The Lost Jedi

Rating: 2/10 (17 March 2018)

This is my very first review on IMDb. I've always wanted to write a review despite my not very good English, and what better opportunity to review my all-time favorite movie - Star Wars!
But unfortunately not my favorite Episode of them all..... Well, when the film finished I felt nothing but questioning myself - What was that?!
Almost all of the characters in these two new episodes are out of place. Almost all of them. There was no strong (or real) connection between any of them, not between Han and Leia, not between Han and Kylo, not between Leia and Kylo not even between Ray and Finn, not between Chewie and Ray, not between even Kylo and Snoke. It all was a matter of chance and random situations without leading anywhere. All connections was weak.
Why one is going into a new story without explaining what happened in between those 40 years? Why was not the TFA all based on that, while introducing the new characters, so we can actually feel the "awakened force"?
How the First Order came to the story? Why the FO been introduced to us as a bunch of morons? In both TFA and TLJ. Why?
Why two episodes in a row we couldn't really feel the great power and danger that the First Order supposed to be? (excluding the planet-death-star)
Who the hell was Snoke?? Why he was wasted before even introducing himself? Why was it's hologram 30 feet high? Why he could read all the thoughts and conflicts in his apprentice's head, but couldn't aware that Kylo is going to slice him in half? Why he could affect living beings as a hologram?? Same question for master Yoda - how he could tap Luke's forehead with his stick, after moments earlier created a big lightning right off the sky and caused fire? What happened to the holograms, Disney?
Why a space fleet will need space-bombers at first place? I thought that's a STAR WARS movie, not a GROUND WARS movie. Some say those bombs was using electromagnets or something.... But it's still silly to drop bombs in a space battle. No?
The whole slow-mo chasing and waiting for the Rebels to "ran out of gas" was ridiculous...
How does DJ knew about the exact cloaking rebellion escaping plan anyway?!? Even Poe who was at the same ship had no idea about it, how does that prisoner locked on another planet knew it? HOW? And why the FO was not scanning with their anti-cloaking device but needed someone to tell them to, and even to bargain to tell them? Was he even in a position to bargain anyway?? He got caught helping a Rebellion and a Traitor, why the FO will even let him bargain??
Why was captain Phasma needed character in these two episodes, does anybody knows? Seriously? That was another wasted character without a backstory. Just wasted. And people had so high expectations about Phasma... Me as well.
Okay, I read that the writers was trying to bring "new stories and characters" but..... why ignoring so much the old droids who had a major roles in the original trilogy? R2D2 showed up a space map and played an old Leia hologram, and that was it. It was even been told to "watch it's language" by it's old master. At the other hand C3PO had not more than 10 lines in both new episodes, and we all know how much he loves to blabber. Seeing Luke after 40 years or so, and the only words he spoke was "Master Luke"? While Luke is only giving him a wink?? Really? Why was not C3PO escorting Ray and Chewie in their journeys? Instead he had to waste his character somewhere around Leia doing.... nothing. Why was not R2D2 also escorting Ray and Chewie but only sitting in the Falcon with it's power switched off? Oh I forgot, they brought a new droid character - BB-8! The one that is capable to disarm three soldiers, tie them up and duct tape them. Then disarms another one by firing coins on him. Later on operating a AT-ST and flying a ship. Really? I personally think that the ball droid is highly overrated. By the way - why the Canto Baight authorities just threw BB-8 away like a ball? Why no one even reported them to the FO at first place after captured them?
What happened with C3PO's red arm? Why was that a thing in TFA anyway??
Why none of all the AT-AT's and other ground forces didn't opened fire at Finn, nor at Rose, after they was approaching that big ram cannon? Why not a single shot on them while Finn was dragging the Rose back to the mine? Why the FO was not just using their new mighty Dreadnought to blow up the whole mountain, but had to crawling for hours with that big cannon and slow moving forces? Yes - the Rebels said they opened a shield which can protect them from orbital attacks, but how big was that shield and why it was not visible? How the FO knew they will going to need a big cannon to crack open the mine doors? How they knew about the strong doors and defense capabilities of the mine if it was a secret rebellion hideout base?? How?
What was the deal with those "space-horses"? Oh I see - a new creatures. Okay, but why they was running around the city destroying everything?? I guess they hated the city mayor or something?
