We have all seen “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” and we have a lot to say! We give our thoughts, go deep into spoilers, and rank the new movie among the other movies in the Star Wars Saga.
Join hosts Joe Hogarty, Jack McCarthy, Taylor Katcher, and Jay Hart!
WDWNT: Nerd Alert – The “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” Roundtable is now available for download through WDW News Today: Original Programing and iTunes!
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi” took in $220 million domestically this weekend and had the second largest opening in box office history, only to be beaten by it’s predecessor, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”.
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi” also pulled in $230 million from the international box office bringing it’s total global box office to $450 million.
From Variety:
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi” has become only the fourth movie to top $200 million domestically in its opening frame, joining 2015’s “The Force Awakens,” 2015’s “Jurassic World” with $208.8 million, and 2012’s “The Avengers” with $207.4 million. It will finish the weekend 29% above the “Star Wars” spinoff “Rogue One,” which opened with $155.1 million on the same weekend a year ago.
“Truly in a class by themselves, the movies of the “Star Wars” franchise continue to re-write the history books as to what is possible in terms of box office performance,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at comScore.
“‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ posts the second biggest preview gross, the second best single day gross ever recorded and if that were not enough, the second biggest opening weekend ever in North America, joining the elusive $200 million club with a knockout of a movie that is proving to be both catnip to the critics and moviegoers alike over what has become the strongest moviegoing weekend of 2017,” he added.
Audiences surveyed by comScore’s PostTrak gave stellar marks to the tentpole with 66% calling it “excellent” and another 23% rating it “very good.” A total of 79% said they would “definitely recommend” the movie.
Domestic tracking for “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” has remained in the $200 million range since Nov. 22, when first estimates emerged. “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” wound up its domestic run with a record-setting $936.7 million and $2.07 billion worldwide. “Rogue One” went on to gross $532.2 million by the end of its domestic run and $1.03 billion worldwide.
Source: Variety
Check out some amazing concept art for “Star Wars: The Last Jedi”. Warning: Although some of concept art was not used in the film, there are some images that contain spoilers for “The Last Jedi”.
Source: Reddit, Entertainment Weekly
When The Force Awakens first came out, there were complaints from some that the film was more of a remake of A New Hope instead of something totally new and original. A new Jedi is found on a desert planet, a new masked villain emerges, and a new Death Star like panet is destroying planets that are loyal to The Republic. Even though I saw some similarities with A New Hope, I always felt that The Force Awakens stood on its own as a wonderful film in the Star Wars Saga. There were many fans that felt disenchanted with the release of The Prequels and Lucasfilm and Disney had to find a way to bring those fans back. They did so by reintroducing some familiar themes and characters that we all loved. To me The Force Awakens was more of a homage to A New Hope and it was a very welcome return of Star Wars to our world.
Is The Last Jedi a remake of The Empire Strikes Back? Well, again, there are some similarities. A Jedi is trained by an old reluctant Jedi Master. There is a battle that includes AT-AT Imperial Walkers, that looks like it takes place on a snow covered planet, although this time it takes place on a mineral planet, and it’s salt, not snow. The heroes are being perused by the villains in space, and I will be honest, there is a big scene that is very similar to what we had seen in Return Of The Jedi. Good news though, there is no Death Star this time.
Regardless of the similarities of any previous Star Wars movie, The Last Jedi is a fantastic movie and only time will tell if it becomes another classic like The Empire Strikes Back. Director Rian Johnson really introduces bold new concepts and storylines into the Star War Saga and in no way does he play it safe. The last act contains so many shocking revelations, it will take a while for it to fully sink in. Trust me, you will be both shocked and surprised during this film and, in my opinion, that is the best kind of film.
The film takes place right after The Force Awakens. When Rey (Daisy Ridley) finds Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), things don’t go the way she had hoped. Although The First Order received a major blow with the destruction of Starkiller Base, they are even more driven to destroy the Resistance. In a subplot, Finn (John Boyega) and his new alley Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) are on a secret mission to help the Resistance escape from the constant pursuit of The First Order. Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) is also struggling with the repercussions of his actions and also the decisions made by some of the high ranking officers of The Resistance. Those are the main story-lines that jump back and forth with each other, eventually leading to the final battle on the planet Crait between the Resistance and The First Order. There is one other confrontation that I will leave for spoilers.
