Hey! Hope everyone is having a good start of the month!

I previously made a discussion asking you how I should watch the Star Wars franchise for the first time, and most of you voted for me to watch it by release order! As a thank you, I thought it would be a stupid and fun idea to watch every Star Wars film and create 2 giveaways for each one I watch. Then I would write a small review of my thoughts and opinions of each one. I am not a movie reviewer so nothing fancy but feel free to add your opinions, thoughts, etc. If I make a mistake or you have a suggestion for me, please let me know. I'm new to Star Wars and will most likely make mistakes. Most of the ga's will be bundled but at the end of my Star Wars marathon I'll make a grand finale of ga's!
TLDR: I'll watch and discuss every star wars movie/show and make ga's for each one. Thank you for humoring this dumb idea. also spoilers below for each movie


Original Trilogy:

1. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope: So this is the only Star Wars movie I have seen and it was when I was a little kid, so I had no memory of what happened. The movie took me a while to get invested. It had a slower start and I'm sure age played a factor in my attention span. After the main characters got together I started to enjoy it a lot more! I already knew all the characters by name but not much about their personalities. I expected Luke to start out as the badass hero type, so it was a nice suprise to see him as an inexperienced farm boy. I'm excited for his character development. Darth Vader is an iconic villain. So iconic and synonymous with Star Wars that it's hard to view him as an actual character and not the mascot of the franchise.
Han Solo is my favorite character so far. I love reluctant heroes, antihero types, and comedic relief characters.The way he came back to save Luke in the end was perfect. Leia is my second favorite so far. Intelligent, badass, I love her. I'm a little confused on why Obi-Wan Kenobi let Darth Vader kill him. I thought he was distracting him but wouldn't it be more distracting to keep fighting him until you lose the fight? The effects were really good for its time period and I can only imagine how much of a spectical this movie was on release. I'm guessing they will explain the lore of the movies more because I'm still confused about the world building and how the powers work etc. I'm very excited to continue so I'll probably watch the second movie today since I have the next two days off.
GA 1: White Day: A Labyrinth Named School
GA 2: Pathfinder: Kingmaker - Enhanced Plus Edition


Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back: I read that this is the highest rated Star Wars movie, but I try not to let reviews give me a bias. Imo, this movie surpasses the original for me. The reason is that I could finally put context to so many characters and scenes that I've seen giffed and talked about online! ! It's like a lightbulb that went off in my head every time I saw the context of an iconic scene.
Starting at the beginning, I still love Han Solo the most. He's a real one for saving Luke again on Hoth. I really enjoyed the atmosphere and look of Hoth and most of the locations in the series so far. The Han and Lei romance is just classic. I finally got to see the "I Love You" "I Know" lines spoken. I can see why it was so loved. It perfectly represents the two characters and their relationship. Speaking of characters, it surprised me to see Boba Fett this early. I only know him from The Mandalorian s2 and I haven't seen his show yet, so I thought he popped up later in the franchise. I still know little about him, so I hope he shows up again so I can get some Mandalorian context!
This sequel was more action-heavy. Some fight scenes (like between Luke and Darth Vader) feel a little dated, but the desperation felt by both characters really sold it. Of course I already knew that Vader was Luke's father, but it was still an emotional revelation, and that ending was intense! Plus, I had no idea Luke was going to get his hand cut off!
Speaking of Darth Vader, I did not expect him to be sitting at the table when Lando betrayed the group. I knew Lando was going to turn on them, but Vader gave me a good jump scare when those doors opened. Lando is a cool character. I'm excited to see him in the next film. I feel like he's going to die, but fingers crossed that he doesn't.
If I were to pick a favorite scene(s), it would have to be Luke's training with Yoda. I love that Yoda acts like a bumbling idiot to observe Luke, and we really get to see Luke's flaws. His impatience and his frustration. Learning more about the force and seeing Yoda physically and mentally train Luke was really neat. My favorite aspect of both movies so far is the friendship between the trio. Or foursome? can't leave out Chewie.
The actors must have gotten along during filming because the chemistry between them feels so authentic. The found family/friendship trope is one of my favorites and I think they do a great job of bringing these characters to life.. Anyway I'm sorry this review is so long. overall, good movie!
GA 1: Arcade Spirits
GA 2: Snooker19


Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi: I took a large break between films, but I'll be watching more frequently now. Return of the Jedi served as a decent finale. There were parts I did and did not love. Luke became more powerful and confident between movies. When I thought of Luke before starting the movies, this is the Luke I was envisioning. I finally get to see Jabba outside of the memes but I wanted to see more Yoda! I didn't expect him to die so early in the film. He finally reveals that Leia is Luke's sister, which was a twist I already knew, but it must be real awkward for Luke!

I think my only complaint is that I expected this movie to be more epic and grandiose. The ewok battle wasn't very large in scale, but the ewoks are incredibly cute, so I forgive them. My favorite parts of the film were actually the interactions between the characters. I love the conversations Luke had with his sister and with his father. and Leia teasing Han before telling him Luke is her brother. I kept expecting Lando to die the whole movie, but I'm glad he didn't!
The best part for me was the ending. The fight between Vader and Luke was great, and I didn't expect him to sacrifice himself for his son. I always thought Luke killed Darth Vader, so the ending surprised me and hit me right in the heart. Not gonna lie, I almost shed some tears when he asked Luke to take off his helmet so he could see his son with his own eyes. Double that when he is watching over him by the campfire. Overall, I enjoyed this finale and the whole trilogy. I didn't get to grow up with the films, but I can see how this became as monumental as it was. The action was cool and the lore was intruiging. If I were to pick my favorite thing from this trilogy (as corny as it is) it would still have to be the theme of friendship and family.. The relationships between the main group feel authentic and and the bond between father and son set up a perfect ending for the trilogy.  Very soon I will be onto The first prequel film, The Phantom Menace!
GA 1: Bad End Theater
GA 2: Armello


Prequel Trilogy:

