Re: Star Wars: Episode IX - December 20, 2019
Ask them who their favorite ST character is and why. Laughable question.
Snoke and Kylo are my favorites. Not really a tough question for me to answer.
In fact, Snoke is my favorite SW character outside of the OT. I really appreciate a villain who comes across as competent and menacing without ever descending into a cartoonishly goofy persona; one who delivers strong dialogue that conveys some gravitas and credibility. I dig villains with underlying mystery to their character too; it makes them more intriguing to me. Snoke embodied all of this in TLJ. I loved the way he played Kylo and Rey for fools, and how he sat back and toyed with Rey in that throne room as if she was nothing compared with his mastery of the Force. Overconfidence being his only (and ultimately fatal) weakness sustained his sense of superiority while still leaving a vulnerability to be exploited. And Andy Serkis provided an awesome performance. I thought his delivery was perfect.
Kylo because his character has developed and expanded in a way that gives him a decent amount of depth and complexity. His motivations aren't spelled out in a formulaic or cookie-cutter way. It leaves him open to some interpretation, and offers enough nuance and unpredictability to have kept me guessing so far as to where his character was going. He's a credible threat because of his Skywalker lineage and the on-screen carnage he's been responsible for, but not without flaws and weaknesses - which keeps the character grounded. Cool costume in TFA (imo) also helped. I think Adam Driver has played Kylo pretty well, portraying the complexity/range of the character effectively.
I also think Poe is a cool character. Impulsive and rash, but driven by virtue. Somewhat of a flat character in TFA, but getting fleshed out more in TLJ (with the subplot of him learning to be more of an effective leader). Probably the most classically "Star Wars" character of the new crop - combining take-action hero qualities (that can get him in trouble) with humor and charisma (to help get him out of trouble). And, like many of the cast (particularly in TLJ), Oscar Isaac does a good job with his screen time. His comedic timing is spot-on, even when the jokes were inserted into the script in ways that I didn't like. And the comedic side doesn't undercut the character's more serious side.
Good actors, well-written dialogue, and some creative characterization with all three as far as I'm concerned. It's all subjective, of course, but that's a given when asking about a "favorite" anything.
