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

[Batmannerism]

Yes and no.

Yes because it's an intresting use of the character and Hamill is excellent in his performance. The last shots of his send off are perfect. Yes because it follows the pattern of the Star Wars saga; older Jedi becomes hermit, trains last hope, becomes one with the Force. His arc is a mix of Yoda (refusing to help at first) and Obi-Wan (failing an apprentice, sacrificing himself). There were also the shades of grey that Lucas bought to the Jedi in Revenge of the Sith.

No because it goes against what's been established for Luke. Luke doesn't give up. Luke doesn't consider killing people in their sleep! Luke is a hero through and through, and it's profoundly depressing to see him abandon the galaxy and his own sister. Also he doesn't fight anyone with his lightsaber. How many years have we imagined what Luke would be like as a Jedi master? How awesome in action? Yet we never see it.

Yeah that pretty much sums it up - although I would say the positives outweigh the negatives

For me Luke was the highlight of the film. A lot of the other stuff they could have left out, but Luke they got right.

Still, it would have been awesome to see him as a Jedi master in action (other than his projection trick)

 

[Adhesive Boy]

Fireworks after Snoke is thrown down a shaft by stoic badass Luke in episode 9 probably would've made the angry fanboys squeal with joy.

Too bad that adds nothing to the Skywalker legacy and mythos.

Tragedy, failure, desperation, shame, hopelessness, etc ironically adds much more because that's when we need to look in the mirror and see Luke Skywalker the most.

Yes, there was no backlash at TFA copying things so saying that fans want the exact same thing again in TLJ makes so much sense. It's also funny to see the complaints about angry fanboys when this forum has consistently had the defenders of TLJ be the worst posters, resorting to straw men, insults, etc towards those that like it. Most have been fine, but the side that has shown the bad side are the TLJ fans.

The problem wasn't failure and tragedy, the problem was that they wrote it in the laziest way where they just changed who Luke is instead of building on what's been established. It just felt like a desperate move to get Luke out of the way by any means necessary so they could fit in their new Luke clone Rey. She's just another Luke, to the hilarious extent that she even had to come from a desert planet, and she's made to be better than him in every way so we should think that she's so awesome.

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

The prequel supposedly gave the fans what they wanted and showed the jedi's powers in their prime (super speed, spinning and dancing like a top, super jumps) and to be honest none of them were more creative or impressive as The Last Jedi's sleight of hand (basically a modern Clint Eastwood using the pan trick).


Of course any Jedi would've been killed by the barrage of torpedos because they are not gods. Yet we get to see two legendary display of power, one is an illusion the other is the real power to project illusions across a galaxy.

The prequels display of full jedi power was much less creative, artful and more juvenile but that's what many wanted from Luke this time around.

 

[Adhesive Boy]

Yeah, the prequels are so loved so that's what people are screaming after. Sounds legit.

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

Yeah, the prequels are so loved so that's what people are screaming after. Sounds legit.

Yes and there's the irony.

Some people don't know what they want.

And then they stare a gift horse like TLJ in the mouth.

TLJ showed Luke seem like an invincible badass while adding a clever twist to the climax and expanding upon the Jedi mythos but it's not good enough because he didn't physically swing his lightsaber to slice up baddies.

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

Yes, there was no backlash at TFA copying things so saying that fans want the exact same thing again in TLJ makes so much sense. It's also funny to see the complaints about angry fanboys when this forum has consistently had the defenders of TLJ be the worst posters, resorting to straw men, insults, etc towards those that like it. Most have been fine, but the side that has shown the bad side are the TLJ fans.

The problem wasn't failure and tragedy, the problem was that they wrote it in the laziest way where they just changed who Luke is instead of building on what's been established. It just felt like a desperate move to get Luke out of the way by any means necessary so they could fit in their new Luke clone Rey. She's just another Luke, to the hilarious extent that she even had to come from a desert planet, and she's made to be better than him in every way so we should think that she's so awesome.

Oh the TLJ fans are the worst kind of fans?

Because of strawmen arguments? But then you make numerous, unfair overgeneralizations.

In fact, you are one of the few in this thread to make things personal.

Pot meet kettle.

You are obviously not a fair judge if you ignore the fact that TLJ haters have the alt right and MRA's goading you and cheering you on.

Not that there aren't some solid criticisms but drop the sanctimonious condescension.

And to your actual film criticism, TLJ is not lazy imo. It gave Luke a redemption heavy swan song and wrapped it up with the stand off that lived up to the legend of the master jedi without giving us god Luke like many wanted.

Elderly master Jedi's aren't gods. Obi Wan and Yoda displayed impressive force powers but they weren't generals taking out armies like their glory days.