Episode I: The Phantom Menace:  Alright.. we've got a whole new story and set of characters, and a lot to process. I'll start by saying that I didn't quite enjoy this one, but I'll also name some things I did like about it.. First of all, either the politics in this movie were kind of confusing or I'm a little dumb. I'll accept either answer. The story beats were definitely unclear to me, and I was struggling to follow some parts. I think it was just so different from the first three movies that it took me a while to adjust. Still, the visuals improved with time, and I liked some character designs and costumes! It's fascinating to have Obi-Wan Kenobi as a main character, and I didn't even realize that Liam Neeson was in this film! I didn't really get attached to their characters, but I'll talk more on that later. Side Note: Ewan McGregor looks so much younger compared to the pictures I've seen of him in the later films. Maybe it's the missing beard..
I really wanted to like Jar Jar Binks because everyone warned me that he is the worst. Unfortunately, he is the worst. He's very annoying. It's not enough to make me turn off the movie, but I am surprised they gave him so much screen time. On the other hand, I was excited to finally see Padme. I know that she and Anakin do get together, or at least try to. I looooved her outfit when she was first introduced. It was gorgeous.
Speaking of Anakin... I know a lot of people acted really horribly towards the little boy that played young Anakin. It's so sad because I think he's adorable. Yeah, his acting wasn't great, but his only role was to play a little kid, and I have seen way worse child actors with even less riding on their shoulders. Speaking of Anakin again,  We can't talk about Star Wars without talking about the villain.... and the coolest villain in this film was.... drum roll please Darth Maul. Obviously, Darth Maul. His design looks awesome, and he's intimidating as hell.. I think they actually underused him in the movie.
To sum it all up, The story was boring, and the dialogue was neither witty nor fun. Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan were also surprisingly dull. I understand that they have a lot of responsibility and that there is Jedi training involved, but they just felt so flat and lifeless. I hate to compare, but they just weren't nearly as engaging as Luke, Han, or Leia. I wanted to get more emotional towards some of the sad scenes, but either the dialogue or other parts of the writing made it so hard. There were also some lore and rules I didn't quite understand, like the Sith Rules. Some of my complaints can be a lack of understanding though. This is the first film I didn't really like, so I hate saying anything negative. Especially because I know a lot of people love this movie but Overall, it wasn't for me. I just want my Star Wars movies to be full of adventure and excitement. Oh, but the lightsaber fight at the end was pretty cool. And I did like the podracing scene. I knew Anakin was going to win, but I was still on the edge of my seat the whole time. The podracing scene was probably my favorite. Also I recognized the announcers voice as one of the contestants from the show "Whose Line Is It Anyway.
Overall, keep in mind that this is my first reaction. I may change my mind on these films or I might not. Who knows. I'm excited to continue on and see!
GA 1: The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope
GA 2: Railroad Corporation


Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones: This review took a while because I was struggling to finish the movie. It's probably my least favorite so far. Though I really did relate to Anakin. I, too, dislike sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating, and it gets everywhere...
I'm sorry, let me just start from the top. I didn't hate this film, but there was more bad than good. The romance between Anakin and Padme was very sudden. It gave me whiplash. In The Phantom Menace, he may have had a small crush, but the instant he locks eyes with her after ten years, he's obsessed with her. I mean, I know it's Natalie Portman, so I understand, but come on man. I also couldn't figure out why she fell in love with him. He had a childhood crush, but her infatuation seemed to be caused by his creepy persistence. Also, I will try to refrain from commenting on the dialogue because, you know..

I really liked some of the action scenes. I prefer a good story over action, but when the story isn't captivating me, I do enjoy a good lightsaber fight. The Obi-Wan fight with Jango Fett was intense, and it was interesting to see the origin of Boba Fett. The fight at the arena started a little weird, but when everyone jumped in to fight, it was a spectacle. Especially Samuel L. Jackson's character with his purple lightsaber. Perfection.
Anakin story went a little different than I thought it would. I expected a lot of little moments to add up and slowly cause Anakin to go dark. I didn't expect his mother to be murdered. I did enjoy seeing him do something evil for the first time. Speaking of evil, the Yoda vs Count Dooku fight was fun, but as a finale it wasn't the most exciting. Plus, Count Dooku as a villain didn't compare to villains like Vader or Darth Maul. Overall, With better writing and direction, I think this would have been a much better movie. I want to say that the romance between Padme and Anakin wasn't important, but I know it will be in the future. My guess is that it's going to lead to Anakin truly joining the dark side. Plus, she's probably the mother of Luke and Leia, so it's a much needed but badly executed storyline. I wish we had more bonding between Anakin and Kenobi since we know Obi-Wan feels like he failed Anakin from the original trilogy. Still, I am eternally grateful that Jar Jar Binks left and never came back. I'm truly looking forward to the next film because I want to see Anakin turn into Darth Vader. Half of me is excited for this character development, and the other half is heartbroken because of poor Obi-Wan Kenobi. I'll probably watch the third film tonight, so expect a review within the next day or two!
GA 1: Alwa's Legacy
GA 2: Down the Rabbit Hole


Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith: Woohoo the last of the prequels! I was going to do a review right away, but I had to process my thoughts on the film. It's my favorite from the prequels, but still ranked behind episodes 4–6. I apologize ahead of time for any mistakes or dumb takes i give while writing this up. Admittedly, I'm still confused by Star Wars lore. I don't google the theories or ever refresh my memory on the rules established in the films.
Revenge of the Sith was much more epic than the last films. It has more grandiose action scenes and improved CGI and effects. The scale is much larger, with almost all the prequel characters involved in the story. The stakes are higher than ever, and it provides that sinking feeling while watching because you just know that Anikan is turning Vader in this one. Speaking of Anikan, he is extra unlikable in this movie. I know he is consistently annoying, but I still like Anikan. He's just extra here. I get it. It makes sense, but it's hard to watch. I did have mixed feelings about his downfall. They set it up nicely with the influence of Palpatine and the skepticism and doubt from the council. Plus his recurring nightmares of Padme dying. I guess my expectations were just unreasonably high. At first, Anikan decided to report Palpatine to Mace Windu and then was convinced to betray Windu to help Padme. That's fine. The part that shocked me was just how fast he went from a misguided, somewhat selfish but kindhearted Jedi, to a man who kills innocent children in mere minutes. It's like a light switch was flipped, and he went from saving his girlfriend to going straight evil. I know he killed the kids in the sand village, but the situation was different. If I'm interpreting the scene wrong, please let me know! It just felt very sudden. Maybe if he hadn't reported Palpatine and instead decided his way of living was more aligned with his morals and beliefs, I would have believed it over him doing it to save his girlfriend, whom he later kills.... Also, I did predict that he would kill Padme, but I thought he would lose himself to the dark side and kill her on purpose. I'm not sure if he actually killed her or if she died from childbirth? I guess it could have been a mix of stress, childbirth, and a broken heart. Suddenly finding out that the love of your life and father of your children is actively committing genocide would definitely do it.

