We went to The Last Jedi at the Chinese theater last night. It’s the first time I’ve been to the Chinese since Pulp Fiction or 12 Monkeys, and I feel no pressing urge to go back any time soon. That area of Hollywood is just gross and crowded, like someone took the worst aspects of Times Square in the 70s and now, put them together, and concentrated them into two awful blocks.
But I digress before I even begin, because of course I do.
I loved The Last Jedi. It’s a little long, it has some humor that felt a little out of place to me, and some of the edits were a little jarring, but I am willing to overlook those flaws because it was just a really fun Star Wars experience. I felt like, if I were a kid today, this movie would be my Star Wars, it would the one I would still be talking about in forty years, the way the original Star Wars (that I refuse to call ‘episode whatever’) is for me today.
You may need a second to parse that, because I did and I wrote it so go ahead. I’ll wait.
Hi. I’m still here. Glad you are, too.
I’m not going to discuss specifics, and I hope you won’t comment on specifics, either, so people who haven’t seen it yet don’t have to worry about spoilers. But here are some thoughts:
- I loved that there are so many strong and independent female heroes in Star Wars now. I loved that there are role models for girls the way there have always been for boys, and I love that there are people of color the way white dudes have always been there. I know there’s a type of fan out there who will be pissed about me even mentioning this (keep fucking that chicken, kiddo!) but it’s important in ways those people can’t or won’t understand, and it made me really, really happy.
- I loved seeing characters who were so important to me as a kid. I teared up several times, just because it felt so good to see them again.
- The battle sequences were amazing. The duels were some of the best lightsaber fights I’ve ever seen.
- The Porgs are adorable and fun and didn’t upset or annoy me the way literally everything in that goddamn Jar Jar movie did. I can’t wait to go buy a little Porg plushie.
- The themes of resistance and hope and the refusal to give up in the face of overwhelming odds felt incredibly timely, but also timeless. I loved that that message is there for anyone who wants to hear it.
- I mentioned that it’s a little long. At almost 3 hours, it felt like the second and third parts of a trilogy that started with The Force Awakens. I don’t think that’s a bad thing, just an observation.
- I can’t wait to go see it again. It was in 3D, which I didn’t know before we got into the theater, and I’d like to see it without having to wear smudgy glasses that were impossible to clean. I don’t think it needed to be in 3D, but that could just be my deep-seated aversion to 3D. I’m going to say 3D one more time: 3D (yes, that was two more times. Settle down, Francis.)
- It was a delightful surprise to see Captain EO in the movie. I didn’t expect that, and the CG was kind of incredible. that didn’t really happen i just wanted to see if you were paying attention.
Oh, and you probably already know this, but I went in costume:
Live long, and may The Force be with you!
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Definitely agree with all the points made, and the costume is spot on for attending a new Star Wars movie. Well said, well written!
Agree on all points. Did you remember to bring tissues?
…and also with you.
HAHAHAHAHAHA! thank you, Me. wait. thank ME? welp.
Great review Wil, thank you!! Have a super weekend.
Nice costume, dork =D Simply for your sake, I wore this… http://6dollarshirts.com/divided-allegiance
“I felt like, if I were a kid today, this movie would be my Star Wars…” That is basically how my husband summed it up too. Through the lens of a kid, seeing this as a new thing, independent of the huge franchise it’s become.
I thought the lightheartedness was nice to see, as well as the feeling of a proper new generation feeling. The galaxy has a future, there are people still willing to fight, etc.
Also, props on the outfit choice. Hahaha.
I absolutely LOVE that you went in costume. Especially that costume.
Made my day reading this Wil! Thanks.
Agree with all of it. I found it poetic. And man, do I miss Carrie. What the third movie could have been. And the world.
For some obscure reason, I think your geek code allows you to wear that uniform (er.. costume) with impunity. I enjoyed it as well, and looking forward to taking my kids.