I absolutely loved the film for taking such risks that most fans never expected we would ever see, especially with Disney now owning the Star Wars franchise. I am still amazed that Disney signed off on some of the things that happened in this movie. Star Wars fans will be talking about these events for years to come. I have seen it twice and I can not wait until I see it again and probably will still be shocked at some scenes.
The Last Jedi is not perfect. I felt we could have done without Finn and Rose’s adventure on Canto Bight. To me, that part felt dangerously close to prequel territory. The planet looked nice and the Fathiers creatures were definitely cool looking, but I felt that whole part took us away from the action. If you need to take a bathroom break or refill your popcorn bucket, this is the time to go.
I love John Boyega as Finn and just felt his talents were wasted sending him on a basically useless mission that had no payoff. People’s biggest worry was the Porgs and whether they were going to be the new Ewoks. I’m glad to say that they actually add some comic relief to the movie, but in a good way. Surprisingly there was a lot of humor in the movie, but some jokes did not hit the mark for me. The last third of the movie definitely makes up for any (minor) issues, although I wish it would have ended 5 minutes sooner. Hopefully you will agree with me when you see the ending I am talking about.
Rian Johnson really delivers with this movie. His direction style is very different from what J.J. Abrams did in The Force Awakens and it is definitely appreciated. Without a doubt, Johnson was the right choice for directing this movie. The acting is just as good, if not better, as the first film. Without a doubt, the standouts in this movie were Daisy Ridley, Mark Hamill and Adam Driver. And Carrie Fisher really does such a great job as General Leia and she will surely be missed. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed the character of Vice Admiral Holdo played by Laura Dern. The cinematography is absolutely beautiful and the imagery perfectly blends practical effects with CGI. The musical score by John Williams hints at the past and pulls in musical cues from both The Prequels and The Original Trilogy. Not Williams’ best but far from his worst, if there is such a thing.
The absolute most shocking thing for me is that Kylo Ren fooled us all. Well, he fooled me. In all of the footage that we had seen prior to the film, there was just a few scenes with Kylo Ren. One scene had him contemplating killing his mother, which most of us believed he would never do (and he didn’t). We also saw him reach his hand out to Rey in a sign of friendship. I personally thought that he realized the errors of his ways and was going to team up with Rey to defeat Snoke. And he did that, but his plan the whole time was to team up with Rey so that they could take down Snoke together and he would be the new leader of The First Order. He simply used Rey the whole time. I did not see that coming at all! Not only that, but he kind of kills Luke by draining him of his Force power!
After The Force Awakens, I always felt that Kylo Ren would redeem himself in this movie. He may have killed his father Han Solo, but he probably had deep regrets for doing it and there was just no way he could kill his mother. Now that Kylo Ren killed both Han Solo and Luke Skywalker, there is absolutely no chance of redemption for him in Episode IX. Even Leia has given up on him at the end, and I am totally OK with that because he is a such great villain. He is right up there with Darth Vader in my book.
Luke being a bit of a hermit/beatnik was kind of an odd choice. It’s just hard to imagine Luke giving up The Force and The Jedi way because he made a mistake, especially when his friends needed him. I’m sure it was not only a letdown to Rey but many fans of the franchise. But Luke did try to kill Ben Solo when he was under his care and that was another shocking revelation. Although I think they wimped out on that by having Luke say, he quickly changed his mind.
Leia being able to use The Force to save herself in the vacuum of space was a bit of a surprise and hinted that she may be much more powerful than we originally thought. I would not be surprised if the original idea was to have Leia confront her son in Episode IX, but after the passing of Carrie Fisher, we will never know. Luke’s use of his Force projection to be in two places at once is a new power of The Force we had never seen before. Will Luke return as a Force Ghost in Episode IX or was his Force Ghost destroyed? We don’t know. I am just blown away by most of these events and never saw them coming at all.
