#and you know maybe the disappointment is ''yeah rian's like oh my god i hate that you Like me i'm gonna throw up. i just didn't say so yet'' | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

thebibliomancer · 3 years

Text

Song of the Dark Crystal liveblog pt 10

Song of the Dark Crystal by J.M. Lee because DON’T TRUST WHO??

Last times in book: Kylan, Naia, Tavra, and Gurjin are on their way to Aughra’s High Hill to enlist her help in warning all Gelfling of the Skeksis’ drinking problem. I.e. they like to drink people. On the way up the hill, Kylan spots some dream-etching in a spider nest that says DO NOT TRUST HER. Vaguely ominous!

Chapter 10

Naia talks to some more plants. The party meets Aughra. Ha ha.

Aughra’s High Hill was not casually named. Within the mountainous forest, it was the highest point in all the land, near where the Black River originated, closest to the suns and moons and stars. Not a high hill, but the High Hill.

Good reason for it to be named like that then.

‘Aughra lives on the high hill’ ‘Oh, which one?’ ‘I don’t think you understand. When I say the high hill i mean THE high hill.’

Anyway, after all that stuff about reading writing under a spider web, Tavra doesn’t even care enough to ask. Gurjin does but Naia just tells him they’re not sure what it meant.

With Naia spending time chatting with Gurjin, it leaves Kylan nothing to do but think which he decides is his role.

If that was his job in all of this, then he would gladly take on the burden.

Its a lonely job possessing the sole pair of braincells to rub together ha ha (just joshing obvs)

Kylan thinks about that mysterious DO NOT TRUST HER message but he can’t really get anywhere on that ponderation so instead decides to ask Tavra what she meant when she said spiders hate Gelfling.

“Spiders hate Gelfling... All Vapra know this.”

“They hate us? All of them?”

“Oh yes. From the death-stingers to the crystal-singers.”

This was news to Kylan, though on reflection he’d never had a conversation with any spider before. The idea that an entire race might loathe his own was discomfiting. He wasn’t even sure what a crystal-singer spider was.

He asks why spiders hate Gelfling but Tavra just tells him to ask the next time he sees a spider. Which is a weird answer.

So I’ve changed my suspicion for what’s up with Tavra from ‘something something Skeksis’ to ‘something something Skeksis but definitely think she’s Spider-Tavra.’

I think the books and the show are following at least the same vague outline so I figure with all the opinions she has on spiders all of a sudden, she might be being controlled by one.

Later, Tavra tells the group they’ll reach Aughra’s by evening and asks if they’ve prepared what they’re going to say to her.

“I plan to tell her the situation and see if she has advice. Is there more to it than that?”

“You’re about to speak to Mother Aughra, the Ram-Horned. The mouth of Thra. She was born of the world, both child and mother. She has seen Thra before the Gelfling were but sprouts in the garden of all creatures. You would speak to her so casually?”

“I’ll speak to her like I’d speak to anyone else,” Naia said. “With respect -- if she deserves it.”

God, Naia is great. Its that Drenchen upbringing. The hard-talk. Just cut right to the point.

Gurjin points out that Aughra probably respects hard-talk since it’s the language of the natural world.

Which I kinda see? As a point?

Tavra just shakes her head at this but doesn’t really object. She doesn’t even want to be here so at best she’s disappointed on principle.

Kylan, almost passive protagonist but definitely a socially withdrawing protagonist that he is, doesn’t add to the conversation. Just thinks anxious thoughts.

Aughra was said to be wise, to know all things -- but as Tavra had said, she might already know about the Skeksis. Worse, she might already know and yet have done nothing. The Gelfling were her favored children, as their lore sang time and time again, but those songs had been written by the Gelfling. Did Aughra think of the Gelfing as much as any flower in her garden? Would she be equally content to see one creature devour another, if it, too, were part of the circle of life?

Its an interesting idea there about the Gelfling being her favored children, according to Gelfling. Like, oh geez what if we overestimated ourselves?

(Although the minor good point to add to this anxiety ramble is that the Skeksis aren’t part of the natural order. So there’s that.)

Gurjin also thanks Kylan for keeping Naia company and helping her in the woods during that whole Gurjin heroic sacrifice thing.

Kylan: “I’m glad you’re alive. I’m glad we all are.”

Aw, friends.

They reach the finger vines as mentioned in Rian’s warning.

Thick orange vines covered the cliff wall in front of them, finger-shaped and tangled like rope that had been left too long to its own devices. No further pathways led deeper into the crag, but Kylan could feel a draft coming from behind the vines. There was a tunnel there but they would have to pass through the overgrowth, and if one part of Rian’s instructions had stayed with Kylan, it was to stay away from the finger-vines.

Tavra hucks a rock into the vines and they immediately tangle about it before dropping it as inedible.

So, I’m pretty sure that these are the same vines that Jen will eventually blunder into. It’s not his fault, he didn’t have a helpful Rian in his life.

I wonder how long the vines take to eat something. Jen is lucky that Aughra was literally right around the corner when he got caught.

I’m honestly a bit surprised that finger-vines are a specific predatory plant and not just. Something Aughra set up to discourage solicitors.

Oh my god, I’m once again blown away by Jen going to visit Aughra in his quest without any idea of her significance. The UrRu never even told him that (for all practical purposes) god lived a day down the road.

I’m sure they did their best but wow. He has holes in his education.

I’m getting off-track.

Naia tries calling for Aughra through the vines but this time she’s not lurking right around the corner so that doesn’t work.

Tavra was unimpressed and unsurprised, almost smug at the situation.

I’m glad that you’re probably a spider, Tavra, because you are being a bummer.

She again calls this whole trip a waste of time which annoys Naia into wing flicking. Love the wing body language but now I’m wondering what specific muscles correspond to that. I guess if your back stiffens... yeah, that makes sense.

Anyway, Naia is so annoyed that she decides to dreamfast with a plant again. She just goes and puts her hands on the vines and instead of entangling her, they do not do that.