Now let's talk about the fights.  The fight scenes were nicely done! The Yoda fight looked great, especially for its age. The fight between Anikan and Obi-Wan felt personal, emotional, but still grand. The back-and-forth dialogue at the volcano made me emotional. I felt like Obi-Wan didn't do much to betray Anikan, and Anikan was definitely in the wrong here, but a co-worker of mine disagreed and felt like Obi-Wan had a huge role to play in Anikan's downfall. I'm curious to know what you guys think. It was just sad to see Anikan with unbridled rage, falling deeper and deeper into despair until he starts melting from the lava. Just brutal. 
The ending then sets us up for Star Wars: A New Hope. We see what happens to Luke and Leia and why the Jedi are gone. It's a little sad to see the mystery disappear from A New Hope, but the prequels are there to show us how things became the way they are. Part of me liked starting in the middle of the story since not knowing made things more intruiging.  Overall Revenge of the Jedi was on a more epic scale while retaining the campiness of Star Wars that I love. I didn't quite understand all of it and it still doesn't live up to the joy I got from episode 4-6 but I did like it better than the two films that came before it. I know I didn't grasp the entire story of the prequels so I really do need to rewatch or watch a long explanation video but overall I had a fun time! Next is the first movie from the sequel trilogy. That means I have to say goodbye again and meet another set of characters. Until then!
GA 1 Tower Unite
GA 2Backbone


Stand-Alones

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story: After watching a bunch of prequels, I'm on another prequel! I'm glad, though, because I enjoyed this movie a lot! All the actors did great; I loved Mads Mikkelsen for the short time he was on. The film is very character-driven, which I love. The setting and plot are perfect. You would think it wouldn't work as a full movie, but it absolutely does. The stakes are incredibly high, and I was really rooting for the characters. Even knowing how the story ends doesn't change how nail-biting and stress-inducing the fights are. Chirrut Îmwe was such a fascinating and badass character, I'd be satisfied if they made a whole movie about him, alongside Baze Malbus. I love how the action and fight scenes are scarce until the end, where we watch a long and epic battle that causes a lot of casualties. Spoilers, but I really didn't expect all of the characters to die, including Jyn and Cassian, but I'm glad they went there. It added weight to the importance of the Death Star being destroyed in A New Hope. The scene where Darth Vader came in and started wrecking sh*t REALLY caught me off guard. That was the highlight for me. Vader coming in at random times to jump-scare me could be a series in itself.
Overall, this is a very good modern Star Wars movie. It was less of an adventure since it served a specific purpose, but the characters were good, the story added to the franchise, and it had great fight scenes. This serves as a prequel that didn't need to be made, but I'm glad it was. Now I just need to check out Andor on my own time to get more Depth on Cassian's character. 
GA 1: A Short Hike
GA 2: 911 Operator


Solo: A Star Wars Story:  Solo is also a Disney Star Wars story like Rogue One, but it felt muuuch less authentic. Out of all the Star Wars movies I've seen so far, this one felt the most Disney. I don't know if this is a hot take or not, but I liked Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo. He should have had more to work with, but he did a good job with the mannerisms and dialogue. I could buy that he was Han Solo. I truly tried to enjoy this film, even knowing the hate that it receives. Han is my favorite character, and my expectations weren't very high. The problem is just that the story is so... cookie cutter. It should be this exciting adventure beyond any limitations, but instead we get this very cliche story that just goes through the motions. Instead of creating a fantastic Sci-fi tale, they just push us scene by scene through everything we know about Han Solo. Met Chewbacca? Check! Met Lando? Check! Love interest? Check! It was just a little too predictable, and none of it added to his character. If anything, it just made him a little less mysterious and exciting. The reasoning behind his name, "Solo" was extra stupid. We don't need an explanation for every little thing, especially a last name. 
I liked a few things about the movie. I enjoyed the first half more than the second. Like I said, I enjoyed the performance by Alden, and I liked Woody Harrelson's character at the beginning. The scene where Han is helping Beckett and his wife was a lot of fun. Also, I enjoyed the scenes with Lando (I love Donald Glover) and L3 was an interesting Droid. She was a better comic relief character than he-who-must-not-be-named Jar Jar Binks 😨. I did NOT enjoy the twist at the end with Beckett. It wasn't because I liked Beckett; it just felt obvious... or generic? It's a tired formula that hits hard when set up perfectly, butIi just wasn't feeling it. The second half of the movie kind of sizzled out until we got to see Darth Maul again. Which was cool.  
Overall, it's not a terrible movie, and not every Star Wars film has to be a banger. It's a mix of a few things that make this a disappointment for me. It's knowing that everything goes downhill from here, so this is the start of something worse. It's the fact that Han Solo is my favorite character and the potential this could have been. They had the potential to make a Star Wars classic adventure with our favorite characters that added so much to the lore. Imagine how fun this movie would have been if they thought outside the box. Overall, it is not a terrible movie, and it could be a fun flick to put on while at a party with your friends. Not the worst Star Wars movie by any stretch and still a fun time! It just doesn't really put a dent in the franchise in my opinion. 
GA 1: a Jugglers Tale
GA 2: Scarlet Tower


Sequel Trilogy

Star Wars: The Force Awakens: Hey guys, I'm back. Sorry for the long wait; I had a lot going on. I finally got around to watching The Force Awakens, but before I write this review, I have a question. There are a lot of people on here (and in my personal life) telling me to skip this trilogy, and to be honest, this movie didn't make me particularly interested in the next two. I want to take a vote. Should I skip the next two films, announce this as the end, and just go forward with the giveaways? Should I watch another movie in their place? Or should I go ahead and finish the trilogy? It'll probably be a train wreck, but it could be a funny one. Either way, I'm completely happy with the decision. And with that out of the way, here are my thoughts on The Force Awakens! Also spoilers below. 

The Force Awakens was a pretty average film. It was fun at times, but it didn't feel like Star Wars to me. I went into it more close-minded than usual due to the overwhelming hate for these films, but my guess is that this isn't the worst film of the three. 
My biggest problem was the pacing, because that led to every other problem I had with it. The pacing was way too fast, so I couldn't grow attached to any of the characters or the story. In what feels like mere minutes in the film, Rey, Finn, and Solo go from meeting for the first time to Rey having a crush on Finn and viewing Han Solo as a father figure. We barely learned anything about any of the characters, nor did they learn about each other. . Plus, we just learned that Han Solo has a kid, and then boom, Han is dead.. I know Harrison Ford didn't want to do the movies anymore, and I was already spoiled about his death (along with Luke's in the future, although I don't know how it happens), but I still felt like the scene made it reaaaally obvious it was going to happen. . He's talking to Kylo Renn while Rey, Finn, and Chewie are just standing there watching from above. What else could happen in that scene? Was that scene a big plot twist for you guys and it was just obvious to me because of hindsight? Let me know. 

