The Last Jedi Luke Skywalker's role in "The Last Jedi": Did you like it?

[AlluAllu]

Because we can't really look into people's minds, I don't think we can judge Luke's immediate emotional reaction. Vader was worse yes, but Luke never looked into his head, he only saw and experienced his actions from outside.

Maybe Luke even saw Han's death on a subconscious level.

 

[Herolee10]

Personally, my issues with how Luke was used in this film comes down to my expectations and feeling like they wasted a lot of potential by choosing this route for the character.

The thung that infuriates me the most is how they turned one of my favorite childhood heroes into a big failure for this film.

Luke failed to revive the Jedi Order. Now if the Jedi are ever brought back, it will not be under his gafance but under Rey's.

Also, it feels like such a missed opportunity to kill Luke off before we can get the chance to see him fight alongside other Jedi Knights, let alone with his pupil (Rey) and how we will NEVER see him wield a lightsaber in combat ever again.

I would have had no problem with him dying at the end of Episode 9 but killing him off just after we got to see him again, let alone before he could correct his mistakes, was a big letdown.

I wonder how Rian can call himself a real fan that understands these characters if the guy playing the character disagrees with very decision you've made regarding his character's portrayal.

 

[Willi Berg]

I think it was interesting that Luke, in a way, failed. Yoda in the PT failed as well. This is the old Jedi establishment. He did go and hide after failing to stop one of his protege from turning to the dark side. Just like Yoda. Also, he is kind of a batty old man like Yoda was in TESB. But still a powerful Jedi Master.

I've been watching a few Mark Hamill interviews for this movie and he seems more in line with this take on Luke in real life as well!

 

[titansupes]

I'm fine ('ish) with what transpired between he and Ben. I'm not fine with him tucking tail and running.

"Those that knew him best believe he went searching for the First Jedi Temple".

Such a great set-up gone to waste. They could've done more with the Temple and how it affects Luke's emotional journey, his relationship with the Jedi way. I mean, they imply that he hasn't even read those books that they gave such a prominent tease in the trailer.

I hope that that aspect of the story works better for me in future viewings.

 

[godisawesome]

I feel I have to make a distinction here: I voted "no" because I didn't *like* Luke's role, and because the core concept for his character in this film feels like a disservice to me. BUT! I do have to admit an admiration for their execution if this idea.

I *feel* like they gave Luke a role they felt they could safely deploy him in to a) make him engaging and b) not overwhelm the story, and they chose a bad way to do that for me, emotionally speaking. But I also *know* they did a great job with their answer to those questions.

So... On the one hand, I feel that a story featuring a Luke with a more complicated and less depressing falling out with Ben, perhaps retreating to Ach-To to desperately figure out what he did wrong, convinced to *actually* train Rey and returning to the Galaxy, and perhaps removed from the starting spot by giving Kylo a win over him, would be a better story of handled well, in the same way I feel that Rey being revealed as the daughter of Luke's disappeared flame could have worked better.

But... On the other hand, considering the issues and dissatisfaction I have emotionally with the direction they took Luke, they did an exquisite job showing me why they thought it could work. Hamill played his part very well. And the ending they chose, while conflicting for me, was, to quote Thrawn, "so artistically done."

 

[Ninjablade]

Yes and no. I did really like the hermit Luke Skywalker, lines up along with Obi Wan and Yoda very nicely. I was okay with that whole set up of him going to die and cutting himself off of the force.

I do take problem with how the whole situation with Ben’s turning was handled. That just felt completely out of character of Luke. It was such a lazy way of trying to figure out what happened, “well my uncle tried to kill me”. That’s the easiest thing they could’ve gone with, I expected so much more out of Johnson. You have the set up that Ben wants to be like Darth Vader, use that as the sole reason. He becomes obsessed with power and Snoke uses that to make him turn.

Also his death seemed tacked on. While a great scene in of its self, I didn’t think it added anything to his arc and just seemed to be in there just because.

 

[godisawesome]

I think his death was there because they'd just given him a set piece where he took over the whole movie and needed him out of there or else he'd keep doing it.

 

[OutOfBoose]

No, I didn't. That is not how I see Luke. That's not what this character deserved. While the end was quite poetic, everything else Luke-related from TFA and TLJ just turns me off.