Kylan had learned the language of the Landstriders, as all Spriton did. Tavra had certainly learned the tongue of other creatures as well, in her training to serve the All-Maudra. But those were languages spoken on the tongue, in sets of words and phrases. Naia’s unique ability to dreamfast with creatures other than Gelfling let her speak in the universal song of the heart.

This is neat!

It expands on Kira’s beastmastery. At least in the novelization, it’s mentioned during Jen and Kira’s dreamfast that Kira’s podmom Ydra taught her the language of animals.

And apparently it used to be a thing for some Gelfling to learn. But not as much as Kira! Ydra knew a lot!

Anyway, after dreamfasting with a plant again, the vines open like a curtain to let the four Gelfling (or four Gelfling and a spider??) enter.

At the end of the tunnel they find a door to Aughra’s Sweet Orrery.

(Just imagine the Dark Crystal theme in your head)

Most impressive was the enormous moving contraption that occupied the center of the chamber. It filled the space of the room with dozens of huge spheres, mounted on poles and swooping arms. The machine rotated and gyrated like a living thing, spheres orbiting spheres, circling yet other spheres, all of it shining in bronze, copper, iron, and glistening stones. Clearly, the grating sounds emanated from the machine, and the movement of its pieces stirred the air so it felt as though there were a breeze, even inside the crystal dome.

“Amazing,” Kylan breathed.

He recognized some of the symbols etched deep into the metals: the symbols that represented the Three Brothers, others that represented the elements of the earth and water, air and fire.

“Its the path of the stars,” he said. “The suns, and...”

Then Aughra pops up from behind a book tower.

And she is amazing.

“What, you just gonna stare? Walk right into my home just to stare, did you? Maybe you should draw a picture, take it with you!”

This is exactly the kind of Aughra I was hoping for.

Also, the way she speaks the Gelfling language (the single Gelfling language that exists I guess?) with what sounds like an ancient accent to Kylan. Although I’m not sure how he would know, I’d bet he’s right.

Naia takes the lead and tells Aughra that they’re here to ask for her help, calling her Mother Aughra.

“Mother Aughra, eh? Ask for my help, eh? Why is it you Gelfing only call Aughra Mother when you need help? That’s what children do, I guess... I guess that’s what they do.”

‘You never call, you never write’ hahaha

This is quality Aughra content.

With her grump helpfully communicated, she takes note of the party and grumps some more, noting that they only have a Spriton, a Vapra, and a Drenchen.

“Hmph. Three out of seven ain’t bad. It’s still soon. Where are the others?”

And when they don’t have any idea what she means:

“What others, he asks? What others? The other clans, of course! Gelfling gathering. What else is there to know?”

Its like when you arrive to the final dungeon without a full party and the NPC is like ‘lol no go hit some more plot flags’

Aughra sat heavily on her table stool, as if hoping they might go away if she ignored them long enough.

I don’t know how many ways I can say how great this is.

I’m living for it. Unlike Jen, these Gelfling know that Aughra isn’t some random grumpy mountain woman. She’s basically god and she’s behaving like a cranky grandmother. Kylan can’t even warp his head around how different from his expectations this is turning out to be.

I also guess it answers in this continuity whether Aughra was so grumpy in the movie because she’d lost much of her hope after the Gelfling were all but wiped out. It turns out: no, she’s Just Like That.

When a thousand ++ trine you reach, be so nice you will not.

But since they don’t just leave, Aughra decides she will say more things.

“Come on, then, Gelfling. Children. Aughra already knows what you want to know. Whether it’s what you want to hear, though, hmph! Might not be.”

Oh, this sidequest is shaping up beautifully.

J.M. Lee, you have done a marvelous job.

#dark crystal #the dark crystal #Song of the Dark Crystal #liveblog #Kylan #Naia #Tavra #Gurjin #Aughra #this is everything I hoped for

8 notes · View notes

weasley-gal · 4 years

Photo

Cindy’s Top Ten Movies of 2019!

Ahhh...2019. In the interest of building suspense, I could be all cagey about this countdown, but let's face it: For me, 2019 was the Year of Rocketman. As lousy as the real-world year was, it was salvaged by Rocketman. Someone suggested in jest (maybe?) that Rocketman should be numbers one through ten on my year-end list, and that would be fair enough; HOWEVER...I did like some other movies this year, so I'm gonna give you--yes YOU, dear reader(s)--ten of my favorites. Just know in your hearts that the other nine fall way behind number one. Way, WAY behind.

The usual disclaimers:

A movie's position on my year-end list does not necessarily reflect its original Weasley score. Some films age well, bear up, and even improve under repeat viewings. Some...well...some do not. Also, I live in a rinky-dink town, so great movies like JoJo Rabbit and 1917--pictures that almost certainly would have found spots here or gotten very close--have not made themselves available to me yet. This is disappointing, but unsurprising. I'd hung my entire holiday break on the prospect of seeing 1917, only to discover on Christmas Day that its Christmas opening was limited release, and I have to wait until January 10th. Humbug. Finally, I think three or four of these movies already made Variety's "worst of" list for 2019, so kindly do not be too shocked when I diverge from The Serious Critics (TM).

Without further ado, presenting my top ten films of 2019:

TEN

"The most important qualification for any leader is not wanting to be leader."

THE TWO POPES

2019 threw me a nice surprise on its way out the celestial door, with the Netflix original The Two Popes. It's a deliberate, thoughtful, and timely film carried by a pair of the year's most exquisite performances: Jonathan Pryce as Pope Francis and Anthony Hopkins as Pope Benedict XVI. While the subject matter is weighty, this movie is an absolute delight.

NINE

"I'm glad I'm a revelation and not a disappointment."

DOWNTON ABBEY

This big-screen adaptation of the popular television series Downton Abbey, is, in fact, something of a revelation. A totally new story in the familiar and much-loved setting, with just the right amount of fan service, it is a joyful exercise that hits nearly every note perfectly. Making its case for the big screen are breathtaking costumes and production design...and Mr. Barrow finally seeing a bit of happiness doesn't hurt, either.

