Re: Star Wars: The Last Jedi SPOILER DISCUSSION THREAD
Regardless of what he thought of the material, Hamill turned in an amazing performance that really sold me on some choices that were... well, not what I had been waiting thirty years to see.
As a fan, yes, I viscerally wanted this to be a triumphant Luke Skywalker story... even though I understood that it really shouldn't be. Like everyone, yes, I wanted to see what sort of Jedi Master he had be come, and that it was all an illusion stung a little. His arc was so well done, though, and was so crucial to positioning the other players in the story, that I can't get mad about it. His conversation with Yoda was a punch to the gut, and I felt wounded when Luke faded away. Even if his role didn't fulfill every fantasy or live up to the character he became in the EU, it absolutely grabbed me for the whole film and I walked away still feeling it. So it was successful.
This film really delivered in areas where TFA lacked; TFA introduced a set of fun characters but the emotional story wasn't really there for those characters, and the stakes were completely absent. In TLJ, Rey and Kylo really came into their own and were given satisfying characters arcs. Their relationship is one of the best parts of the film, alongside Hamill's performance. Even the side story with Finn worked, and I loved the battle, short as it was, between him and Phasma.
The other piece I loved was Carrie Fischer. Her role in TFA was a token at best... Here I fell in love with her character again, and really understood why she commanded such a reputation in the galaxy. I'm glad she had this opportunity before her passing.
In this way, TLJ delivered on my two most crucial criteria:it elevated the new cast into truer and more compelling characters, and delivered some really heart-wrenching performances from Mark and Carrie. As a bonus, it delivered a far stronger core plot that had the weight, urgency, and context that TFA lacked.
In my opinion, they really knocked this one out of the park.