They also introduced a lot of plot points that I thought would be expanded throughout the trilogy but were introduced and done with in the same film. One example is that Death Star looking planet. It was introduced, and then it was gone. I want to end this on a positive note, so there were things I liked about the movie. It was really cool to see Luke again at the end. The effects and fight scenes were neat. Kylo Ren seems like a really interesting villain. He seems conflicted about the Dark Side similar to how Vader was towards the beginning and end of his arc. If I knew this trilogy wrapped up nicely, I'd call this movie a rough but servicable start to the new trilogy, but now I know better. 
GA 1: Before Your Eyes
GA 2: New Tales From The Borderlands


Star Wars: The Last Jedi: Warning: long read! I finished this film a minute ago, so my thoughts may change, but honestly, I thought this was a lot better than The Force Awakens. I still didn't love the film, nor would I ever rewatch it, but I like that it took more chances. It was more of a spectacle where TFA was too cookie-cutter and safe. I know TLJ ruined the hope of Star Wars being good for a lot of people (as my friend keeps reminding me), but as someone who went in expecting hot garbage, it was less smelly than I thought it would be.

The visuals were really stunning, and the action scenes were great. It felt like everything was on a larger scale. The humor was hit or miss, with some awkward Marvel-like quips and pauses for laughs, but overall, I found most of it charming. Plus, I liked most of the characters (excluding Rey, but I'll get to her later). I'm still not sure how to feel about Luke. He was more damaged and jaded, but I was open to seeing more. But then he just dies... I hated how his arc ended, but having Yoda visit him again was pretty neat. especially since they brought back the puppet.

As far as villains go, I was not expecting Snoke to get wiped out so fast, but I was rooting for Kylo Ren to turn good. It probably would not have made sense, but I'm just a sucker for villain redemptions. Honestly, I thought it would be really neat if Rey ended up joining the dark side and being the villain for the rest of the trilogy. It would have made an interesting twist, although I knew it definitely wasn't going to happen.
The worst thing about the film was definitely the writing, lore, and story. All of it was kind of weak, and the Finn and Rose subplot was too long for how little it impacted everything. I really didn't mind, though, because I liked them as characters. We could have shaved off some run time, though. Oh, also I really like Poe. I don't know why. I just do.

Now onto Rey.. I know people hate her, and I never knew why, but now I kind of see it. Is it because she's just so boring? She was an interesting character in her introduction, but she never gets any interesting personality traits or character development. She's just the chosen one, like Luke. But Luke trained hard and lost fights. He had both negative and positive qualities. Rey is like a blank slate to me. It makes it hard to get invested in her story or her relationship with the other characters. Like in TFA, I could not buy the fact that she cared that strongly for Han Solo. It's not a huge deal, but she is the main character, and I found the other side characters, like Poe and Finn, much more interesting.

I'm sure I'm missing some things, but this is long enough. TLDR: I didn't love it but i didn't hate it. I will stand against the crowd and say.... it was alright...
It's still pretty low on my Star Wars ranking list (which I definitely need to make). I'm wondering if this should make me more hopeful for The Last Jedi, although something tells me no, it shouldn't. Please give me your thoughts on TLJ. I'll even take your roasts. I just want to know why people may agree or disagree! 
GA 1: The Dungeon Beneat
GA 2: Beatiful Desolation

Star Wars: The Rise of the Skywalker: This is it. The finale of our Star Wars journey! Firstly, sorry for the incredibly long wait time, but i'm super excited to be finished and reminisce on the good and bad of the Star Wars films. We all know ROTS has a bad reputation, but I still went in with an open mind. I didn't hate the sequel trilogy, but I also felt absolutely nothing for it. ROTS is probably my least favorite of the three, and my least favorite Star Wars movie overall. It was just so boring. None of the plot points I looked forward to the most came to pass. Instead of focusing on Kylo Ren, somehow Palpatine returned AGAIN. and it wasn't even worth it because he was really bad in this movie. His appearance makes no sense and he did not have that menacing presence that he did in the original trilogy. The plot twist with Rey was not nearly as interesting as they thought it was. Kylo Ren should have stayed the villain. They still could have redeemed him in the end. I still have the opinion that Rey would have made a better villain than  protagonist. 

Speaking of Kylo Ren... he was the most interesting character to me in the sequel trilogy and they handled his redemption so poorly. It was so rushed. He didn't really do much after his redemption, other than not kill Rey and then bring Rey back to life. Also, did he become a force ghost? His death was very confusing to me. He just kinda died... and disappeared. So many characters died the same way. Justice for Kylo Ren. He could have been a way cooler villain/protagonist. 

I thought the fights and effects could have been better. Especially the action scenes. The flying scenes looked alright but a lot of the other scenes looked goofy. The effects weren't super bad, its just that the fights were missing that oomph behind them. They needed more weight. That goes for the emotional beats as well.  I don't think I was supposed to laugh when Chewie got "blown up," but it was such an obvious fakeout, and the scene itself looked hilarious. 

There was also a LOT of fan service. Like all the Jedi being part of Rey and the scene with Luke. I don't hate fanservice, but I wanted it to be more authentic. I wanted to feel something about it. I did like the part where Han Solo showed up. I didn't expect Harrison Ford to come back so that was a nice surprise. I'm also glad they were able to get some scenes with Carrie Fisher. I think she died during the filming, which would explain a lot about her character.

Overall, I wanted this movie to have me on the edge of my seat, worrying about the characters safety and wondering how it would all end. It just felt too safe and very boring. I wanted it to end with a bigger bang. I wish I cared more about Rey since she was a big part of this film. I didn't really care about what happened to her parents or how she was connected to the Jedi or Palpatine. I didn't feel sad when she "died." The ending and the last line would have hit harder...  or even hit at all, if I cared about Rey. 

I can totally understand why some people liked this film, and I really wish I could say more positive things about it, but it just wasn't for me. Everything wrapped up a little too nicely and I didn't feel the gravity of any situation. No risks were taken and the plot twists felt like they were added on at the last minute. I wanted to feel for the characters. I wanted them to really shine and get a proper ending, but I ended up not caring by the end. On that note, I still love Poe.  And Finn really grew on me throughout the trilogy. 