Is The Last Jedi the best Star Wars movie ever made? For me, that title still goes to The Empire Strikes Back, but damn, this movie does not pull any punches and I absolutely love that! I think that time will only be good to this movie and this will continue to get better upon repeat viewings. The Last Jedi is at times shocking, and goes places that you would never imagine. Just when you think you know what is going on, the movie takes a sharp left turn.
Go and see this movie and expect to not only be entertained, but also to be utterly astonished by some of the events that occur in this movie. Expect the unexpected!
I give Star Wars: The Last Jedi a 8.5/10!
China has released new individual character posters for Luke, Leia, Rey, Kylo Ren, BB-8, Poe and Finn from “Star Wars: The Last Jedi”.
Source: Milners Blog
In this newest featurette, see the actual real life locations that were used to film the amazing new worlds of Canto Bight, Crait and Ahch-Too that will be seen in “Star Wars: The Last Jedi”.
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi” opens Thursday night!
Source: Star Wars
Christian Louboutin Star Wars: The Last Jedi commemorative shoes. Left to right: Vice Admiral Holdo shoe, Rose shoe, Captain Phasma shoe and Rey shoe.
Innovation Meets Imagination:
Christian Louboutin Unveils One-of-a-Kind Collaboration with The Walt Disney Studios and Lucasfilm for Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Following successful collaborations marking the release of Cinderella (2012) and Maleficent (2014), Christian Louboutin is pleased to once again collaborate with The Walt Disney Studios to commemorate the release of the latest, highly anticipated entry in the Star Wars saga—Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Invited to San Francisco earlier this year by Lucasfilm, the designer was welcomed at Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), the innovative studio leading VFX and animation for the Star Wars franchise. There, in meetings with Vice President and Executive Creative Director for the Star Wars franchise, Doug Chiang, the idea of the Nomad Shoemaker’s masterpiece was born; the result is an imaginative and innovative mix of the Christian Louboutin and Star Wars teams’ creativity and savoir faire.
“Disney’s call regarding Star Wars was completely unexpected and surprised me. But I like surprises and this one particularly intrigued me! At first sight, the Star Wars universe and mine seemed far away from one another but when I saw the pictures of the red planet Crait, I instantly understood where it connected and why they had thought of me. Strong ideas and images spontaneously came to my mind,” said Christian Louboutin.
Debuting at the film’s premiere in Los Angeles, the showpiece shoe takes inspiration from the franchise, as well as styles in Christian Louboutin’s collection and a boundary-pushing art piece from the archives, the Ballerina Ultima, which boasts a breathtaking 6” heel. To complement the showpiece shoe, Christian Louboutin has created four exclusive custom shoe styles epitomizing the spirit of four of the film’s heroines: Rey (Daisy Ridley), Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo (Laura Dern), Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie) and Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran).
Christian Louboutin commemorative Rey shoe.
Christian Louboutin commemorative Vice Admiral Holdo shoe.
Christian Louboutin commemorative Captain Phasma shoe.
Christian Louboutin commemorative Rose shoe.
Each style is embellished with a bespoke glimmering jewel inspired by the Tie Fighter.
“Christian Louboutin’s shoes are truly functional works of art and it was such a pleasure to collaborate with him on the Nomad Shoemaker. The designs I create for films are meant to be experienced cinematically, while Christian’s have an intimate tangible relationship with their wearers. With this collaboration he has masterfully infused Star Wars into his magnificent, one-of-a-kind creations,” said Doug Chiang.
The Nomad Shoemaker’s story will continue with the unveiling of this unique showpiece shoe, created by Christian Louboutin and ILM, guarded by a set of glossy red members of the Praetorian Guard, on the red carpet of the film’s world premiere in Los Angeles on December 9. The custom display for the shoe will feature a hyper-realistic holographic installation. For the designer, the use of a hologram was the best way to express his vision: a combination of creativity, enchanted by magic, enriched by technology. To him, the hologram is the most iconic visual effect of the franchise. This is how the story of the Nomad Shoemaker will be brought to life, inside a unique red crystal showcase, blurring the lines between reality and 3D animation. In this custom-made cabinet will be featured the story of Christian’s avatar—transforming a shredded chiffon pump, symbolic of Couture tradition into a spectacular, futuristic Ballerina Ultima-inspired-spaceship, to convoy the designer around the galaxy.