EIGHT

"We're gonna bury Ferrari at Le Mans."

FORD V FERRARI

At a glance, Ford v Ferrari might seem like a film appealing exclusively to car enthusiasts; however, that assumption does a great disservice to both the film and the viewer. Ford v Ferrari is an inspiring story about people. It's a nail-biter from start to finish, it has heart to spare, and it's fronted by great turns from Matt Damon and Christian Bale. Beautifully filmed race action makes this one to see on the biggest screen you can find.

SEVEN

"It always fits...eventually."

SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE

Technically, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is a last-year movie, but for me it's a this-year movie, and--despite its being the very first film I saw way back in January, 2019--it's far too great to leave off my best-of list. A Marvel property in the hands of Sony, Spider-Verse is smart, funny, touching, and better than the entire Avengers catalog combined.

SIX

"This is a twisted web, and we are not finished untangling it, not yet."

KNIVES OUT

Knives Out is a great piece of original cinema crafted from artful twists, clever humor, and terrific performances, layered with a gorgeous Gothic setting and an ominous score. Written and directed by Rian Johnson, this perfect murder mystery is a huge creative and financial win for the cinema, and I recommend it without hesitation or qualification.

FIVE

"This is the worst...and best...and most terrible...excellent thing that's ever happened to me!"

THE KID WHO WOULD BE KING

Hands up if you missed the Kid Who Would Be King at your local cinema? Yeah, I see you, ALL of you. The good news is that one of the year's most wonderful pictures is now available for streaming and download, and you shouldn't make the same mistake twice. The Kid Who Would Be King is a charming movie, great fun for people of all ages. Truly one of the year's best.

FOUR

"Si vis pacem, para bellum."

JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 — PARABELLUM

The John Wick franchise has become quite the phenomenon, and deservedly so. Continually upping the action ante in Fast-and-Furious-like fashion, these movies are so much more than just your garden-variety shoot 'em ups and beat 'em ups. John Wick is the role Keanu Reeves was born to play, and Parabellum raises the stakes for Wick while doubling down on masterful fight choreography and stunning cinematography. Here's to many more adventures for John Wick!

THREE

"Bruce is the direct line to all that's true in this world!"

BLINDED BY THE LIGHT

Blinded by the Light is another terrific picture that didn't exactly set the box office on fire. Inspired by the true story of one Springsteen superfan, and built on the Boss's epic catalog, it's a hopeful tale about overcoming prejudice and the limitations set for us by ourselves and by others, one of the year's most inspiring movies.

TWO

"Tell the truth to everyone, whenever you can."

YESTERDAY

Yesterday is yet another of 2019's under-appreciated gems, a beautiful, unique movie fashioned around the timeless music of the Beatles. Himesh Patel is a delight in the lead, and--while the premise requires suspension of disbelief--Yesterday is a charming picture that captivates with its "what ifs?" as well as its iconic soundtrack and enchanting cast.

ONE

"You were never ordinary."

ROCKETMAN

My number one movie of the year, and of the decade, was set on May 31st, when I saw Rocketman for the first time. I saw the movie at least twice a week as long as it was at my local cinema. I've watched at least part of it every day since it became available for home viewing. Outside of a week or so around each of the wonderful concerts I saw this summer, I've listened to nothing but the Rocketman soundtrack since the end of May. My phone and all my desktops have Rocketman wallpapers. I've joked (hmm?) that I only speak Rocketman now. The truth is, I'm not interested in speaking anything else. Pre-Rocketman, it had been a decade since a new movie made its way into my all-time top ten. Then there was Rocketman. Pre-Rocketman, my favorite acting performance hadn't changed since 1993. Then there was Taron Egerton's astonishing turn as Elton John. Pre-Rocketman, I was finding reasons to stay away from the movies. Then there was Dexter Fletcher showing us the beauty of real imagination. Rocketman is more than just a well-crafted film that reflects on an iconic artist's inspiring life. It is a film that uses Elton John's art to tell his story in fantastic, creative fashion. It is a film that uses exquisite detail in its styling and costumes to further its vision. It is a film that draws something sparkling and new out of a classic discography. It is a film that is not bound by dull, linear timelines or small minds. It is a film that surrounds a performance for the ages with others that bear it up. It is a film that shows, however dark the times, you will find the light. In doing all these things, it is a film that is saving lives. Rocketman is a film that is, in every way, magnificent. Thank you, Dexter Fletcher and company, for giving us this beautiful movie. Whatever the critics say and whoever wins the prizes as Awards Season bears down upon us, nobody has done anything more valuable this cinema year.

A few Honorable (and Dis-Honorable) Mentions:

While Taron Egerton deserves all the awards, all the time, for his work in Rocketman, there were some other performances this year that also gave me life:

Jamie Bell (Rocketman): Without Bell's Bernie Taupin as his stalwart cornerstone, Egerton's Elton could not have flown. It's a lovely, understated performance that has been grossly underappreciated.

Tom Holland (Marvel Cinematic Universe): Holland is a real gem, a standout who consistently steals the show from bigger names who get weightier work in the MCU. No matter how good, bad, or painfully bloated the movie, Holland is an absolute delight.

Renee Zellweger (Judy): Who knew it was even possible for me to stop hating Renee Zellweger? Well played, 2019.

Rebecca Ferguson (The Kid Who Would Be King/Doctor Sleep): There was little I enjoyed more this year than watching Ferguson chew her way through this pair of pictures. Oh, and if I start walking around wearing a hat, don't ask, m-kay?

Chris Evans (Knives Out): God, I love seeing Chris Evans do *anything* besides Captain America. Bonus points if he gets to be funny. He's really funny, despite his obscenely gorgeous mug.

John Boyega/Oscar Isaac (Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker): These two, individually and together, draw joy out of what's otherwise a fairly mundane exercise. If Finn and Poe somehow jumped to another saga in the Star Wars universe, I wouldn't complain.