Overall, it's not my favorite film to leave off on, but it did not sour this incredibly fun and rewarding Star Wars journey I've been on. Thank you all for motivating me to do this!

I will be making giveaways sometime today and updating this post. Thank you!

10 months ago*

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Your LEAST favorite Star Wars Movie

View Results
Episode I – The Phantom Menace
Episode II – Attack of the Clones
Episode VI – Return of the Jedi
Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Star Wars Holiday Special
Other

In case someone would use this info - i watched everything chronologically last year (wanted the proper picture), took me way more time than i wanted lol :

Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
Star Wars: Attack of the Clones
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (the animated movie)
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (the animated series) - used this list for chronological order https://www.starwars.com/news/star-wars-the-clone-wars-chronological-episodeorder
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
Star Wars: The Bad Batch
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Star Wars Rebels animated series
Andor season 1
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Star Wars: A New Hope
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
The Mandalorian season 1
The Mandalorian season 2
The Book of Boba Fett
The Mandalorian season 3
Star Wars Resistance season 1
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Star Wars Resistance season 2
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
10 months ago
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Oh nice! I really want to watch them chronologically at some point and see how that changes my perspective. Was this your first time watching or have you seen the movies before?

10 months ago
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back in the days saw episodes 1-6 then watched some Clone wars animation on Cartoon Network back at childhood days before going to school hehe

and actually i didnt watch last year, it was 2020 (sorry), after checking out s1 of Mandalorian thought that i could give SW another shot cuz the lore is so big and many shows.

So I decided to make a SW marathon thinking pff is gona be fast - took me 4 months from december to march xD lol

10 months ago
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I highly recommend not watchint the Clone Wars movie first, but instead watch the entirety of The Clone Wars in chronological order. Lucasfilm compilated it on their own website, but most fan sites will tell you the exact same order. The movie is afair the third installment in the chonology. Also, if you watch the movie first, which is pretty bad, you might lose your interest in the awesome show.

Secondly, just ignore Resistance. No one has watched it, and it has barely anythign to do with Star Wars. Instead watch the 2D Clonw Wars from 2003 inbetween Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. You will not regret it.

10 months ago
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What kind of weird recommendation... The Clone Wars movie is literally the pilot episode of the series, how can you not start with it?

10 months ago
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You also mean that Lucasfilm makes a weird recommendation, because it's literally on the official starwars.com site. Also, The movie was factually the third in production, which you can see by its production number. The only thing that was intended as an introduction was the introduction of Asohka at the very beginning. Other than that its accumulated production numbers (literally +3 episodes of the show) are 1.03, 1.04 and 1.18. Whatever, every where you could stream it, it lilsted it in the chonological order. If you still wanna see it in a jumbled mess, go ahead.

10 months ago
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I did not realize how much Clone Wars media there was in Star Wars. I decided to put it to the side of my watchlist and watch it all when I have the time. I'll probably start with the film but then watch the show so that I'm not judging it all on the film. Thanks for letting me know about the list!

10 months ago
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Oh, when I meant the entirety of TCW, that includes the movie, which comes in third position after only two episodes! It will make much more sense. Because if you watch the film first, and then later (literally season later) the prologue to this movie, it makes little sense. The original airing was riddled with dumb studio decisions, and so the audience was confused half of the time because they just aired so many episodes out of order by literally margins of seasons. Here is the official order, in which you can see it already starts with a season 2 episode, then a later season 1 episode, and then the movie. And it's all a continous story arc.

10 months ago
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Update: Just finished The Empire Strikes Back and put up two more giveaways

10 months ago
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Yay!
Most talked about scene, at least for quite a few female reactors on yt 😉
"I love you"
"I know"

Another sign you're getting old when you spend too much time watching yt vids of the (much) younger generation experiencing media you grew up with for the first time.
May the force be with you and live long and prosper

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10 months ago
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its such a good scene, I knew it was coming and I still loved it :P

Another sign you're getting old when you spend too much time watching yt vids of the (much) younger generation experiencing media you grew up with for the first time.

Don't worry, I've done the same thing! lol

10 months ago
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Just finished reading your review of Episode V, so far my favorite review of the series... :D :D :D

(Yeah, Episode V is my favorite; I love how there is no real "victory" for the good guys, the best they manage is to escape, and even then, losing a few party members in the process.)

10 months ago
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Beware this one:
Episode I: The Jar Jar Menace

10 months ago
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I now see the value in this comment

9 months ago
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I'm sorry for your trauma. I'll dispatch support units with warm blankets and hot cocoa to your location.

9 months ago
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Was it a... jarring experience?

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9 months ago
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Disney trying their best to make it 'kid friendly' by retconning lightsabers to be nothing more then swords with led's, as they said "nope, it can't cut through stuff any more, no more cut limbs, dismemberment, and cutting through metal."

10 months ago
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The second movie has the most iconic moments by far. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I have to confess, though, it's my least favorite of the trilogy. I like it, but not as much as the other two. I guess the romance part of it really doesn't do it for me, but I'd have to re-watch it to remember the exact details. Anyway, the third one is my favorite and I'm looking forward to reading your review!

10 months ago
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I've enjoyed all three but now that I've finished them, its hard to pick a favorite! I want to say the second one, but the ending of the third one was my favorite out of all of them so far!

10 months ago
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I guess we can all agree there's really no wrong choice when it comes to picking a favorite from the original trilogy. I read your review and I feel the same way about understanding why these movies were so big back then (I wasn't alive at the time and I only watched them for the first time as an adult). How enjoyable these movies still are and how well they hold up even today speaks volumes to how people back then would've reacted.

10 months ago
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you should read the pre disney books
Dearth Revan and the Bane trilogy are some of my all time favorite books

10 months ago
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I didnt realize there were books, but I guess its obvious with how popular the franchise is. When I'm finished with the movies I might check out the books!

10 months ago
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Loving reading your impressions of the films! It's been so long ago that I've watched them all that it's really fun hearing about it again from a first timer!

10 months ago
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Thanks! I was just going to watch the movies but I thought it would be fun to share my experience since I know a lot of people love this franchise. I'm not sure how or why I avoided watching it for so long but I'm having a lot of fun watching them now

10 months ago
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Update: Just finished episode 6! I will be doing this a lot more frequently now!

10 months ago
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Very cool! Loving your impressions so far! :D

And: I am so excited you are going into Episode I now...

...

...?

