Star Wars VIII : The Last Jedi [WARNING: SPOILERS]

[CaptainRAVE]

My 13 year old nephew told me last year that he's "not really into Star Wars". This is the kid that raves about the Marvel movies and needs to know every spoiler before he sees them so that "I can concentrate on all the other details". This is the kid who doesn't want to watch in 3D because he doesn't want his focus taken from other things he might miss. I half-jokingly said "Yeah, it's about the purity of the cinematic experience" and his reply was "Yes! At last someone gets it!". He desperately wanted to watch Bladerunner 2049, but his mum had a get-out with the 15 certificate when I mentioned the bursts of shocking violence.

If Star Wars of today is not engaging with these kids, and it's driving away the now grown up previous generation (who are the parents who take their kids to the cinema), then what future does it have beyond yet another flashy movie full of effects but containing no substance? It's simply another movie marketing exercise to be ignored in an overcrowded market.

Very few teenagers I know are into Star Wars - a tiny percentage in fact. Most of them go on and on about Marvel though. Can't really blame them, Star Wars will always be special to me, but Marvel is in a much better place right now.

 

[VincentHanna]

It's not rocket science.

Teenagers now have literally grown up with Marvel movies. They've been around since 2008 when they were little kids and wore the super hero costumes.

Star Wars hasn't been around in their lifetime until recently.

 

[pitkin]

I wonder how the originals would be perceived if they were new today? I adore the original trilogy, but films come and go so fast now, it's hard to hang on to something for too long before the next big thing comes around. There wasn't so much around with such breath taking, fast paced (for the time) effects. It really was movie magic at the time.

Seeing what George did with the special editions and prequels though, makes me realise that we were lucky they came about when they did. I think they would have been some quickly forgotten CGI filled films if he made them today.

Too many films just think they can throw CGI all over the place and forget any story, this is what happened with the Last Jedi, and what probably would have happened to A New Hope if it was done today.

 

[Steampunk]

Your experience with one 13 year old boy is hardly evidence that Star Wars is not engaging with kids.

I do prefer Marvel movies myself now, but more because they mostly inter-link in some way.

His brother's the same, and if they don't care about it, you can guarantee that none of his classmates do either. If the older fanbase is turned off by the preaching SJW feminist agenda in a poorly written film, and the younger generation don't care because they have Marvel and no nostalgic link to the old SW movies, then where exactly is the future of the franchise? It can't keep going like this Star Wars skinned Bayhem we've been seeing.

 

[VincentHanna]

His brother's the same, and if they don't care about it, you can guarantee that none of his classmates do either. If the older fanbase is turned off by the preaching SJW feminist agenda in a poorly written film, and the younger generation don't care because they have Marvel and no nostalgic link to the old SW movies, then where exactly is the future of the franchise? It can't keep going like this Star Wars skinned Bayhem we've been seeing.

Like I said earlier...

I can't believe SJW stuff is infesting our Star Wars movies, where in the original trilogy our main character eventually becomes a Jedi warrior to fight the oppressive empire to free the galaxy and bring about social justice for all.

 

[JediFragger]

where in the original trilogy our main character eventually becomes a Jedi warrior to fight the oppressive empire to free the galaxy and bring about social justice for all.

And then becomes a miserable cowardly old hermit who wants nothing to do with the rest of the Galaxy and can go suck his balls for all he cares. Great writing.

 

[aardvark]

i don't see the new star wars films as social justice films, just badly written films.

 

[ianh]

Like I said earlier...

I can't believe SJW stuff is infesting our Star Wars movies, where in the original trilogy our main character eventually becomes a Jedi warrior to fight the oppressive empire to free the galaxy and bring about social justice for all.

The OT was more like "Obviously Good vs Obviously Evil" which isn't what the SJW angle of the newer films is about where it's more "My Opinion vs Your Opinion" which is always going to annoy a good portion of the audience when their dislike of the film get's turned into "your Opinion is the new 'Evil' we must fight against" with all the name calling because you don't like a film.

 

[monkentage]

The Alliance to Restore the Republic aimed to restore the Old Republic, which was basically a capitalist free for all. It certainly wasn't a paradise of Social Justice.

I think the poster on the previous page said it best. This Social Justice nonsense is just an excuse for idiots to have a tantrum and Disney/Jar Jar Abrams etc to deflect criticism of
some terrible films.

 

[VincentHanna]

The Alliance to Restore the Republic aimed to restore the Old Republic, which was basically a capitalist free for all. It certainly wasn't a paradise of Social Justice.

At no point in the original trilogy would the audience know that.

 

[PlacidCasual]

It feels like most criticism in this forum has been about the rubbish writing rather than about perceived SJW nonsense. Whilst that might be a highly visible criticism because it is easily counter attacked. The real problem with TLJ is the plot was crap and trampled over beloved characters for no good reason. It took none of the plot threads dangled in front of us in TFA and did anything with them. It was scorched earth tactic that threw away anything plot wise from the previous movies, most especially TFA, and replaced it with nothing of value. I couldn't care less about the demographic make up of films actors but the fact Disney treated this IP so badly with no care and attention and no vision other than a release schedule to satisfy the accountants feels criminally neglectful.

 

[Fubsy]

At no point in the original trilogy would the audience know that.

And what makes you think that they would know it was...

to fight the oppressive empire to free the galaxy and bring about social justice for all.

They didn't. It was the dark side v the light. Sith v Jedi. The empire was a tool of the sith, and it certainly didn't just oppress selectively it was indiscriminate - otherwise they would have just invented a gay ray gun, or lady laser moon, etc.

Seriously, again, the SJW stuff is being used as an excuse from both sides.