I have no problem with Hamill's performance though. He was great in the role.

 

[BatLobster]

It's funny. While Hamill himself may have disagreed with the choices, he really did give it his all. I would not hesitate to call it the best (live action) performance of his career.

I loved the little flashes of innocence when he sees Chewie and R2, his inflection sounds dead-on with OT Luke in those moments. He gets to be funny at times, a bit eccentric and quirky at others. He definitely pulls off the gravitas and wisdom when he needs to. He pulls off the sorrow and regret when he needs to. And when he makes his appearance at the end, it's really the ultimate grand master Luke Skywalker we've waited to see. It's just an all-around remarkable performance and to me that alone completely justified and sold the direction they took the character in. If Hamill had phoned it in, I may have not been on board with it, but he's so damn good that I cannot help but be utterly sucked in every moment he's on screen. It all just felt so human and believable.

The guy is a damn treasure.

 

[Willi Berg]

I do take problem with how the whole situation with Ben’s turning was handled. That just felt completely out of character of Luke. It was such a lazy way of trying to figure out what happened, “well my uncle tried to kill me”. That’s the easiest thing they could’ve gone with, I expected so much more out of Johnson. You have the set up that Ben wants to be like Darth Vader, use that as the sole reason. He becomes obsessed with power and Snoke uses that to make him turn.

But Ben was already on his way to the dark side when Luke had the vision of Ben being irredeemable and then tried to kill him.

Luke had a choice whether to kill Ben or not, and he ultimately decided not to. So I don't have a problem with that.

Ben was already under the influence of Snoke and was already a danger.

It's funny. While Hamill himself may have disagreed with the choices, he really did give it his all. I would not hesitate to call it the best (live action) performance of his career.

I loved the little flashes of innocence when he sees Chewie and R2, his inflection sounds dead-on with OT Luke in those moments. He gets to be funny at times, a bit eccentric and quirky at others. He definitely pulls off the gravitas and wisdom when he needs to. He pulls off the sorrow and regret when he needs to. And when he makes his appearance at the end, it's really the ultimate grand master Luke Skywalker we've waited to see. It's just an all-around remarkable performance and to me that alone completely justified and sold the direction they took the character in. If Hamill had phoned it in, I may have not been on board with it, but he's so damn good that I cannot help but be utterly sucked in every moment he's on screen. It all just felt so human and believable.

The guy is a damn treasure.

He really did give his all. I think a lot of people are taking one aspect of his quote about Luke in TLJ and running with it in the most negative way. When Mark seemed to be telling fans to expect the unexpected, to forget their long-held wishes and wants regarding Luke. Including his own expectations.

 

[titansupes]

It's funny. While Hamill himself may have disagreed with the choices, he really did give it his all. I would not hesitate to call it the best (live action) performance of his career.

I loved the little flashes of innocence when he sees Chewie and R2, his inflection sounds dead-on with OT Luke in those moments. He gets to be funny at times, a bit eccentric and quirky at others. He definitely pulls off the gravitas and wisdom when he needs to. He pulls off the sorrow and regret when he needs to. And when he makes his appearance at the end, it's really the ultimate grand master Luke Skywalker we've waited to see. It's just an all-around remarkable performance and to me that alone completely justified and sold the direction they took the character in. If Hamill had phoned it in, I may have not been on board with it, but he's so damn good that I cannot help but be utterly sucked in every moment he's on screen. It all just felt so human and believable.

The guy is a damn treasure.

He was perfection. And that is why-- although I wanted the big Skywalker stuff saved for the main series-- I now desperately want something like Jedi Academy: A Star Wars Story or Master and Apprentice: A Star Wars Story. Something like that.

It'd be Luke, as he appears in the projection (but with the right 'saber), dealing with being a Jedi Master and his Naughty Nephew-- who'd be a teen, and thus not have to be played by Driver pretending to be younger.

Have them on a big mission outside of the Republic's territory. Ben, still pissy at his parents for shipping him off to his uncle, finding out about the Vader lineage and most importantly the Chosen One prophecy (and it all goes to his head, he's more interested in it-- in kind of a vain way-- than Luke would like), Luke admitting that all Skywalkers have struggled with the Dark Side but ultimately come out on top. Luke wary of the future.

