking forward to listening to Wittertainment podcast but also to the Empire Magazine one, they tend to be quite geeky and often do a “Spoiler Special” podcast sometime after the film where they really pick it apart and discuss the film with the director with spoilers.

Plus there seemed to be gaping holes in the plot:

I can’t believe that we got halfway through page 2 of the thread before someone said plot holes 🙄

so bits seemed childish.

er….kids film..?

Rey and the underground mirror – plot device in terms of ensuring that audience would believe that she’d do anything to find out about her parents potentially is the only reason I could find for this. Quite a long scene which slowed the pace and doesn’t seem relevant to story and it’s already a long film

I think this is a reference to the fact that she repeatedly says that she’s ‘nobody’, so when she asks who her parents are the answer is ‘nobody’ (hence her own image).
Also the hole is a direct reference to the tree scene in ESB.

I like it more now than I did at the time, now I’ve had chance to think about it.
I also think that the great big gun (Death Star tech apparently) was either knackered, set to tickle mode or not really DS tech because I was expecting it to instantly dissolve the armoured door. Instead it gradually made it hot.

Instead it gradually made it hot.

And Finn could fly straight up the beam in an open topped fighter thingy (that Hero Plumber Lady could seemingly fly without any training) without getting encoalified.

James Corden was about all he should have been.

Hang on, what?

Hang on, what?

Guessing he was the fat X-Wing pilot who says “There’s too many of them” or something to that effect before being shot down.

Instead it gradually made it hot.
And Finn could fly straight up the beam in an open topped fighter thingy (that Hero Plumber Lady could seemingly fly without any training) without getting encoalified.

this was unforgivable!

Although quickly forgotten with Hux’s ‘do you think you got him?’ line to Kylo Ren.

I’m going to see it again in about an hour, will see if it improves.

I can’t believe that we got halfway through page 2 of the thread before someone said plot holes

I know, i know, there are loads of films where plot holes or complete lack of any character do not really matter, but for some reason with this is seemed to really add to the “klunkiness” and seemed to detract from the film quite a bit,

I thought the set pieces were incredible. The light speed take down of the Dreadnought bought gasps and utterences of wow from people in the cinema.

What didn’t sit well with me was the humour. This is Star wars, not guardians of the galaxy. The streetwise fast talking nature of some of the characters was far removed from their previous personalities. And the weird animals, wtf was that thing Luke was milking? (Parents bank accounts??)

That said I’m looking forward to seeing it again. I love general hugs, essentially Micheal gove on space.

It was OK, first 2/3rds felt slow but got better.
Only real criticism was 2 words – which to me wouldn’t be used – spunk and bustard – appreciate it is a story about people not living in western Earth but suspect they wouldn’t use either of those.
Given all the other bits, seems weird I’ve zoned in to those 2 words.
I’d watch it again but not at the cinema.

See also

“laser” and “page turner”

Definitely felt a bit out of place

The light speed take down of the Dreadnought bought gasps and utterences of wow from people in the cinema.

Really? 😐

What didn’t sit well with me was the humour. This is Star wars, not guardians of the galaxy

That it had humour or that you didn’t like the humour?

Humour was what the originals had with Han Solo getting most of the best lines; its Star Wars, it was never that serious and, whilst i love Star Wars, i cant take any of it seriously…humour was sadly lacking in I to III.

Was it a Dreadnought? I don’t think it was, completely different shape…

Big spaceship wot got bombed at the start; Dreadnought

Big spaceship wot got lightspeed-kamikazeed at the end; something else.