Hot Toys The Last Jedi Luke Skywalker 1/6 Figure

[SilverStar17]

Honestly for me the big buildup in TFA was just about seeing Luke himself at the end. I never got the sense that there was some huge, deeper meaning to the lightsaber that was about to be revealed at the start of TLJ. It's main function was simply to connect Rey with Luke, which was accomplished. And when Rey held it out for him, the only real symbolism I saw was of her sort of reaching out for guidance and for a teacher.

In any case, we DO get to see Luke react emotionally to the lightsaber for a few beats before he decides he wants nothing to do with it and tosses it aside. Which I frankly thought was a fun and inspired moment, and one that was perfectly in keeping with the character and personality we see in the following scenes. The idea he would hide out for years on some hidden island and then suddenly be like "Oh wow you found my lightsaber! Ok let me train you now so we can go off and fight the First Order together!" just doesn't make any sense at all with what was established in TFA.

 

[ajp4mgs]

Honestly for me the big buildup in TFA was just about seeing Luke himself at the end. I never got the sense that there was some huge, deeper meaning to the lightsaber that was about to be revealed at the start of TLJ. It's main function was simply to connect Rey with Luke, which was accomplished. And when Rey held it out for him, the only real symbolism I saw was of her sort of reaching out for guidance and for a teacher.

In any case, we DO get to see Luke react emotionally to the lightsaber for a few beats before he decides he wants nothing to do with it and tosses it aside. Which I frankly thought was a fun and inspired moment, and one that was perfectly in keeping with the character and personality we see in the following scenes. The idea he would hide out for years on some hidden island and then suddenly be like "Oh wow you found my lightsaber! Ok let me train you now so we can go off and fight the First Order together!" just doesn't make any sense at all with what was established in TFA.

That's quite an oversimplification of the Luke reaction I was suggesting. Again, I'm not saying he needed to accept the lightsaber at all, or agree to help Rey. I'm okay with the conclusion Luke had reached to turn from the hope that he (and the jedi) could ever snuff out the Dark Side by doing the same things all over again that had failed in the past. But this lightsaber was given to him by Obi-Wan (who died to help Luke and Leia). It belonged to his father, who Luke worked so hard to help redeem. It was lost on Bespin many years prior. It had been brought back to him on an island where no one was supposed to be able to find him. After all that history, this saber found its way back to Luke. He looks at it for a second or two, then just tosses it like garbage.

Would it have broken the movie/plot to have Luke ask Rey the particulars of how she found it? Couldn't there have been a moment where Luke is blown away by seeing this family/jedi artifact again after all this time without damaging the larger story of Luke's rejection of the Force and the jedi? A key part of TFA was having the lightsaber call out to Rey and show her that she's a part of the bigger picture. The lightsaber itself (unfortunately) became more than just a prop to serve the function of connecting Rey to Luke. Abrams had the Force working through the saber. Kylo reacted strongly to it. The saber became a part of the story. Two years later we sit down to watch the next chapter and discover that Luke basically couldn't care less. If that didn't feel disjointed to you, then you saw both movies differently than I did. It seems that you saw it the way the filmmakers apparently were seeing it. That's fine. I guess I would have preferred if Rey had showed up without extending the saber at the end of TFA. Or, just have Luke seem at least a little conflicted (or simply curious) before tossing it like it was trash. Oh well. I'm glad there are fans out there who are on board with how everything played out, and that it makes sense to them.

 

[DCFett]

I don’t think I can agree with that. TFA did simply build this moment with the light saber. Even Kylo claimed it as his own as if there was something significant about it, which it was because it basically verified “the awakening”. I think they had a moment to deepen the story with the “laser sword” and chose to do something that felt, to me, cheap and uninspired. Maybe that was the point, but still a letdown nonetheless. It really made the end of TFA sort of irrelevant. As ajp noted, just a silly red herring and I don think that FEELS very Star Wars and we’ve not seen that really used in this trove of stories before. For me, that was just not very good.

 

[subzro]

Honestly for me the big buildup in TFA was just about seeing Luke himself at the end. I never got the sense that there was some huge, deeper meaning to the lightsaber that was about to be revealed at the start of TLJ. It's main function was simply to connect Rey with Luke, which was accomplished. And when Rey held it out for him, the only real symbolism I saw was of her sort of reaching out for guidance and for a teacher.

In any case, we DO get to see Luke react emotionally to the lightsaber for a few beats before he decides he wants nothing to do with it and tosses it aside. Which I frankly thought was a fun and inspired moment, and one that was perfectly in keeping with the character and personality we see in the following scenes. The idea he would hide out for years on some hidden island and then suddenly be like "Oh wow you found my lightsaber! Ok let me train you now so we can go off and fight the First Order together!" just doesn't make any sense at all with what was established in TFA.

Agree with everything you said. That scene felt perfect to me but i can understand how others would want more

 

[Vortex]

Haha

That saber is cursed.

Used to murder children
Used when Anakin lost his arm and legs
Used when Luke lost his hand

I would toss it too!