The Cast of Jumanji: The Next Level: Top to bottom, a perfectly cast film, and a lesson in how the right actors can elevate any property.

As a matter of interest, if you watch the Irishman and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood back to back, you can effectively calculate how many hours you'll wish you had back when you're on your deathbed.

I would like a word with Gary Oldman's and Sebastian Stan's agents, please.

Cats: Make. It. Stop. Please, just...make it stop.

As this most challenging year winds to a close, I wanted to offer a sincere thank you to everyone who takes the time to read my reviews, and especially those who engage on any of our various platforms. Special thanks to Daniel for allowing me to be a part of his great page, and for tolerating my unceasing randomness. (Hotel Transylvania 4 in 2021, my friend!) I take no one's support for granted, and I’m ever grateful for you all. I wish our readers many blessings as this festive season comes to a close and we roll into 2020. See you at the movies!

#movies #top ten #rocketman #yesterday #blinded by the light #john wick #the kid who would be king #knives out #spider-man #into the spider-verse #ford v ferrari #downton abbey #the two popes

20 notes · View notes

dpargyle · 6 years

Text

Thoughts on the Last Jedi

OMGs so many spoilers!!!!! Also it gets a lil NSFW and super dweeby at the end…. (proceed at your own risk)

So I just got back from The Last Jedi and -

I have so many EMOTIONS!!!

Lemme at least attempt to go through this chronologically…

“The First Order reigns.” I got goosebumps from that opening sentence of the opening crawl. It was like, yup – pretty much the feeling in the real world rn too hahahaha *sobs*

That whole opening space battle scene – ahhhh!!!! I loved so much about it – I especially loved how quickly Rian Johnson (the writer/director) was able to establish Paige Tico’s character – make the audience care about her and then boom she’s gone and I knew she was a goner as soon as they introduced her at Celebration but still it hit me right in the feels – like damn the sacrifices the Resistance is forced to make

At long last we got back to Rey and Luke on Ahch-To and I love how he doesn’t even say anything – he just flips the lightsaber over his shoulder like “thanks, I hate this!”

And then Rey follows him around like an adorable lost puppy for days and days and days and I was like awwww!

Speaking of which – I really liked how Daisy Ridley played Rey this time around – not so naïve (although I loved happy go-lucky, plucky Rey from the Force Awakens) – but she’s grown now – she’s seen some shit – and so as a result her character is a little more galaxy-wise and wary – which I think fits – though we see some of that lighter Rey sprinkled throughout the narrative – the “reach out” moment which I thought was pretty damn hilarious…

As for the new characters – oh my – how I love Rose. She’s this fan girl who’s suddenly grieving and then one of her heroes shows up and she’s all ready to fangirl but then he severely disappoints her but she doesn’t even hesitate – she stuns him – like yeah, she’s excitable and incredibly sad but she’s still gonna do her damn job and I loved it. And we see her grow and mature throughout the film and learn to trust Finn again – and the end where she saves him and then she says “we can’t fight what we hate – we have to save what we love” and then she snogs him and I was like HELLLS YES! What a bad. Ass. Character.. I love her. #protec I already liked the sorts of things Kelly Marie Tran was saying from the press tour – but she brought this character to life and now I have EMOTIONS.

So yeah, I’m totally on the FinnRose ship now since Disney are cowards and Stormpilot is never gonna be a thing ☹ (though I did appreciate when Finn and Poe finally meet up again Finn literally squirts on Finn lmao (I’m sorry I have a dirty mind!) so I think that’s the closest we’re ever gonna get hahaha)

I loved how Canto Bight really illustrated this incredible gap between rich and poor – so similar in our own world right now – and Rose’s rage at this injustice – “I just wanna punch straight through this beautiful, ugly terrible town.” (First off – what a line. Second off that sounds like something Leslie Knope might say hahahaha) Rose was given some of the best and most poignant lines.

Also – the focus on the little children slaves – fuck, that was crushing. And the Fathiers – how their coats were bleeding from the whips and the lashes – damn all so heartbreaking. I’ll get back to the little slave boy at the end – as I think there’s so much going on in that final scene.

Back to the Force montage on Ahch-To with Luke & Rey – damn I love how Johnson elaborated on the Force – showing us what Rey was seeing – such beauty. Such resonance. Kinda reminded me of those BBC nature documentaries (The Planet, etc…) – the beauty and savagery of nature – personified in the Force – ughh so frikken powerful.

As for Luke – his scene with Artoo was the best. Artoo shows him young Leia pleading for Obi-Wan and Luke’s all like “you’re not playing fair” and Artoo basically gives him this shit eating grin and oh gods so good – this is why Artoo continues to be my fave. Character. He is the best. Doesn’t even have to say anything. Like yes! Damn! Ughhh!

Then Luke’s scene with Yoda’s force ghost!!! As soon as you saw that little profile and the ears I was internally going like !@@!#$%&^%!@#$%%@$ and then he just blows up the tree like HaShem in Exodus and you’re like lmao – and he literally tells Luke “Rey has all the knowledge from the Jedi Texts with her already” – then if you fast forward all the way to the very end of the movie when everyone is on the Falcon – Finn is rummaging through a bunch of drawers and if you blinked you missed them – but the texts were in there! Rey up and stole them hahaha – amazing! And Yoda knew too! Ugghhhhhhh I love these characters!

Alright. Now on to the really big stuff.

Holy crap. Snoke is dead. HAHAHAHA! Ren turned out to be the BIG BAD of this trilogy. I guess I shoulda seen that coming, but tbh I was absolutely gut-wrenched. I thought he and Rey would join forces and become gray force users and have babies and it would be beautiful, but it was not to be. When they were fighting Snoke’s red guards I thought that would happen but then Ren is so full of hate and greed he can’t see anything else – he’s dead inside. He can’t see a path to redemption. He doesn’t even ask for forgiveness.