LMAO!! Isn’t that the truth about the Chinese theater! It’s as if it’s in the ghetto! As you walk into the area then you hear Elvis Presley singing “In the ghetto!” LOL!! 👍🤣😜
Yesterday I was talking to a recently-hired software engineer on my team who is in their mid-20’s, and I said something along the lines of “I can confirm the location of but I cannot confirm the existence of .” I then paused like Bad Pun Dog. Pause. Nothing happened. Pause some more. Nothing continued to happen. I was then like “Should we report this to Starfleet Command?” and then tried to do my best Sulu, “Are you kidding?” Pause. NOTHING. This person then revealed they have never seen ANY STAR TREK MOVIE OR TV EPISODE EVER. Also, they have never seen STAR WARS, not one. One day later, my jaw is still sitting here next to me on the desk because it won’t go back on. Seriously, people, these things are important. And really, Wil Wheaton must go to a Star Wars movie in uniform. It’s regulation. And thank you for being you. You boldly push the envelope where no envelope has ever been pushed before. No one else can do it. I tried once, but my wife stopped me. (It was a whole thing, we should probably forget I mentioned it.)
Great post, you make some very good points. I will say I didn’t enjoy The Last Jedi quite as much as you did, but I still had a good time.
Your viewing was almost 3 hrs ? Wow my theatre started it at 11:10 and it ended at 1:35
But I loved it some parts made me sad and happy I teared a little here and there
That’s why you da man!
There was one small scene in particular that seemed totally out of place. I won’t say which one to avoid spoilers, but I think you already know which one didn’t fit in the movie at all.
All in all, great review without giving up spoilers which is hard to do. I missed Captain EO tho 🙂
I don’t think the new characters could ever be quite as iconic as the originals but a big part of that comes down to writing.
Absolutely correct about the Chinese. FWIW the other 6 theaters of TLC have good sound quality and you don’t have to deal with the mayhem on HW BLVD. I was at Universal (non-Atmos only on opening night which was disappointing). Going to see it in Dolby Cinema at the AMC Century City next week and hoping for better sound.
Again correct about 3D. This is not that well suited to 3D, however, if you saw it in ordinary digital you’re going to have those lame glasses that you mentioned that appear to be smudged but that’s really a drawback of the technology, not actual dirt. It is blurry around the edges and you can’t take in the entire screen with your peripheral vision. Kind of like a vignette effect which really takes away from the whole movie experience. RealD3D is so much better than plain Digital, but I have to agree with you that if I have the choice I’ll go see any movie in non-3D.
My biggest complaint would give a major spoiler so maybe I’ll rail about that some other time. 2 Years to Episode 9 so plenty of time to discuss that later.
All in all, I was totally entertained and impressed by most of the story telling aspects and super impressed with the photography. Needless to say: soundtrack was epic.
+10 for the costume!!!!
What are your thoughts on a GotG tie in? I see Benicio’s character perhaps making a crossover.
Well played. The cosplay is strong in you. Agreeing that the Porgs were cute and not overused. And I walked out with more questions than answers.
I found myself laughing at parts when nobody else in the entire theater even made a peep. I was unashamed, and didn’t stifle myself. My first Star Wars theatrical experience was Empire (the first time around), so I feel I’ve got enough Wars seniority to do that.
I agree wholeheartedly with your review, except the length. I sat through the entire Hobbit trilogy in the theater, and my favorite books are the Wheel of Time (which I read as they were released), so I don’t mind things that take awhile.
I love that you wear Trek gear to Wars opening nights, even though you don’t need my validation for that. Just really appreciate that an iconic part of Trek can go appreciate Wars with appropriate tongue-in-cheek.
Thanks for being Wil, Wil. And thanks for sharing Wil with us.
I couldn’t go for awhile so really appreciate your review. Love your sense of humor.