Their final acts are as zen and peaceful as they are essential to helping the main protagonist.

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

And more on the redemption point, Luke's defining moment was redeeming his father, it fits that finding redemption for himself finally gives him peace.

 

[ZenTheAvenger]

Spoiler

I really feel like they got really close to a conceptually brilliant idea with Luke vs Snoke &. Kylo. In the movie Luke reveals he’s blocked himself out from the force entirely after what had happened to him and Kylo. However, I feel his could’ve been used to a much greater extent that could have introduced us to the traditional Luke we’re used to.

What if Snoke, having revealed to have the ability to meld Rey and Kylo together with the force in the movie, had found a way to push Luke outside of the force after the events at his training temple with Kylo. He then goes looking for the first Jedi temple as a way to find a way back to the force.

This would help explain why he created a map in the first place. He wanted there to be a way to communicate with Leia and the rebellion while he was far away trying to connect with the force again. This also would explain why he wasn’t able to feel Hans death within the force and the reveal to him from Rey would carry much more weight to it. This could have ultimately led to a final showdown between Luke and Snoke using their respective force abilities to fight one another. Luke would have still felt defeated, powerless in a way, but still wanting to regain his connection within the force to help his family and the rebellion take on the sith and the first order.

The idea of Snoke being so powerful he was able to meld Rey and Kylo together with the force to manipulate her opens a lot of possibilities and capabilities he may have, and the idea that Luke blocked himself from the force entirely is terrific but poorly executed and was ultimately used to write Luke as this weak character that was afraid and gave up. Just a little tweaking could have made a much more compelling story that made Force Awakens and The Last Jedi mesh together just a bit better imo.

See just add that to the movie and it improves ten fold. Good write up.

 

[Spider-Fan]

That idea still makes Luke in an active fight against Snoke, and it is essential to the plot and themes that he was not actively trying to get involved.

 

[FunkMiller]

I'm among those, who think Luke was made out of character in this one. I mean, he knew all Vader's evil deeds and still he was very eager to save him. And now this nonsense. I'm extremely disappointed=((

You mean he was more emotionally attached to his father than to his nephew? Because yes, that’s right.

People seem to want Luke Skywalker to be this whiter than white superhero, completely devoid of any human weakness or fragility.

This is a movie where Luke Skywalker really ****s things up. You’re either on board with that or not.

 

[InCali]

You mean he was more emotionally attached to his father than to his nephew? Because yes, that’s right.

People seem to want Luke Skywalker to be this whiter than white superhero, completely devoid of any human weakness or fragility.

This is a movie where Luke Skywalker really ****s things up. You’re either on board with that or not.

I think it goes beyond emotional attachments. The point in the OT was that Luke knew Vader was not beyond redemption. He didn't feel that with Kylo. He saw no other way out. Imagine the conflict this created in him towards his nephew.

 

[titansupes]

You mean he was more emotionally attached to his father than to his nephew? Because yes, that’s right.

I can't imagine that being right. Luke loved the abstract idea of his father... But he only met him in person... twice. In the first time, he was a monster who'd killed his mentor and billions more across the galaxy, and then chopped off his hand. Luke tried to kill himself rather than join him. The second time, obviously, went... comparatively better. And he got a precious few minutes with the father he could have had.

Ben Solo... Was an actual person he knew and loved. He presumably was there with Ben as a baby. Cuddled him, played with him, encouraged him and guided him (in between running around on Jedi missions).

I can't imagine him feeling closer to Anakin than Ben.

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

I also love that the First Order relies on domination through raw physical power and the resistance/jedi rely on idealism (various forms) and hope.

Luke's stand off embodies this. The resistance doesn't survive from Luke going cheat code on them and physically blowing up AT AT and destroyers with spinning lightsaber and force crushing them to bits.

No it's all a mental projection or in the world of philosophy "idealism".

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idealism

And I guess the conventional definition for idealism also works since Luke's legendary standoff is mostly a projected hope regarding what the jedi can do to help the resistence rather than the less glamorous reality (a hermit in meditation simply gave them seconds to escape rather than being a one man army).

 

[writer0327]

The problem wasn't failure and tragedy, the problem was that they wrote it in the laziest way where they just changed who Luke is instead of building on what's been established. It just felt like a desperate move to get Luke out of the way by any means necessary so they could fit in their new Luke clone Rey. She's just another Luke, to the hilarious extent that she even had to come from a desert planet, and she's made to be better than him in every way so we should think that she's so awesome.

You make it sound far fetched that Luke could have possibly have changed over the course of 30 years.