...

Ok, not really, I am one of the people that thought Episode I was very very weak. Anyway -- probably your impressions about Episode I will be better then the actual movie, so there are some good expectations right there. :D :D

Cheers!

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10 months ago*
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lol! I knew the original trilogy was good but now I'm getting into that grey area of "could be good, could be bad" so I'm excited to see where I'll fall on that line

10 months ago
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Yay!
IIRC Darth Vader's "Nooo!" when grabbing the Emperor after having watched him trying to kill Luke was only added in later editions.
In the original release (VHS and DVD) he never said anything, and in my mind it was better that way.

Edit: https://ew.com/article/2011/08/31/return-jedi-darth-vader-nooooo/

10 months ago*
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wow I actually thought that felt a little out of place and I couldn't figure out why! I want to see the original version now. Darth Vader deciding last second to jump into action without saying a word sounds like it would be more impactful.

10 months ago
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Sadly, another case of Lucas & Co's "modifying" tendencies harming the movies.

10 months ago
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This is very fun -- always enjoyable to see how new viewers come away from these movies! Personally, as maligned as the sequel trilogy is, the prequel trilogy starts off pretty rough too so best of luck! Point being, the two movies I find the least enjoyable are II and IX. Episode I is pretty silly, but it has its charm...from a certain point of view.

Looking forward to the rest of your takeaways! And may the force be with you! :)

10 months ago
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Force bump!!

10 months ago
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Is there any particular reason for the first three movies being called episode 4/5/6? It's always confused me

Was Lucas always planning to make six movies? And he wanted the first 3 movies to start at the end of his story with the later 3 movies just expanding on the backstory of the stuff in the first 3?

Even Final Fantasy naming conventions make more sense lol

10 months ago
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So the answer to this question is really going to depend on how much you take George Lucas' explanation at face value, but he supposedly always knew that there would be 6 films, and he considered Episode IV as being the best jumping on point for audiences due to much of the world feeling like it had a pre-established history and characters. The numbers and sub-titles (e.g. A New Hope) however, weren't added until Empire was being released and they did a re-release of Episode IV. Originally, Episode IV was just called "Star Wars", and Lucas thought it was going to bomb.

10 months ago
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Ahh, that clears it up a bit, thanks!

Yeah, he was probably bullshitting haha

Still, it's a neat way of doing a film series.

10 months ago
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I always thought that the first trilogy was the entire story and then they renumbered them when the prequels came out. It seems like I'm probably wrong though. It's always confused me too. There are three prequels that take place before A New Hope which is why thats the fourth movie, but to start on number 4 is really confusing if it was always intended.

10 months ago
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FullMetalZ explained it above pretty well!

Good luck on your Star Wars journey! There are so many things to catch up on with this franchise.

10 months ago
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Thanks :) and yes that makes a lot more sense!

10 months ago
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The prequels weren't great and the dialogue in Episode II is arguably the most cringe but for me the absolute worst has to be IX. An absolute clusterfuck of a movie. Couldn't make it through it in one sitting...

10 months ago
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So I've heard. I'll try to go in unbias, but tbh I am not looking forward to that movie. I'm glad its last on my list

10 months ago
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Update: Just finished The Phantom Menace and there are two more ga's!

9 months ago
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I absolutely love that you went into Phantom Menace fully intending to like Jar Jar out of spite xDD
The mission may have ended in failure but I respect the hustle haha 😁

9 months ago
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Thank you, I really tried 😅

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9 months ago
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Love reading your opinions of the movies as you watch!
I feel like the Duel of the Fates music/Maul battle carries the Phantom Menace hard.

My favourites are probably 3, 4 and Rogue One.

I'm interested to see the next couple of reviews - There is definitely interesting dialogue in the prequels, most obvious with Padme and Anakin haha

9 months ago
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Thank you! Yeah I just finished episode 2 and the dialogue was... interesting. I feel like I could have written an entire review on the dialogue alone! lol

9 months ago
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Yeah 2 could have been sooo much better with some changes. I hate the romance and don't understand Padme marrying Anakin!
Can't wait to see your review for 3!

9 months ago
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9 months ago
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9 months ago
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review up for Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones! I've decided to review movies only. If there are any shows I must review then let me know, but for now I'll stick to the movies to unclog the discussion feed a little bit

9 months ago*
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Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith is updated! I feel like the paragraphs are getting longer but I'll try to shortened them up next time. Only 5 more movies and then a whole lot of giveaways! Thank you to everyone who has been having fun with this post and sorry to those who are sick of seeing it on the discussion page lol

9 months ago
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Hello there xD But why you wanna split 3rd trilogy (VII-VII-IX) with Solo & Rogue? Events in those two take place just between Prequel & Original (III & lV), so maybe you should watch 'em first, and than move to the last trilogy.

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9 months ago
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I was trying to watch it by release order so I went by the Star Wars subreddit and their recommended order. I might just switch them though so it makes more sense!

9 months ago
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Episode III is such an encapsulation of everything that defines the prequel trilogy -- good and bad -- so I think your read on it is spot on. Great action scenes, terrible to perplexing logic, and a sense of "I know where to go, but not how to get there". There's a pretty even split between those who dislike Episode I or Episode II more, but Episode III is definitely considered the best of the Prequels...by a large margin.

On the topic of Obi Wan, neither you nor your coworker are wrong. Anakin fell to the Dark Side out of insecurity and fear, that's undeniable. But Obi Wan ultimately failed as Anakin's master; he trained him well, but he was more focused on being a friend/ comrade/ brother than being a guiding hand -- something that Palpatine filled the void for. This is alluded to in the movie, but the Clone Wars series fleshes this out a lot. Clone Wars also makes it very clear that Obi Wan is fully aware of the relationship between Padme and Anakin, but he doesn't say anything because he wants to protect them and their happiness.

There's also a bunch of additional context that you can get from deleted scenes and the novelization (something that happens again with the sequel trilogy). A lot of this excised content drives home that Obi Wan is continuously trying to help/ protect Anakin behind the scenes but keeps getting railroaded by the Jedi Council. All of this is to say that, as enjoyable as Episode III is compared to I and II, it could have really stuck the landing if it was edited a little differently.

9 months ago
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Thank you for the reply, that makes a lot of sense! I do want to watch the Clone War series eventually to understand the plot better.