 

[TonTon]

I don’t think I can agree with that. TFA did simply build this moment with the light saber. Even Kylo claimed it as his own as if there was something significant about it, which it was because it basically verified “the awakening”. I think they had a moment to deepen the story with the “laser sword” and chose to do something that felt, to me, cheap and uninspired. Maybe that was the point, but still a letdown nonetheless. It really made the end of TFA sort of irrelevant. As ajp noted, just a silly red herring and I don think that FEELS very Star Wars and we’ve not seen that really used in this trove of stories before. For me, that was just not very good.

This sums up how I feel. I think JJ included things that didn’t make much sense for the mystery. If it was Luke’s ROTJ saber at least there could be a short logical explanation of how it came to be in the possession of Maz. Instead there are multiple layers of WTF surrounding the saber—her having it, it giving Rey visions, Kylo saying it belongs to him (has he seen it before?).

If Luke had asked about the saber when Rey presented it to him, contemplated it, and then threw it aside in anger it would have played far better than the slapstick over-the-shoulder throw and been more respectful to the finale of TFA. Rian Johnson’s brand of humor was definitely off for me, and I think this scene was part of that unfortunately.

 

[Hoody999]

This sums up how I feel. I think JJ included things that didn’t make much sense for the mystery. If it was Luke’s ROTJ saber at least there could be a short logical explanation of how it came to be in the possession of Maz. Instead there are multiple layers of WTF surrounding the saber—her having it, it giving Rey visions, Kylo saying it belongs to him (has he seen it before?).

If Luke had asked about the saber when Rey presented it to him, contemplated it, and then threw it aside in anger it would have played far better than the slapstick over-the-shoulder throw and been more respectful to the finale of TFA. Rian Johnson’s brand of humor was definitely off for me, and I think this scene was part of that unfortunately.

Exactly TonTon. The need of Luke somehow casting it aside is OK. It's just Johnsons take on it which is cheap. In fact a lot of the humour is cheap (eg Poe's prank call to Hux, Blue milk *** sucking). It's like they thought this movie has to be different (that's what the fans wanted after seeing TFA), so lets do a bit of Thor Ragnarok/GotG style humour to make it different. I'd even be up for that, but at least make it good.

Could no one at Disney see the humour was off ?

I certainly had no pre-conceptions on how it should go, and really wanted something different, but they corrected too far and failed in my opinion.

Maybe EpIX will have the final undercorrection to the middle ground of goodness ???

P.S Even Luke doesn't like himself If that's not a sign then I don't know what is......

https://www.starwarsnewsnet.com/2017/12/mark-hamill-addresses-luke-in-star-wars-the-last-jedi.html

 

[Saintv1]

It's a weapon that was used to murder children, so I expected Luke to not want it. I didn't expect him to throw it away like garbage, but his reaction makes perfect sense for where his character is at in the film. The film just hasn't told you where his character is at when it happens, so it's surprising.

It gave Rey visions for two reasons: first, because like a lot of significant objects in Star Wars (especially in the EU) it has a strong force connection and Rey was sensitive to that. The second is that JJ Abrams likes mystery boxes and has said outright he doesn't think it matters what's in them. It gives her visions because JJ thought it would be mysterious, and beyond that there was no plan. He didn't have a plan for Rey's parentage, which is why none of the evidence ever pointed anywhere coherent (i.e. the idea that Luke would leave his daughter on a slave world during an era of galactic peace makes no sense).

I don't mean to slag on Abrams because his foundation was really solid and made TLJ possible, but that's the reality of these mysteries. There wasn't a plan.

Rian Johnson took the empty mystery boxes and actually used them to create valuable character moments. Luke throwing the lightsaber away reveals something about his character. Rey's parentage reveals something about her character. The reason Like is in hiding reveals something about Kylo's character.

That's just good fiction.

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[Sithblade]

Presume everyone's seen the film now, clip of Crait Luke
https://youtu.be/UwqxkpanbSM

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[ShadowX81]

I don’t think I can agree with that. TFA did simply build this moment with the light saber. Even Kylo claimed it as his own as if there was something significant about it, which it was because it basically verified “the awakening”. I think they had a moment to deepen the story with the “laser sword” and chose to do something that felt, to me, cheap and uninspired. Maybe that was the point, but still a letdown nonetheless. It really made the end of TFA sort of irrelevant. As ajp noted, just a silly red herring and I don think that FEELS very Star Wars and we’ve not seen that really used in this trove of stories before. For me, that was just not very good.

Or Kylo Ren was a collector of Darth Vader's personal artifacts, so it only makes sense that the lightsaber would be of interest to him.

The idea that the lightsaber was "alive" or had some kind of consciousness was wonky and didn't work.

 

[SilverStar17]

I definitely see a lot of people criticisms with Luke's opening scene with the lightsaber. He could have indeed asked some questions first before tossing it, but I think why it still worked for me personally was because he at least did have a slightly shocked look when looking at it after Rey placed it in his hands, sort of in like an "Oh ****, no way," which then went to "buuuuuut however, I'm done with this."