Yes, I know – for the last several months I have been a Reylo. I really wanted them to get together. And when they were force-touching hands I really thought they would – but then this asshole goes and

Decides to tell Rey she’s nothing???? Like what? No. No, no, no. You don’t tell someone they’re trash but they mean everything to you. Like I sorta get what he’s trying to say but he’s being super manipulative. Is that what gaslighting is?

Like fine you murdered Han Solo. You blew up Akbar. AKBAR! But you will not insult Rey. No. That is crossing a line. Maybe he wasn’t even consciously doing it – maybe he thought he was praising her – but really he was just trying to convince her she’s nothing without him. He allowed his rage to rule him.

I’m sorry people who still might see them together – but I no longer do. Rey doesn’t need Kylo’s bullshit. She gave him a chance at redemption and he denied her. She realized she can’t save him – and I think that’s an incredibly valuable lesson to teach young girls.

I’m sorry if that offends some people on the Tumblrs – and you’re totally entitled to your opinion – I’m not gonna be a dick about it (it’s not my way) – but respect that I’ve changed my mind.

As a side note – I think it’s kind of hilarious how whoever the hell Snoke was and who Rey’s parents were don’t even matter! All those theories! All the mental anguish we put into discovering how everything connects to older characters! But it doesn’t. Ha! We deserve it!

Luke made a mistake trying to take out Kylo, no doubt, but Kylo has to be responsible for his own actions. I think that’s what Johnson was trying to say – sure he might have been neglected, abused, and then manipulated by Snoke – but ultimately he had the power to choose – and like so many young men in this day and age – Ben has chosen hate. Rey has chosen hope.

And I choose Rey’s path.

The darkness might reign right now. But the light is strong. And it can burn in us all, if only we allow it to ignite within us.

Sure, the Jedi have a legacy of failure. But as Yoda said, “Failure is the best teacher.” Don’t I know it. Failure is painful. Failure sucks. But that doesn’t mean we burn it all down. We can rebuild. We can grow. We can make new the old.

The Jedi can live again.

And that gives me great hope, kids.

Great Hope.

And now, Luke and Leia.

I….

I can’t even…

This woulda been emotional enough with Carrie Fisher still with us – but now that she’s gone…

“Nobody’s really gone.” – Luke. That last conversation – just the two of them – Oh man, I’m not a crier but sometimes I wish I was. So powerful. So important. So cathartic. Funny. Sad. Bittersweet reconciliation. Imperfect people, imperfect goodbye – but a perfect scene.

I feel like we all needed that. Or I did anyway.

And then….Luke dies.

Luke dies?

Luke Skywalker. Is gone.

What? No! How?

Feels like I’ve known him my whole life – cuz I have. Like he’s a real person and the myth he became all at once. Who was one of the ones who taught us the power of forgiveness. To let go of hate.

And now he’s gone?

I know, I know, I sound ridiculous – he’s not a real person and it’s just a movie and you’re probably all rolling your eyes and saying “bundles you’re being such a dweeb rn” but damn it! stories matter. Characters matter. Words matter. Words have power.

Star Wars is a great myth of our time. The saga of the Skywalkers is our Arthuriana. From Anakin to Rey – this is our Trojan War. Luke is our Achilles.

And now he’s gone? When he disappeared watching those two setting suns (gods what great cinematography) it was like a gut punch. Like fuuuuuuuuuuuuck what now?

How do we go on?

I think Johnson gives us an answer – look to the past – look to the future – to the balance – to the cycle –

Which brings me to that final poignant scene -

The slave boy on Canto Bight. As with Anakin Skywalker all those years ago – he’s a force user (pulling that broom to his hand ala Mickey Mouse in Fantasia) and he’s staring up at the stars and dreaming….he embodies, with his phoenix-inspired Rebel insignia ring – the rebirth of hope – of the rebellion – of the resistance – of the beautiful broken dream that were the Jedi – he is Johnson. He is all of us. From Anakin all the way to this slave boy. And the story repeats. The cycle continues.

The myth lives on. Hope lives on. And if the myth lives on, well then so does Luke – “nobody’s really gone…”

I love Star Wars.

I love stories.

#star wars #sw #the last jedi #tlj #last jedi #rey #luke #luke skywalker #leia #carrie fisher #anakin #myths #mythology #rian johnson #luminous beings & bad feelings

6 notes · View notes

underwaterwoods · 6 years

Text

ok so... this feels weird to say but i have Very mixed feelings about it.

(spoilers below the cut i guess but mostly just feelings honestly)

i never thought i’d be saying this but i think i wanted less?

like.... in some ways we got so much and in other ways....

god, my thoughts are everywhere. it’s so hard to write a reaction post even though i feel compelled to try.

i think what threw me off most was the pacing. i realize what i really wanted was a lot of quiet moments and drawn-out scenes. maybe some people feel like we got that? maybe that was totally not the right thing to expect from a star wars movie? i think i set myself up to want a ghibli movie... i literally had that thought when walking out of the cinema. (BUT DID WE NOT GET A NAUSICAA-ESK, ‘DAILY LIFE OF A SCAVENGER’ SEQUENCE IN TFA? ? DID WE NOT GET THAT? ?????) more ’nothing much happening’ moments on ahch-to for instance. and like... in some ways i’m super thankful the plot was so tight and well thought-out, etcetcetc (and i totally get that it has to be, i get that i get that). (well... nothing HAS to be anything... god bless me i was hoping this shit would be even more weird and nontraditional). basically it made me realize how little i actually care about the plot.

and like.... i really didn’t see this coming but, at least right now, after just my first viewing, i think i still like tfa better? the plot was definitely worse (in tfa) but i feel like we got more time to breathe? and the thing that drew me so much to the interrogation scene - i.e. the crux of my reylo feelings - was, i now realize, not just all the gothic juiciness but the fact that.... it almost seemed out of place in a star wars movie? it was so slow, and kinda rambling, and thoughtful? there were all these pauses? and like.... two solid minutes of just silently looking at each other and struggling with the force? ??????????

i expected there to be so much more subtext and so much less TEXT. like............ we literally.... we LiTeRaLlYY got a force bond. we - i kid you not - we GOT A FORCE BOND and also a HEARTY serving of beefcake??? !!!!!!!