9 months ago
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Loving reading your thoughts on these films, reminds me alot of my memories of seeing them for the first time. Ep3 really is the highlight of the prequels for me, though I don't feel they're as bad as many people claim, just more uneven than the OG trilogy.
Visually spectacular in places but with some odd choices here and there; the quick demise of Dooku in favour of Grievous as antagonist (who I still feel was just there to sell toys), Padme's role being reduced to essentially being pregnant for the whole movie rather than the driving force of the action/plot of the 1st/2nd movie and the "loosing the will to live" plot device take away a bit. Made up for alot by the fall of the Jedi sequence, the feeling of darkness descending, Wookie battles(!)(makes me pine what we missed out on in the original draft of Ep6) and the fight scenes. I don't know about you but I could see that Senate fight happening all the way back in Ep1, a room like that wasn't made for anything else 😄.
Like you I walked out of the theatre a little deflated regarding Anakin's descent to the dark side, for nearly 20 years I had always imagined it being for something more substantial, something less obviously manipulative. I know we were warned about the danger of love & attachment from the start for a Jedi, but still it felt a bit anticlimactic (and if those two things brought down Anakin, the lack of those qualities equally brought down the Jedi order). The Clone wars show really fleshes his descent out a bit more, also Palpatine managed to trash the reputation of the Jedi order. How trillions of people just blithely accepted the accession of a galactic autocracy is perhaps something less developed.
What I didn't expect though was that this film would affect my enjoyment of Return of the Jedi so much. Before this I always appreciated the redemption angle of Vader's choice at the end of the movie (to be fair, having just had his great galactic Empire have it's arse handed to it by a bunch of stumpy furballs, Palpatine actually died of embarrassment, Vader in my view just tidied up the mess...). While personally I don't put much stock in redemption as a philosophical construct, I saw how it worked in the context of the movie and the trilogy and I could accept that and have some comfort that after years traveling through the dark Anakin could find some peace again.
Then I saw Ep6 on tv the week after seeing this in cinemas and I felt strangely cold at the ending; as I was now having to feel the satisfaction of the redemption of Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker......child killer. Maybe it's my own naivety in play here but for some strange reason up to that point I never imagined Vader explicitly killing children as he's inferred to have done in this movie, cutting them through with a lightsaber presumably. Like I said maybe it's my own issue but that complicated my enjoyment of that end scene, let alone the seemingly happy get together of force ghosts at the very end. (Really, Obi-Wan & Yoda, nothing you want to talk about with Anakin about what happened in the Jedi temple, really?!?!!) It's always sat with me in the plus 15 years since and I don't know how to feel about it still. Not quite "raping my childhood" stuff but a disquiet about a story element I had previously enjoyed. Maybe I just think to much 🤔.
Sorry for the long post, just enjoy seeing some fresh thoughts about the movies, their ubiquity means it's something you don't come across often. +1 to watching the clone wars, it really fleshes out so many aspects of the prequel trilogy that couldn't (but probably should have) be in the movies. +1 to also squeezing in Rogue One before you move on, it will feel less out of place if you watch it next. Solo you could probably chuck in anywhere but might be good to keep it with the same general time period. Happy viewing!

9 months ago
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Sorry for the long post

No worries, I love reading these posts because they give me a better insight to the movies and how they affected people when it came out.

I 100% agree with everything you said! I wish the direction of the prequels were done better and it didn't negatively affect the original films. I see what you mean about Darth Vaders redemption. When I first watched Return of the Jedi I felt sympathy and forgiveness for Vader but its harder to do that when you see just how horrible of a man he was. If only they put a little more thought and care into the characters and story of the prequels I think it could have been amazing. I will 100% watch The Clone Wars because I like Anakins character so I want to see his story done more justice

9 months ago
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Somehow I missed your updated reviews.
Just a few things off the top of my head:
Episode 1 - it's Anakin and Darth Maul, not "Anikan" or "Darth Mual"
I really wanted to like Jar Jar Binks because everyone warned me that he is the worst. Unfortunately, he is the worst.
Yep, probably one of the most annoying pricks in the last 50 years of movies. Even worse then the trope in horror or action films of people who don't stick together so they can go off and die alone 😄
Concerning Ep 3 and Padme - she died mostly of a broken heart. Annakin was no longer good and actually assaulted her.
IIRC they practically said it at her death bed.

Curious why you are mixing up the next movies you are going to watch?
7-9 should be watched as a trilogy.
I'd personally watch Rogue One (2016) and Solo (2018) before the final Trilogy.
Preferably Solo first although that came out after Rogue One. Because it is the weaker of the 2 movies (still entertaining though)
Rogue One is in a class of it's own IMO.

9 months ago
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Episode 1 - it's Anakin and Darth Maul, not "Anikan" or "Darth Mual"

Thank you, corrected!

Yep, probably one of the most annoying pricks in the last 50 years of movies

I kept expecting them to bring him back and I was so nervous. I'm assuming they never did because of the negative reactions towards him :P

Concerning Ep 3 and Padme - she died mostly of a broken heart. Annakin was no longer good and actually assaulted her.
IIRC they practically said it at her death bed.

gotcha! I thought so but I didn't catch everything in the movie. She still had two kids to take care of but that makes sense because Anakin had to be the one to kill her in one way or another.

Curious why you are mixing up the next movies you are going to watch?

I was going off a list of the movies in chronological order. I changed it so now I'll watch the trilogy all together

9 months ago
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UPDATE! I just finished Rogue One and Solo. Both were prequels, but one I prefered a lot more over the other. I decided to update them together since I took a while between movies. Just three more films and then our journey is over! I've heard some horror stories about the next three. I'll try to go in with an open mind but that hasn't helped me yet.Wish me luck!

8 months ago
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Good luck!

8 months ago
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Thanks :P I'm looking at the poll results and I feel like there will be a certain film that I'll have issues with lol

8 months ago
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It's been a while, but have you carried on with your Star Wars journey?

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5 months ago
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woah sorry didn't see this message! I've had a lot of important stuff come up recently so I haven't been able to watch Star Wars since my last update. I plan on doing it this weekend and making another update! Thank you for your message!

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5 months ago
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Thanks for the update.
Have fun! 🖖 😉

5 months ago
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You are going to end with the Disney trilogy. You can actually skip that.

Actually, I would recommend anybody to skip THAT trilogy.

5 months ago
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Update: Just finished The Force Awakens! I'm wondering if I should watch the next two movies or just skip them and call this a wrap? What do you guys think? Either way this journey has been incredibly fun and I'm glad you guys shared it with me.