I get that fans wanted to see Luke grow in a positive way, but that isn't always the nature of characters in stories, and especially Jedi in the SW universe. They seem to all end up going the "hermit" route. Isolated and contemplating their mistakes.

 

[P Supreme]

feels great I can join the conversation saw yesterday but I wish it was under different circumstances I CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT THEY DID WITH LUKE

so he never got to do any battle sequence or scenes with his sister that last longer than a sec nah that's for the old folk

I refuse to believe old age or not that he would contemplate killing his own blood like they implied wish they would have explored the jedi academy instead of that cringe inducing casino segment WHAT A WASTE

and he confronts Kylo through a force hologram WHATTTTTT!!

hope the anthology movies continue to be good cause I'm done with the main series

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

feels great I can join the conversation saw yesterday but I wish it was under different circumstances I CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT THEY DID WITH LUKE

so he never got to do any battle sequence or scenes with his sister that last longer than a sec nah that's for the old folk

I refuse to believe old age or not that he would contemplate killing his own blood like they implied wish they would have explored the jedi academy instead of that cringe inducing casino segment WHAT A WASTE

and he confronts Kylo through a force hologram WHATTTTTT!!

hope the anthology movies continue to be good cause I'm done with the main series

The force projection was pretty nifty imo.

Much more clever and symbolic than Luke going berserker on First Order ships and AT-AT's with mega master jedi superpowers.

Like I pointed out, elderly jedi's don't take put armies with raw power but in more passive/symbolic/thoughtful ways (look at Obi Wan).

 

[C. Lee]

I'm done with the main series

Every time I read someone post that, I think - "You're not playing right....I'm taking my ball and going home."

I can understand someone not liking the movie (different strokes for different folks)....but to say you are done with a series as long as this after one movie doesn't satisfy you....I don't get that.

 

[Brian Braddock]

You make it sound far fetched that Luke could have possibly have changed over the course of 30 years.

I get that fans wanted to see Luke grow in a positive way, but that isn't always the nature of characters in stories, and especially Jedi in the SW universe. They seem to all end up going the "hermit" route. Isolated and contemplating their mistakes.

Hah, exactly. Yoda skulked off to Degobah after getting his ass handed to him by Palpatine and hid out for years. #NOTMYYODA t:

 

[C. Lee]

Hah, exactly. Yoda skulked off to Degobah after getting his ass handed to him by Palpatine and hid out for years. #NOTMYYODA t:

Yeah....I was so done with SW after that........

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

Hah, exactly. Yoda skulked off to Degobah after getting his ass handed to him by Palpatine and hid out for years. #NOTMYYODA t:

#PatheticCowardYoda

 

[InCali]

Yeah....I was so done with SW after that........

I'm done with martinis. I got a soft olive the other day. My dog barked. He's out. I stepped on a piece of glass so I decided to quit walking. My fingers are bothering me now so I'm going to quit typ......................................

EDIT: Sorry. I shouldn't pile one. My bad.

 

[P Supreme]

Every time I read someone post that, I think - "You're not playing right....I'm taking my ball and going home."

I can understand someone not liking the movie (different strokes for different folks)....but to say you are done with a series as long as this after one movie doesn't satisfy you....I don't get that.

not really I don't find the new direction interesting I like my star wars to feature the skywalkers now that it looks like they won't be featured I'm not investing my time with that continuation GL always envision the series as space soap opera well they basically replacing that dynamic with just "randoms" yeah I'm good

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

Yoda and Obi Wan weren't part of force strong royalty.

They were most likely "randoms".

These concepts of royal-chosen one legacies and elitism always end up cursing the jedi more than anything else.

 

[writer0327]

not really I don't find the new direction interesting I like my star wars to feature the skywalkers now that it looks like they won't be featured I'm not investing my time with that continuation GL always envision the series as space soap opera well they basically replacing that dynamic with just "randoms" yeah I'm good

"There is...
....another...
.....Sky..walll...kerrrrrr........"


It's Kylo Ren. The Skywalkers aren't done yet.

 

[InCali]

not really I don't find the new direction interesting I like my star wars to feature the skywalkers now that it looks like they won't be featured I'm not investing my time with that continuation GL always envision the series as space soap opera well they basically replacing that dynamic with just "randoms" yeah I'm good

What about Kylo? He's certainly Skywalker.

It still "may" (if you're talking about heroes). We just don't know yet. Kylo may not end up evil or Rey could, gasp, still be a Skywalker (in which case Kylo isn't just evil, he's also sort of a pervert).

If all you're interested in is the Skywalker legacy, you were bound to fall of this wagon at some point because I think creative choice demand an expansion of the characters. Skywalkers may always play a role, but it'll be much more interesting to bring in characters from other "Walks" of life (pardon the bad pun).