#blessed, i cannot believe, etcetc.

but like

in some ways.... i didn’t even need that much? ??????????????/

i just needed...... just like..... more atmosphere? more psychology? ? more weird cinematography? ?????? more unnecessary pauses? ??????

interlude for list of things i was lowkey sure we were going to get and missed:

- a rematch

- kylo showing up on ahch-to (.... in the flesh!flesh) and like... skulking around for and indefinite period of time

- a time-jump that would give us a sense of perspectives having changed and things being processed (i wanted everything to take more timeeee)

- OH YEAH I ALMOST FUCKING FORGOT. YOU DID SUCH A GOOD JOB OF BREAKING DOWN THE FALSE GOOD/BAD DICHOTOMY. BUT THEN YOU DON’T PRESENT A THIRD OPTION??? ??? YOU LEGIT GO BACK TO THE GOOD GUYS BEING GOOD GUYS? ????? I KNOW I SHOULD HAVE EXPECTED THIS BUT WHERE IS THE ‘FINDING A NEW WAY TOGETHER’ GOODNESS ? ?? WHERE IS THE DISINTEGRATION OF OLD ORDERS IN FAVOUR OF A NEW, INDIVIDUALIZED PATH? ???? and i’m not just talking about the reylo shananigans i’m talking about EVERYTHING.

i’m being way too harsh with that last bit - to be fair there was a lot of good discourse in tlj - shit is just never post-modern enough for my tastes.

/end of list for now/

god this isn’t even real criticism cuz i know rian had so much to pack in and i legitimately think he did such a good job of doing that.

it’s just that it’s made me realize what i actually - ACTUALLY - loved about tfa (and this whole saga).

and even though a side-effect of that was being a bit disappointed with tlj on a personal level, it also feels so so good to remember what i enjoy? it’s like.... the story i really wanted was the story already inside me, however cheesy that sounds. and, though it’s surreal, it feels so good to feel re-connected to that story? and to realize that i’m the one who owns it? i’m the one who owns what i loved so much about all this; what i projected onto it. so... this is gonna sound fake but i am legitimately thankful for the disappointment. it reminded me what’s inside myself.

it is weird though because i don’t think i realized how vividly i’d imagined tlj. the actual, canon movie feels like a phantom version to me right now. my own version kind of feels more like the real one.

so i don’t think it’s that i didn’t like it. don’t get me wrong i think i lowkey loved it. it was just way more of a Conflicted Personal Experience, at least the first time around, than a purely cinematic one, if that makes sense.

i suspect i will have a very different opinion after i watch it the next time, and the next time,and the next...

things i wanna give a shout out to though:

-lolololololololololol, like i said, the beefcake goodness. what on earth. in what reality. also the little snarky exchange just before. what on eART-

-the mirror cave thing - thank the sweet lord for that

-luke carrying that fish

-being ‘no one’ (jesus on crackers i could not be more happy with that)

- finn....... i loved him but i needed more of him. ngl i needed everyone to struggle even more. i needed everyone to have long monologues; i needed everyone to really internally debate a bunch of shit and to just be character-ing it up all over the place. i want every character ever to be hamlet.

-also lolol, if we’re still making the atla parallels (and you know i want to), can we consider this ‘the crystal cave’ section? ??? ! like.... crait caves = heightened shipping moments but also betrayal? ???

i’m not bitter about zutara

- rose was just fucking great. she better be alive? ?? the paige thing was predictable but i’m so glad i had a vested interest going in; i cried.

- shout-out to the kylux shippers; i feel like y’all had a good few moments of Quality Content and i was looking out for you

- holdo <3

- lots of ladies flying things

- leia ? ????? <3

Oh yeah but what was the ‘’twist’’ do y’all reckon? i legitimately don’t know? the luke thing i guess? there’s a few things that could be but nothing felt super super unexpected to me?

oh wait no i just remembered. i think the twist for me was snoke dying. lol i was wrong about kylo not being the Big Bad. i definitely wanted him to be even more pathetic. like super super not having his shit together. don’t get me wrong, h’s a fucking mess. i just kinda hoped he would totally break and there would be nothing left but exquisite vulnerability.

this could go so many directions now - i both love it and hate it.

#tlj reaction #mtp #tlj spoilers #spoilers #spoilerssssssssssssssssssssss #trigger warning for raw untamed subjectivity #i just wanted to get this out there while my actual reaction was still fresh in my mind #i know i'll read things and kinda absorb or be swayed by other people's opinions #at least that's what tends to happen #and before i get influenced i wanted to make some record of what it was like for me today #because despite the mixed feelings it was like.... such a good day #so yeah #this is my relatively immediate first impression #(lol i did walk around the city for like three hours afterwards though)#(so not Immediate!immediate)#(but immediate enough)#who knows what the Discourse will be #i kinda love this short time period where i know hardly anything about what's being said and it's just my own experience #i gotta work on hearing other people's perspectives without letting my own grow smaller...

5 notes · View notes

rainright · 6 years

Text

anyway here’s my TLJ review

spoilers ahead. Also bad stream of consciousness writing.

So I think my ultimate answer to “Did you like The Last Jedi?” is no.

It was choppy, poorly put together in some parts. I thought the dialogue was fine, though I’ve seen complaints on that. Still, there were things that were clearly supposed to be funny or epic that fell flat.