While I appreciate all your points – especially the strength and range of the female characters – I was troubled by a couple of central elements that marred my ability to enjoy the film fully. I won’t get into details, but they have to do with the events that drive Poe (and by extension the entire plot involving him, Finn, and Rose), and the core inner conflict of Luke. In the former case I felt like it made that plot line kind of fall apart, because all the tension and conflict in it was predicated on pointlessly bad decision-making. In the latter case, it boiled down to a fundamental misunderstanding of Luke Skywalker’s character.
I’m genuinely glad you enjoyed it so much, and I wish I could feel the same way. I thought Rogue One was fantastic, but so far I don’t think Disney has managed to fulfill the promise of building a follow-up series to the original trilogy.
Just got back from it myself and I’m still numb. Of course I started to tear up when I saw the Lucas logo and almost forgot it’s a new crawl and I need to read it.
I loved it too and can’t wait to see it again. The funny part was as I was patiently waiting till it was time to leave I was watching Big Bang, of course tonight’s episode was the one when the boys went to see Star Wars on opening night and you ended up going in Sheldon’s place wearing your Star Trek uniform. So awesome you did that for real!
Curious on what your thoughts are on what you’d like to see happen with Leia. With Carrie Fisher’s untimely passing, I am sad that we won’t be able to see Leia’s character arc play out. I would like to see another actor take the role in Carrie’s honor, but I can see how that would be jarring in some respects.
It’s interesting that your observations on some of this mirror my sentiments exactly. The humor, specifically, the first 10 seconds of the scene with Luke Skywalker was hilarious to me. Some of the humor felt forced and misplaced. I loved the scene with Snoke. I teared up during the Han memories. The ending was not what I expected but that doesn’t mean I didn’t like it! It doesn’t fall into my top for, but it might tie for fifth place. We watched it in 3-D at first and my observation is the same as yours: I don’t think that 3-D made the movie… Overall, I give it four out of five light sabers.
You had me going there, because I know what Captain EO is and I thought Did I miss something? hahaha Also loved the movie and agree—it’s the young folks’ Star Wars they will remember as great. And, oh yeah—I got a porg plushie, and it is fabulous.
That last bullet point really had me cracking up! I had to stop and laugh helplessly before I could comment. But I just had to say how much I enjoyed your thoughts on the movie without spoiling it. Also, “Live long, and may The Force be with you” is catchy. Thank you. I always enjoy your sharing.
I must be a dyspeptic curmudgeon because, though a Tolkien, Marvel, Star Wars, Star Trek hardcore devotee as a kid, my interest rarely rises above Meh for any of those things today. I find myself getting excited at the trailers, but then never enjoying the film. They’re just too stock standard, never surprising. Like government cheese. Or Doritos. Okay. Good, I guess. But not special.
I barely made it through one episode of Star Trek: Discovery and only just last month got around to watching Rogue One, which served to remind me of all of the MUCH, MUCH better movies the incredible cast was in.
It’s a weird feeling as an adult that the things you adored as a kid, now cherished by millions, should bring so little pleasure.
And now the death of net neutrality. I will survive!
I get far more pleasure out of the organic and sincere reaction to nerd culture that comes from places like Red Letter Media. They’re obviously bitter ex-fans like me and they have little patience for the sausage factory horror of Hollywood.
Live long and suck it. LOVE IT!
I am so much more Trek than Wars, so I will patiently await the Blu-Ray. My husband, meanwhile, will be seeking out a screening at a theater near him on his next day off work. I doubt he’ll go in cosplay. No worries. Your crown is safe.
I am relieved/happy to see you writing.
You look marvelous!
(In that shirt, that is!)
Bought the girlfriend the noise-making, wing-waving Porg from Amazon about a week ago. So, so, so, so worth it after seeing the movie. Maybe in addition to the plush?
We’re going on Christmas Eve–the family can’t wait!
Overall, I was really happy with it. It was long, but I think it needed to be to give Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher their due and tell interesting stories with these new people. I don’t feel like anyone got shortchanged, and I’m really excited to see how this trilogy closes out.