Come on. Gives us something, LFL.

 

[BatLobster]

He was perfection. And that is why-- although I wanted the big Skywalker stuff saved for the main series-- I now desperately want something like Jedi Academy: A Star Wars Story or Master and Apprentice: A Star Wars Story. Something like that.

It'd be Luke, as he appears in the projection (but with the right 'saber), dealing with being a Jedi Master and his Naughty Nephew-- who'd be a teen, and thus not have to be played by Driver pretending to be younger.

Have them on a big mission outside of the Republic's territory. Ben, still pissy at his parents for shipping him off to his uncle, finding out about the Vader lineage and most importantly the Chosen One prophecy (and it all goes to his head, he's more interested in it-- in kind of a vain way-- than Luke would like), Luke admitting that all Skywalkers have struggled with the Dark Side but ultimately come out on top. Luke wary of the future.

Come on. Gives us something, LFL.

That'd be pretty rad. I'm not holding my breath for that, but I dig the idea.

 

[Ninjablade]

But Ben was already on his way to the dark side when Luke had the vision of Ben being irredeemable and then tried to kill him.

Luke had a choice whether to kill Ben or not, and he ultimately decided not to. So I don't have a problem with that.

Ben was already under the influence of Snoke and was already a danger.

Very true. I just personally found it uninspired. It felt like the easy way to go.

 

[scarlet-witch]

I liked it. And I think it will be interesting to see where they take it in IX (because you know they have to do something big with him)

 

[Consona]

The second he [BLACKOUT]throws that lightsaber behind his back with that *yeah, whatever, I don't care b*tch* look on his face[/BLACKOUT], you know something's absolutely off.

But you know, you stay open-minded, waiting where it's all heading...

And it gets worse and worse as the movie, I wanted to say "progresses", but that script does not deserve this word.

I can easily see why Hamill fundamentally disagreed with every choice Johnson made. This was not the original trilogy Luke like... at all. [BLACKOUT]Maybe the Yoda scene kinda worked?[/BLACKOUT] Plus [BLACKOUT]the death[/BLACKOUT] was not earned in any shape or form. The writing was too weak for that.

 

[Clark-Kent]

The odd thing thing is that he's floating there, out of harms way as it's all projection. Then all the people watching movie feel relieved... cause well, Luke is gonna be back in physical form (not spirit) for next movie. That of course gets squashed when...

Spoiler

*poof* disappearing Jedi act. Spirit Luke to join Yoda for tea I guess.

 

[writer0327]

I loved it because it didn't give me what I was expecting. I was expecting Luke to be a badass old master, but he wasn't. He was in hiding like Yoda on Dagobah, but unlike Yoda, he was world (or galaxy) weary and jaded and he had failed on so many levels.

I loved his rant about heroes and legends especially, because it spelled out so clearly what Rian Johnson was doing. We all know heroes and legends are great, but we also know they are flawed, and this was a peek behind the scenes in the moment where the hero has failed, has made an impulsive error, or has fallen into despair. In this case, Luke did all three, and it was partially responsible for the rise of the First Order. Stripping down Luke was a bold move and it is executed flawlessly. And then he is redeemed at the end, which makes it all the better.

 

[BatLobster]

I think it was interesting that Luke, in a way, failed. Yoda in the PT failed as well. This is the old Jedi establishment. He did go and hide after failing to stop one of his protege from turning to the dark side. Just like Yoda. Also, he is kind of a batty old man like Yoda was in TESB. But still a powerful Jedi Master.

I've been watching a few Mark Hamill interviews for this movie and he seems more in line with this take on Luke in real life as well!

The whole "the greatest teacher, failure is" moment really was beautiful. It felt kind of like an encapsulation in the broadest sense of all 'dark middle chapters', put in the most succinct and wise way as only Yoda could. And it made me think of his "failed, I have" line in Ep 3. That felt like it really bridged the trilogies there as you know he's talking from experience.