Poe Dameron was completely assassinated. The whole plotline framing was bad. I think it’s ultimately interesting that the theme of the movie is “failure”, and every main character consistently deals with failure . . . So it’s fine for Poe to have all these plans that fail. But the set-up of this trigger happy flyboy who defies his superiors just isn’t consistent with the character. Sure, maybe if he’s a low-ranking kid. But not a 32-year-old commander. Also I’m sure you’ve heard this one before, but it’s not “feminist” for a white woman in a position of power to slap him. And shoot him. For no reason. Because she could have just said “yo, stop.” Whatever. Also being treated like a naughty child - “he’s a trouble maker, but I like him” blah blah blah - is like ???? He’s, uh, he’s a 32-year-old commander. He doesn’t need to have a storyline about acting like a trigger happy flyboy. The plot could still be similar, but I dunno maybe just have it so Poe is in charge but still failing. Not because he’s defying the white ladies’ orders. But just because they fail.

I mostly liked Holdo. I don’t necessarily like how she was framed as being “right” all along. I don’t think someone who withheld her plans deserves to be “right” in the end. Withholding her plans should have been shown as being a failure on her part - not a failure of Poe acting too quickly and stupidly. I thought her sacrifice was fine, though. Mostly because it set up for one of the coolest visual moments.

Leia. My favourite. They did some disservices to her (the Poe thing). People are making a big deal of her not grieving or anything. I would say . . . well, she doesn’t have time. Everything’s moving too fast. That’s pretty consistent with her! She pushes her feelings down and focuses on the cause rather than confront them. It’s what she did after Alderaan. I’d love for her to have a moment to really grieve in Episode 9. I can’t see how that could ever happen of course, which is very disappointing.

It was more of a disservice that Chewie got nothing. His best friend is dead. And yet Chewie is barely even relevant, doesn’t get any character work. Poor bud.

Finn and Rose . . . I love ‘em, I do. Their little side adventure was sort of out-of-place within the time scale, though. I thought maybe some of the timing issues might have been fixed a bit if, I dunno, rather than have the ships just racing away from the First Order, they kept jumping to lightspeed but were always caught not long later? Kinda like that Battlestar Galactica episode (33), where the fleet keeps jumping but the cylons find them in 33 minutes? I don’t know, just something so they could have more time gaps. The plot was too laggy to have happened in, like, a day.

But back to Finn and Rose. I thought their adventure was fun. I actually liked that plotline. It felt very campy and prequels-y. Which doesn’t make it bad. Though yeah, thought it was out of place. The chase with the horse-deer things was fun! I thought it was cute! And yeah, maybe it ultimately doesn’t change much at this terrible planet, but it’s something. And, see, Finn and Rose, unlike Poe, actually are “young” and doing something rash and unplanned is a much better fit in their story than his.

DJ was The Worst. Not right away. But man, talk about a character that really represents one of the movie’s biggest issues. Yes, it takes your expectations and dodges to the right, but sometimes it does it TOO MUCH. DJ is so much that. Criminal-y thief who seems like he’s in it for the money . . . and then ooh he gives Rose her necklace back! How nice. And then, oh, he betrays them. Wow. He doesn’t deserve that betrayal, because I fucking don’t care about him! He’s not important enough, he’s not developed enough! I just don’t fucking care about him! The betrayal is bad because it just doesn’t matter. He doesn’t matter. He’s a nothing. He doesn’t deserve to betray them.

Speaking of being nothing - well, actually, hold that thought. We’ll get to that. I gotta continue with this sideplot first.

Okay so having Finn & Rose kneel before the Nazis is right up there with Poe being slapped as Worst Moments. Like, Moments You Should Have Thought More Carefully About. Implications. I’m not gonna go out and accuse Rian Johnson of outright racism. I don’t know enough about the guy. But . . . you need to think things out. Be more conscious of what images you’re creating. Is there not a team of people involved who can catch these things? Step it up, guys. There’s no excuses for the kind of implicit racism in this movie.

Finn and Rose get a side-adventure which is ultimately about character development. Which is fine. But . . . Maybe the film spends a little too much time on something that ultimately amounts to nothing. While the movie is about failure . . . I do think it is poor storytelling to have such a plotline end in . . . nothing. No pay-off. They don’t succeed. Failure is a great way to really test your characters . . . But in this case you just end up with a plotline that falls flat. There’s no point to it.

I could have done without Rose kissing Finn. No need to shove a romance in where there doesn’t need to be one. Rose was sort of a nice foil to Finn. There were, like, no romantic implications in their story up to that point? And I liked that. Why can’t we have two characters who have an adventure together and don’t have a romance? Maybe I’m dumb and just want my ship to be the most canon though (we’ll get to that).

Well guys guess I left my FAVOURITE PARTS for last. Please understand the sarcasm.

Luke first.

My man. My boy. My favourite son. My plucky wannabe hero. What has happened to you? No no no I don’t like it. I hate to be THAT person . . . but no it’s out of character for you to run off and hide and wait to die while everyone you love suffers and the galaxy is at war. Luke Skywalker would NEVER. Maybe he went looking for answers at the original temple, maybe he got stuck and no one’s been able to find him! He’s been lost for years! But to go into hiding? Shut up this is bad.

That said . . . I did kind of like his stuff. It was, often, quite funny. But he was basically a different character. Which is a shame. Because Luke Skywalker is my favourite. I love him whole-heartedly. But I think I need to separate Legends canon Luke from New Canon Luke, don’t I? This guy’s been completely shattered. And as much as I say “Luke would NEVER” (hey, he didn’t when his nephew Jacen killed his wife! Yes catch me being an old EU fan) . . . this Luke would. This Luke was trusted with the son of his best friends - his sister’s son - and he failed. He ruined everything. The Jedi ruined everything. Or at least that’s what this Luke thinks.

I’m ultimately conflicted about Luke is what I’m saying, I guess. He had great scenes. He just wasn’t the same Luke.

Love that showdown with Kylo Ren, though. Did not love the becoming one with the Force. Though that may mostly be because I would like SOMEONE to be there at the end, if Leia can’t be. One of the Original Trio to be there to guide the newbies forward. But maybe that’s the thing . . . Let go of the past. Maybe the new kids have to find their own way. Maybe that’s ultimately the story here. Which I do like, thematically. They have to find their own way.