Finn and Rose going on a secret mission, landing their ship on the beach so everyone can see it, going to the casino without changing clothes. How naive this can go?? Wait, Rose was even wearing her dirty working outfit. Come on...
Why after destroying Canto Baight city, Finn and Rose ran straight to the beach to board their ship, leaving behind BB-8 and the code-breaker (their primary mission)?? What would they do if their ship hasn't been blown up, just leaving the planet?? Why after seeing DJ and BB-8 both Finn and Rose looked angry instead of been happy that they actually completed their mission in that very same moment, and even got their droid back? Especially Finn's face - he looked like he's going to punch DJ. Why?
Finn, who in TFA was only caring a mop and a blaster in it's hands, suddenly at the end of the TFA became a jedi-duelist, knowing how to use a lightsaber, even what body posture to take while dueling Kylo Ren. Ray, who thought that the whole story about the Jedi was "just a myth", suddenly also knew how to handle lightsaber and how to defeat the one in which Luke Skywalker foreseen enormous power! Am I missing something, how that happened? Conflicts in Kylo Ren's head you say? Hmm, I saw no conflict when he killed his own father, why he could feel conflicts while dueling a unknown scavenger girl??
You follow? That's why Jar Jar Abrams had to concentrate TFA on developing it's new characters and introducing them to us in a way we can believe they deserve a role in the SW story.
Why was Luke wasted? What was the idea behind his changed character? He saw good in his evil father and did everything to save him, but later when he gained even more power and became a Master Jedi - he suddenly wanted to kill his own nephew. I don't get it. His eyes when he was about to kill Kylo Ren was the most evil eyes SW ever offered. Why not, if you really want a plot twist and changes, let Luke kill Kylo and turn into the Dark Side? I'd prefer to see that, instead of watching Luke suicide for no reason whatsoever.
Luke's road to the Light Side of the Force was long and strong, he had training from different masters and gained a lot of the Force. The Light Side was aligned with calmness and was used for knowledge and defense. He won't just throw it's own lightsaber over his shoulder like a wooden stick. He didn't even ask who Ray was, and how she get that lightsaber! He didn't even been told what happened with Han Solo and the Rebels! He wouldn't abandon his own sister when she needs him most, his Jedi Code wont let him do that, no matter what! Oh wait, he has cast his way out of the Force, Ray noted....... But the question still remains - how, if he cast his self away from the Force, he was able to fool Kylo with it's hologram and it's lightsaber - which Kylo and Ray tore apart earlier? How?
When Luke appeared in the mine, there was no reaction at all! From no one!! Like no one knew who that guy was! WHY?? Even Leia was short of words and emotions. WHY?!?!? The remaining core of the Rebels was in that cave and no one jumped in joy in the presence of non other but LUKE SKYWALKER itself?? WHY?!? Later on, Finn drags Rose right after the mass firing on Luke's hologram has ended, and he just comes inside and says "She needs a medic, she's bad injured (Rose)". Not a single joy sound in his original style "DID YOU SEE THAT GUY?? WHAT HAS JUST HAPPENED??" WAS THAT LUKE??... or something like that... Nothing! Emptiness... Lost connection... While later on, a bunch of kids on a distant planet playing on the ground telling stories about Luke Skywalker and the Jedi...... Are you kiddin' me?
"Godspeed rebels"?! Since when the religion took part at the SW movies???
Another wasted character btw - vice-admiral Holdo. Why she would needed to die? Why not leaving any droid behind but losing your heroic vice-admiral??
You know what, I just realized how many questions I've raised for a single Episode. Just FYI - I did not asked my self "Why?" any single time during the original trilogy. The story was presented so well, that you just sit there and watch without even blinking. The story just grabs you and wont lets you go until the finish. I remember 35 years ago when I first watched a Star Wars movie, my mind was blown away, my legs were shaking from excitement after the end.
I kind of felt my heart-rate raising when seen the opening of TFA back in 2015 at the big screen cinema. It was something. TFA wasn't great but it was promising, it had some potential and suspense after all - but in TLJ the writers blew it up.
TLJ was far from the best films I've ever seen. I felt not only disappointment but also anger and sadness. Emptiness. No balance in between. No energy. The Lost Jedi.
But I've seen worse, so 4/10 is a fair rating for me.
R.I.P. Carrie Fisher