The commemorative styles—each signed by the designer, as well as the actress who portrays each character the style was created for—will be auctioned on charitybuzz.com/StarWars from December 7 – December 20, with a portion of the proceeds benefitting Starlight Children’s Foundation on behalf of Star Wars: Force for Change. The showpiece shoe, unveiled at the premiere on December 9, will be added to the auction after its much-anticipated reveal. Star Wars: Force for Change, a charitable initiative from Lucasfilm and Disney, harnesses the strength of Star Wars to empower and improve the lives of children around the world. Starlight Children’s Foundation creates moments of joy and comfort for hospitalized kids and their families.
ABOUT STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI:
In Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the Skywalker saga continues as the heroes of The Force Awakens join the galactic legends in an epic adventure that unlocks age-old mysteries of the Force and shocking revelations of the past.
The film stars Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christie, Kelly Marie Tran, Laura Dern and Benicio Del Toro.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is written and directed by Rian Johnson and produced by Kathleen
Kennedy and Ram Bergman. J.J. Abrams, Tom Karnowski and Jason McGatlin are the executive producers. Star Wars: The Last Jedi opens in U.S. theaters on December 15, 2017.
ABOUT STAR WARS: FORCE FOR CHANGE
Star Wars: Force for Change, a charitable initiative from Lucasfilm and Disney, harnesses the strength of Star Wars to empower and improve the lives of children around the world. Since 2014, it was inspired by Star Wars fans, and the countless hours they have dedicated to philanthropy over the past four decades. To date, over $16 million has been raised for charitable causes around the world on behalf of Star Wars: Force for Change. With a bright future ahead, and new Star Wars stories to be told, Force for Change aims to continue collaborating with causes and encouraging others to be forces for change in their own community. To learn more, please visit ForceForChange.com.
ABOUT STARLIGHT CHILDREN’S FOUNDATION
Starlight creates moments of joy and comfort for hospitalized kids and their families. For 35 years, Starlight’s programs have positively impacted more than 60 million critically, chronically and terminally ill or injured children in the US, Canada, Australia and the UK. With your help, more kids and their families will enjoy Starlight Brave Gowns, Starlight Fun Centers and other Starlight programs at a children’s hospital or facility near you. Support Starlight’s work by visiting www.starlight.org.
ABOUT CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN
Christian Louboutin established his business in the First Arrondissement of Paris in 1992. An artist and craftsman with a passion for shoes, his designs for both women and men are unique and recognizable thanks to their signature: the red lacquered soles, and his collections combine wit, glamour, elegance and technical proficiency like none other.
A woman’s natural beauty has always been at the centre of the designer’s inspiration, and 2014 welcomed the launch of Christian Louboutin Beauté with its first nail colour, Rouge Louboutin. Since, the designer has released a range of lipsticks, an eye collection and three fragrances for women: Bikini Questa Sera, Tornade Blonde & Trouble in Heaven.
With a prolific collection of women’s and men’s shoes, handbags and small leather goods, Christian Louboutin now counts more than 135 boutiques around the world.
Watch as Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Gwendoline Christie and Kelly Marie Tran vigorously train in order to show us their best physical performance in “Star Wars: The Last Jedi”.
Director Rian Johnson confirms in this video that Rey (Daisy Ridley) first trains with her staff from Jakku but eventually switches to Luke’s lightsaber to assist in her training.
In Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the Skywalker saga continues as the heroes of The Force Awakens join the galactic legends in an epic adventure that unlocks age-old mysteries of the Force and shocking revelations of the past.
The film stars Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christie, Kelly Marie Tran, Laura Dern and Benicio Del Toro.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi opens in U.S. theaters on December 15, 2017.
Source: Star Wars
Luke really seems like the worst teacher ever in this new TV spot for “Star Wars: The Last Jedi”. Yup. Something not right with Luke.
Source: Star Wars
Lucasfilm has released a new TV spot for “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” and it has some new footage including Finn awaking from his coma. Check it out!
Source: Star Wars