But OMG guys REYLO IS CANON ISN’T IT GREAT?!? God I’m kidding. Thinking about how anyone even ships that makes me want to puke. Also it’s not, like, really. You don’t have to read a romance into that. And you shouldn’t, because ew. I don’t know what a 30 year old would want, romantically, from a 19 year old? Though, okay, shut up it’s not the same as Han and Leia - I could talk about them all day, but this isn’t about that. ANYWAY. Kylo Ren’s not even looking for romance. He’s looking for a viable apprentice. Because that’s what Sith do. More on that later.

This seems like an unpopular opinion, but I actually really like Kylo Ren as a character. He’s an interesting villain. How do we top Vader? We don’t. We make a new villain whose pathetic. He wants to be like Vader so badly, and it’s fucking weird and sad. He’s not cool. He has temper tantrums. He’s unstable. He’s threatening because he’s physically powerful and mentally unstable - not on the same scale as Vader.

To treat him like a child is ridiculous, though. He’s, uh, 30 years old? Snoke calls him a “boy” and this is fine as an insult . . . but the story treats him like a kid trying to find himself. Make him younger if you want a story about that! It just doesn’t make sense for someone his age! Yeah, he can be immature and have temper tantrums and all that. But to set up the story of an abused child trying to find themself . .. get outta here.

Force Bonds! Cool, I love Force bonding. A thing from the old EU that I liked seeing. Y’know, like Jacen and Jaina Solo had a Force Bond. Luke and Mara Jade. And other characters who I cared less about, I guess. I thought that was actually interesting. Interesting to set up a link between the hero and the villain. Fine, cool, I’ll give ‘ya that one, I actually liked it. I want them to play it for laughs a little bit in Episode 9, okay. Just like on Rey’s end is a constant barrage of insults. And on Kylo’s is just like “but but but you’re supposed to be my apprentice boo hoo I’m sad and I don’t know how to talk to girls.”

That said . . . if Rey was a male character, would her story still be about trying to redeem Kylo Ren? Mayday mayday we got a textbook abusive relationship here. Trying to make the bad boy better. Ughh. I actually liked a lot of the Rey and Kylo Ren stuff, which really surprised me. But man she trusted him too fast. She ran off to save him. Stupid. Out of character. He killed her new father figure! He hurt Finn! He tortured her! But, hey, I can play this off as her really wanting the Resistance to win, I guess, and thinking that if she turned Kylo they might? Sure.

Rey of course means a lot to me, as a female Star Wars fan who loves Leia and Padme and hates how they’re disrespected by their narratives. For Rey to end up the same makes me sad. Now, I get that she’s conflicted. She doesn’t have that much of a reason to pick a side, after all. I wish wish wish that the focus of the story was more on her trying to find herself, discover who she is. That should be her story, not Kylo Ren’s. She had some of that, but just not enough. She spends too much time trying to save Ben Solo, but Ben Solo’s already dead.

I liked the sort of ‘Kylo Ren becoming a Sith’ storyline. I mean, yeah, apparently he’s not really a Sith. But see, Sith apprentices kill their Masters. That’s a thing. Kylo sees a potential apprentice, so he kills his master. He’ll become the master, he’ll train his apprentice, and the cycle will continue. Kind of interesting just in a ‘this is a canon thing we haven’t seen only heard about’ sense. Sheev talks about it in Episode 3 (or 2? I think it’s 3).

Rey is a nobody. Huh. After spending like 3 years thinking she must be a somebody, it’s kind of a let-down, but I’m pretty fine with it. It’s a fine answer. They’re going for “anyone can be a hero” which I think is pretty thematic to Star Wars. I would have been equally happy if she’d been a Skywalker or a Solo. It makes me think of that one TFA trailer that started with “Who are you?” “I’m no one.” She’s no one, she doesn’t think she’s important. But, see, anyone can be important, if they do Big Things. Luke says the Force doesn’t belong to the Jedi - well, maybe Star Wars doesn’t just belong to the Skywalkers. They tied that theme together at the end, too, with the little boy who must be Force sensitive. My dad thinks Kylo Ren was lying, though (or Snoke lied to him), and Rey’s still a Skywalker, which I’d also be fine with.

I did spend a lot of the movie waiting for MY SHIP TO REUNITE. Because I love Finn and Rey. They are so sweet and wholesome. Good kids. At least we got the payoff of that hug! Yay! I hope JJ comes through for me in Episode 9 and lets those kids be together. Not that Rey needs a man. But, y’know, she can have one if she wants. Particularly Finn, because I’m biased but TFA set them up soooooooo well okay. It’s a good relationship. Very sweet.

Okay, I think I’ve talked about most things? Left out some, of course, but covered the main stuff.

To round up, some of my biggest issues:

Poe being treated like a naughty child. It’s fine for his plans to all fail, but the plotline should have been framed differently.

Finn & Rose’s whole plotline ultimately has no payoff and seems like it doesn’t belong. Bad story structuring.

Implicit racism & sexism oh boy

Kylo Ren isn’t a child and shouldn’t be treated like one

Rey’s plotline relied too much on a male character, not on her own self discovery

The movie threw off your expectations a little too much. After a while, it felt cheap.

On the other hand, some highlights:

I liked the new critters. They were very cuddly. The Porgs, the caretakers, the horse-deer things. I think the crystal foxes were my favourite. FIGHT ME.

I really liked Rose Tico

Force Bonds!

“Reach out, do you feel that” “Oh yes yes I do!” That scene was funny.

Luke’s explanation of what the Force is.

The scene with Yoda knocking some sense into Luke was fun. But lol “there’s nothing in that library that the girl Rey does not already posses.” It’s actually hilarious when you know that she took the books.

Poe being reunited with BB-8 was the cutest moment

#star wars #The Last Jedi #tlj spoilers #my opinions #movie review #I guess #Feel free to fight me but a lot of my opinions just parrot what other have already said better so . . .

2 notes · View notes