TLJ was just a badly written SW story that took it nowhere and it was jarring. Why they didn't have a trilogy written out and stuck with some sort of story arc with questions, answers and problems and resolutions is beyond me. Letting someone in to just "have a go at making a SW film" is just a criminal way of treating such a beloved franchise.

 

[IvanDobskey]

I'm actually starting to think the prequels were better than the Disney abominations!

Rogue One is the only one I'd even consider watching a second time.

 

[VincentHanna]

Watch them again, they aren't.

 

[rubberduck]

Yep, I'd rather re- watch the prequels than the Disney films.

 

[uroboros]

My son and all of his mates much prefer the prequels to the disney ones so not quite sure who the target audience are for these. They have certainly lost any momentum or reasonable places to go with this storyline after TLJ. Regardless this one was the straw that broke the camels back for me but then they have always just been kids films and in hindsight Lucas just got lucky. As previously mentiuoned thank god he didn't have CGI for the original trilogy.

 

[NewGamer11]

There was a fan rumour (wish) which would be pretty cool. That would be that Rey is really Luke and Mara Jade's daughter and Mara Jade shows up in Ep 9 and helps to rebuild the Resistance. Would also be useful if in Ep 9 Kylo and the Knights of Ren went out to try and eliminate any other light side Force users in the galaxy. Perhaps they could then run into someone who sets them back, leading into the next set of movies focussed on that person.

Still unsure myself whether I will see Ep 9 in cinemas. May wait and see what Lucasfilm and Disney say in the meantime.

 

[dannyjo22]

Disney will just ignore the morons and the old fans and plow on as the kids love it. Doesn't matter what grumpy 30/40+ year olds with a hard on for their wet dream fantasy of Luke Skywalker think when the kids will keep coming and they'll keep making money.

My kid and his mates love it (the new films seem almost universally loved by the younger generations) so they're going to keep coming. Accept that fact and either enjoy them or stick to re-reading and re-watching the old stuff, the internet insanity is not going to change things. Sales will and they will remain high.

I agree with that in part, the trouble is Luke was done to almost perfection in the EU (One of the few that was done justice) and they had to go a different route. I think they went in completely the wrong direction but then these films have been made so late and Hamill is so old a continuation of the story like the EU was impossible, unless they recast Luke and started from a closer time point. I'd have preferred that personally.

My son is 8 and he had a real love affair with SW until he became old enough for me to consider letting him watch marvel films. I've noticed from also working at his school that almost none of the kids are interested in these films in the way children were with the prequels. Admittedly the marvel competition wasn't there then but none of them care about Rey or Finn. They may have watched the prequels and originals 100+ times but they have watched the new stuff once.

I've said before I think that's due to the characters, the prequels may have been bad in most peoples eyes but the characters have stuck and achieved cult status, where you are lucky if a kid can tell you the name of anyone in Rogue one. Lucas takes some stick but he put memorable characters in one way or another. I hated but became a huge fan of the prequels when I saw the joy my son takes from them.

I agree re it being an opinion, I personally think they are all right but I've never held the first 3 in such high regard as others.

Which moves me to this point, I totally agree. When I was a kid I thought they were awesome, almost faultless. Re-watching them a billion times with my son they are average at best. Some of it literally makes me cringe but I'm not 12 anymore, in the same way my Son saw Jurassic world 2 and thought it was brilliant, he too will think it's pap in 10 years

I think it's too hard to make a film for 40 somethings, that grew up on the originals, that remember those films like they are still 10 and hope of recapturing anything like the same feelings. They will keep coming up short. Just admit to yourselves the acting and story line was equally as pap in the originals.

 

[VincentHanna]

I've said before I think that's due to the characters, the prequels may have been bad in most peoples eyes but the characters have stuck and achieved cult status, where you are lucky if a kid can tell you the name of anyone in Rogue one. Lucas takes some stick but he put memorable characters in one way or another. I hated but became a huge fan of the prequels when I saw the joy my son takes from them.

I would argue that the clone wars and more recent rebels cartoon series are what have made those characters better, and I know lots of younger kids watched rebels.

 

[No1newts]

I agree with that in part, the trouble is Luke was done to almost perfection in the EU (One of the few that was done justice) and they had to go a different route. I think they went in completely the wrong direction but then these films have been made so late and Hamill is so old a continuation of the story like the EU was impossible, unless they recast Luke and started from a closer time point. I'd have preferred that personally.

My son is 8 and he had a real love affair with SW until he became old enough for me to consider letting him watch marvel films. I've noticed from also working at his school that almost none of the kids are interested in these films in the way children were with the prequels. Admittedly the marvel competition wasn't there then but none of them care about Rey or Finn. They may have watched the prequels and originals 100+ times but they have watched the new stuff once.

I've said before I think that's due to the characters, the prequels may have been bad in most peoples eyes but the characters have stuck and achieved cult status, where you are lucky if a kid can tell you the name of anyone in Rogue one. Lucas takes some stick but he put memorable characters in one way or another. I hated but became a huge fan of the prequels when I saw the joy my son takes from them.



Which moves me to this point, I totally agree. When I was a kid I thought they were awesome, almost faultless. Re-watching them a billion times with my son they are average at best. Some of it literally makes me cringe but I'm not 12 anymore, in the same way my Son saw Jurassic world 2 and thought it was brilliant, he too will think it's pap in 10 years

I think it's too hard to make a film for 40 somethings, that grew up on the originals, that remember those films like they are still 10 and hope of recapturing anything like the same feelings. They will keep coming up short. Just admit to yourselves the acting and story line was equally as pap in the originals.

Fair point, my little one loves the prequels more than the newer ones. Anakin was guff (acting and casting) but he loves Obi Wan and Yoda in particular.