I suppose the fact that he at least looked at it first as opposed to keeping his eyes on Rey the entire time and summarily tossing it the moment she placed it in his hands, is why it still worked for me.

 

[ShadowX81]

At the very least though, I wish they hadn't done it in a way that was played for laughs.

 

[SilverStar17]

At the very least though, I wish they hadn't done it in a way that was played for laughs.

Yeah, I could see that as well. Honestly, if he accepted it and then later hurled it into the ocean to ensure that any last remnants of the Jedi was indeed gone for good, that probably would have been more dramatic and not be meant for a laugh. Of course, that would have compromised the rest of the film though.

Even though the meaning behind the tossing of the saber made sense to me and as I mentioned, I like how he at least did look at it in his hands in shock first, the manner in which he nonchalantly tossed it I do agree was likely meant to elicit mirth from the audience. Even though overall I didn't have an issue with it, I do concede that the best route they probably could have gone with that scene is Luke merely look at the saber in shock, recognizing it (which he already did in TFA really), but have him simply turn away in silence and retreat to his hut before Rey had a chance to place it in his hands. The saber would still exist in the film, and the point of Luke wanting nothing to do with it would have still been made.

 

[ajp4mgs]

Yeah, Silverstar, I like your suggestion of Luke just turning away and heading to his hut. That would have at least prolonged the intrigue that was carried over from TFA, while not being such a complete dismissal of both the saber and the audience anticipation. He also could have taken the saber and returned it to Rey.

If the point was to use the lightsaber hand-off that was set up in TFA as a way to convey Luke's dark/lost state of mind, it could have still been done in plenty of ways without a letdown that was the consequence of choosing to go for levity. If Rian Johnson wanted to go dark, he could have had Luke look at the saber for a while, then turn his attention to Rey with a menacing look. Luke could ask Rey something like, "Do you know what happened to the man who first held this lightsaber? He turned on those who were looking to him as their hope for salvation. He slaughtered many of them with this very same weapon." Luke then ignites the saber, slowly approaching Rey with a dark and sinister expression, and asks Rey, "Tell me . . . What were you hoping to find here? Your hope for salvation?" Then, as Rey backs away in fear, Luke draws the blade down and hands the saber back to her. He tells her that she wasted her time chasing him down in hopes that he'd come save the galaxy. And that would have kept Luke in the same state of mind that Rian Johnson wanted, but by using the conclusion of the lightsaber hand-off to build drama and intrigue instead of go for a cheap laugh or a "gotcha" moment.

If Rian Johnson didn't want to go as dark, he could have had Luke talk about how when he first held that saber, he was filled with awe and wonder, and convinced of the delusion that he could take his father's saber and fulfill his father's destiny to free the galaxy from the clutches of evil. But now (Luke could explain as he thinks out loud), the nightmares he'd seen (and helped create) have destroyed the young dreamer that he once was. He could have tossed the saber at that point, or given it back to Rey, and been clear that he wanted no more to do with the fight to take down the Dark Side.

There are dozens of ways the scene could have played out that simultaneously respected the mystery established in TFA and kept the same story of demoralized TLJ Luke intact. Instead, we got to have a few people in the theater laugh or chuckle a little. Yay.

 

[davejames]

I don't know, after two years of anticipation and wondering just what would happen next, I really loved being surprised by that moment. I never ascribed any deeper meaning to the lightsaber itself like others here, but TFA did seem to regard it as a kind of sacred object at times, and it was fun to see Luke be like "nope, this isn't nearly as important to me anymore as you all thought."

It never felt like a "spit in the face" to me, but simply the story doing something fun and unexpected. And I love when movies or TV series do that. In fact it actually reminded me of the kind of thing a Joss Whedon or Steven Moffat might do on one of their shows.

 

[ShadowX81]

And that's exactly why it doesn't work. Its not supposed to be "fun" or Whedon-esque. Playing it for an unexpected laugh robs it of any dramatic weight.
It's called Bathos. And a lot of people are sick of movies these days doing it constantly.

 

[subzro]

I have thought of Star Wars as "fun" for 40 years

 

[ShadowX81]

Theres a vast world of difference between "fun" and "funny".

Star Wars has always had a joke or two thrown in, but it has never ever gotten in the way of the drama.

 

[Hoody999]

And that's exactly why it doesn't work. Its not supposed to be "fun" or Whedon-esque. Playing it for an unexpected laugh robs it of any dramatic weight.
It's called Bathos. And a lot of people are sick of movies these days doing it constantly.

Spot on Shadow.


bathos

noun
(especially in a literary work) an effect of anticlimax created by an unintentional lapse in mood from the sublime to the trivial or ridiculous.

I also think the apparently incredibly difficult task of knowing where to put humour in has been lost on Johnson. As I think I said before, it seems like generally an overcorrection to "be different" and to shock. This is welcome in my opinion, but could have still been achieved without so much nonsense.

 

[Protozaius]

Even though I have some major issues with the film, because it's Luke, I'm still getting this figure. At least it could stand as a 'what if" figure much like the Sideshow 12" Kenobi Mythos figure.