I pretty much agree with everything you said. About the movie. I don’t have an opinion on the Chinese Theater.
I definitely need to see it again to process it all. And I want to see it again because it was. So. Good.
I love star trek, can’t wait to see this movie 🙂
ΗΑΗΑΗΑ YOU ROCK!
really looking forward to this and I’ve studiously dodged all but 1 trailer, still not keen on this recent 2h30 plus film trend mind
PS congrats on the promotion to command Mr Crusher
Best theater attire ever! I also saw The Last Jedi in 3D. Not 100% sure if it is worth the price of 3D, but no matter. There were 2 Porg-portions that took me a little out of the movie, but I was able to dive back in with no problem. It was smart to keep the Porgs only a little sentient, as making a comedic atmosphere (aka Jar Jar) into something like, oh maybe a member of the Senate (of course I am NOT speaking of OUR reality) was a HUGE mistake. Your post sounds happy, makes me happy also. Seeing Star Wars: The Last Jedi again, to gather those easter eggs.
Ahahaha! 🤣🤣🤣
Solo tu poyrvi andare a vedere STAR WARS con il costume di STAR TREK!
Sei grande! 👍😄
I too had issues with some of the comedic bits, as it seemed a bit much at times. I felt myself thinking “…fucking Disney-fied!” However, the film as a whole, particularly the 3rd act (crystal doggos), was just plain fun. Definitely a solid set-up for the nest film, and I am very much a fan of how they left the Rey/Finn relationship at the end. Also, do we all get those Rebel Rings™ now?
Completely agree with you. I ended up taking my daughter on opening night because it happened to be her 10th birthday. It might have been a school night and she might have stayed up too late, but she loved the movie and now we have a great memory. And for the record she does consider it “her Star Wars.”
I was seven when I saw ROTJ with my dad. My life changed the day a shiny green lightsaber we knew nothing about found its way to the hand of a Jedi. I was smitten. But first, during the crawl, I asked my dad, in a grave voice, “Where are those letters going?” He told me they weren’t letters, but tiny spaceships piloted by the best pilots, who could stay in formation perfectly to make words. And people wonder why I write fanfiction. 🙂
So here’s to you, dad, for letting your daughter stay up to see her Star Wars. This will be a day long remembered.
I saw ROTJ in a theatre when i was six with my dad. I’m 40 now. Your daughter will remember that evening for her entire life. Thanks for being a good dad. 🙂
I LOVED IT AND ALL THE THINGS YOU SAID ARE YES! Also saw it at Chinese Theater in 3D (friend’s family took me as an early birthday gift since I’m working all day Tuesday so no celebrating) and I would rather see it without next time. And the time after. And after that…
Also POOOOOOOORGS!!! 😍
omg, I love this post – one of your best ever! I laughed, I teared up, I laughed again (a lot like our similar movie-viewing experiences) and then I made my husband listen while I read it aloud. I also showed him the visual joke at the end, and then told him the author’s identity. 🙂 So glad you’re obviously feeling a bit more like yourself
This. This is why I come back time and time again, Wil. You definitely put the awesome in awesome sauce.
I’ve seen it twice. And the words I’ve been using so far (because no spoilers) are: I have feelings. I need some time.
I can’t elaborate well without spoilers, but that sums it up. Overall, YES.
Thank you for the review, can’t wait to see The Last Jedi!
“I loved that there are so many strong and independent female heroes in Star Wars now.” And, don’t forget, a strong female anti-hero (Captain Phasma).
What bothers me about 3D is the lower illumination level – 3D movies appear darker, like I’m watching through sunglasses. That is, unless the theater properly increased the brightness of the projector bulbs to compensate.
lmao, love the trolling outfit, amazing.
“May the Wesley be with you, Frodo”
(not seen the movie yet)
Peace and long life to you! I am glad that you enjoyed the film – and i love that you enjoy both franchises!
Well written sir.