 

[Grievous]

Obi-Wan Kenobi.....he was a beloved character, he was cool, he was noble.....and damn if they didn't kill him off just as he (the beacon of goodness) was going up against Darth Vader (the personification of evil).....they didn't show good triumphing over evil. They didn't show the last great Jedi leading the rebellion against the Empire. They just showed him giving his life to save what people he could. What a waste of a character's chances at being cool in future movies.


Luke Skywalker.....he was a beloved character, he was cool, he was noble.....and damn if they didn't kill him off just as he (the beacon of goodness) was going up against Kylo Ren (the personification of evil).....they didn't show good triumphing over evil. They didn't show the last great Jedi leading the rebellion against the First Order. They just showed him giving his life to save what people he could. What a waste of a character's chances at being cool in future movies.

Your comparison would work if the Prequels actually did come before the Original Trilogy.

 

[nightwing06]

I have to go along with what Mark Hamill has been saying in various interviews.
His reluctance towards Rey was great but i guess closing himself off from The Force explains away some things and altered his thinking and his actions,but so much more could have been done with the character

 

[The Riddler]

i think the problem i had with luke's characterization has more to do with his reaction after kylo turns than his split second deliberation to murder his nephew. i had a problem with luke even considering murdering his nephew in his sleep, but what really irritated me was the fact luke essentially turned his back to kylo, his sister leia, his pal han, and the rest of the universe. there is simply nothing in luke's characterization in the first three films that suggests he would abandon his family and the universe, and stand idly by while kylo and snoke built the first order to prominence.

even more troubling, luke mentions he realized snoke had gotten to kylo -- in what universe does luke essentially say "eff it; snoke, i know you're evil and very powerful, but you can have my nephew and attempt to reign over the universe as well"? certainly not the star wars i knew or expected, and one i don't think makes sense -- within the context of the star wars universe, nor narratively.

 

[Loden Greatstorm]

I have to go along with what Mark Hamill has been saying in various interviews.
His reluctance towards Rey was great but i guess closing himself off from The Force explains away some things and altered his thinking and his actions,but so much more could have been done with the character

I left a happy and satisfied man.

 

[Themanofbat]

It's funny. While Hamill himself may have disagreed with the choices, he really did give it his all. I would not hesitate to call it the best (live action) performance of his career.

I loved the little flashes of innocence when he sees Chewie and R2, his inflection sounds dead-on with OT Luke in those moments. He gets to be funny at times, a bit eccentric and quirky at others. He definitely pulls off the gravitas and wisdom when he needs to. He pulls off the sorrow and regret when he needs to. And when he makes his appearance at the end, it's really the ultimate grand master Luke Skywalker we've waited to see. It's just an all-around remarkable performance and to me that alone completely justified and sold the direction they took the character in. If Hamill had phoned it in, I may have not been on board with it, but he's so damn good that I cannot help but be utterly sucked in every moment he's on screen. It all just felt so human and believable.

The guy is a damn treasure.

^^^ I agree with this.

 

[BlackFox]

Yeah in the end it was fitting

Spoiler

and echoed Obi-Wan from ANH, sacrificing himself so that the larger group could escape for the greater good. I can understand that some might not like Luke being shown as being as "flawed" as he was but it fitted into the themes of the film and was superbly acted by Hamill so worked for me and in the end he still got his hero moment anyway of sorts so went out in a good light. Being a flawed hero though made him more rounded and three dimensional and ultimately more believable as a result.

 

[Spider-Fan]

Yeah in the end it was fitting

Spoiler

and echoed Obi-Wan from ANH, sacrificing himself so that the larger group could escape for the greater good. I can understand that some might not like Luke being shown as being as "flawed" as he was but it fitted into the themes of the film and was superbly acted by Hamill so worked for me and in the end he still got his hero moment anyway of sorts so went out in a good light. Being a flawed hero though made him more rounded and three dimensional and ultimately more believable as a result.

Like I have said before, Luke was always a flawed hero. He abandoned his training, was nearly turned to the dark side, and made all kinds of mistakes in the OT. This idea that Luke should now be a flawless mentor who is all wise like Yoda, just doesn't ring true for me. Luke was never a "Yoda" and the fact he finally is able to face his failures and do what he does in the end makes for a more heroic arc for me then Luke just being this perfect master Jedi would have. Plus, like others have said, Hamill really has never been better in these movies as he is here.