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4 months ago
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Nice job on the reviews so far and my personal take is you've watched all the other films and should finish it for completion sake. A "bad" star wars film is still a lot better than a lotta movies out there.

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4 months ago
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After I saw the Last Jedi, I KNEW the last one was one to be a disaster. Still I went to the cinema the first day because I am a big Star Wars fan. So, although I didn't follow my own advice, I would recommend NOT to see anything else. I still consider The Force Awakens the best of the Disney trilogy, which... isn't much.

4 months ago
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I'd say watch it, follow that train wreck to the end! 😂

4 months ago
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You should watch it, I really want to read your review about it.

4 months ago
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I'd say watch them, I actually liked The Last Jedi (more than Ep7 and Ep2...not talking about 9 since you haven't watched it yet) though it is definitely flawed.

4 months ago
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+1. At least when it comes to liking it. Not sure where it rank on my list though.

4 months ago
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I would skip. I forced myself to suffer through the other two movies and I wish I had my time back. Star Wars is over

4 months ago
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If you want my 2 AU cents, I think you should watch the Last Jedi even if you end up disliking it. I feel alot like you about the Force Awakens, I was actually disappointed at the time I didn't see it in cinemas. Then I borrowed a colleague's DVD about 6 months later.....and I wasn't upset about missing it at the cinemas because I realised that I'd already seen that film about 30years earlier on VHS 😁. It had alot of problems for me, the least of which was it struggling to actually present a reason for it's existence (apart from Disney wanting money).

Also (preparing for harsh looks from some people), I feel like JJ Abrams was the wrong choice to usher in a new trilogy; I personally feel he is a bit overrated, very much style over substance (it's what made me indifferent to his two Star Trek movies despite being a long time fan). Force Awakens is spectacular looking but rather shallow, once you strip away the set piece action sequences you realise nothing much of consequence happens, and what does is frankly just a lazy (my opinion) retread of the themes (and plot!) of the original trilogy masquerading as cyclical storytelling.

But paradoxically I feel that's why you should watch the Last Jedi. It tries to take the franchise in a new direction story wise & thematically, it acknowledges that things should and can change, that just because it's the way something happened before doesn't mean it's the way it should go into the future. For me personally it scratched that Death Star sized itch I had about the franchise since I played Knights of the Old Republic, and especially it's sequel the Sith Lords about how static and limited alot of the storytelling had been in Star Wars to that point (not a criticism just an opinion).

Be warned; it will challenge you on alot of what you feel you know or regard the series up to that point. It will take characters you know and love in directions maybe you don't agree with (cough Luke cough), it has no time for the Sacred Cows of Star Wars history or lore. It's not perfect, perhaps too little happens in it ultimately. (Certainly a side trip to a certain planet about half way through seems like it takes up more time than it should). And ultimately it's scope and ideas seems so much bigger than just one film.

This is all just my opinion of course. I enjoyed the film, wished I had seen it in cinemas. I feel it fleshed out some of the characters that JJ Abrams had skipped over so he could put in another trench run 🙄. It takes Kylo Ren in a truly interesting direction that, while it can't truly overcome the petulant-teeenager-sulkfest that the first film tarred him with, he becomes a more interesting antagonist, frankly worthy of the actor's talent. And it introduces a character I instantly fell in love with, Rose, a type of character that in 30+ years of watching every bit of Star Wars I could I realised there hasn't been anyone like her before story wise. (Just try to ignore the internet garbage that spewed up afterwards....). And it has an ending more uplifting for me personally than any other movie in Star Wars.

Sorry for the long post, I just feel that the Last Jedi doesn't quite get the respect it deserves, while acknowledging that some of the criticism of it is justified. Ironically, if you end up disliking Last Jedi you should definitely watch Rise of Skywalker because that film jettisons nearly everything about it's predecessor in favour of a return to Force Awakens-style spectacle & nostalgia-fest. Conversely if you enjoy Last Jedi I'd recommend giving Rise of Skywalker a miss; after the wide universe of storytelling that Last Jedi posited it's rather deflating to see the series end on such a weak point.

4 months ago*
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Nice to see a fellow appreciater of the TLJ!
Though it definitely has a few glaring flaws that tars it on a second viewing - the needless secrecy of the acting commander, the entirely too long side trip that you mentioned and you-know-who's anti-climactic you-know-what. But yup, it's a really fun watch. Watched it with my roommate when it came out and had a great time.

4 months ago
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I can look past most of the plot holes/flaws for the most part because I appreciate how it tired to float the idea of a post-Jedi Order Star Wars-verse, trying to nudge the story away from the myopic obsession of one particular bloodline. Perhaps it was too much too soon (the sometimes rabid fan reaction certainly seems to have put it's ideas on ice) but I appreciate it tried to go there.
I've found I'm an anomaly amongst people my age that I've encountered; I grew up literally watching the OG trilogy over and over again on VHS as a kid but unlike alot of the people I've met I accept that Star Wars can and probably should evolve over time. I don't want the same story told over and over again (I've encountered a few guys who like the Force Awakens for that very reason). Each to their own I suppose, I just wish that the franchise was a bit more adventurous, a bit less risk averse to playing with its legacy. I've got hopes for Andor at least.

4 months ago
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Yesssss! That is probably one of my favorite parts of the film, that idea that the Force isn't overtly favoring of just a select few bloodlines. Alas, as one saw in the sequel they put that to ice the fastest. And granted that reveal in the second might have been jarring considering the foreshadowing in the first movie, but that was a bold move that could have allowed the franchise to move itself away from its previous generation of legends and heroes but ehh.

4 months ago
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Indeed much of my dissatisfaction with Rise of Skywalker is how it rejected the ending of the Last Jedi, the glimmer of hope and transformative change against the backdrop of seeming defeat. For the first time in the franchise we left behind the warrior priests of the Jedi & Sith, discarded the idea of the Chosen One and all-powerful Destiny (and those bloody midichlorians) and instead focused on the intoxicating idea that the Force was something that could touch anyone as long as they were prepared to hear it
It floated the idea of a Star Wars universe where the character of a person, not just blood or pseudo-religious affiliation, would be the defining characteristic of protagonists, a world with fewer paragons perhaps but more in line with the way things actually are.
It's why I like the Rose character so much, although I only realised why on my second viewing. She's a normal person. She's not a space princess/queen, a renowned rogue, a chosen one, a warrior priest, a seemingly indestructible Sith Lord or any of the other "important people". She's just a tech, just one of those random background people running around the "important people" that we see in all the movies. She just wants to be free, for her friends to be free and so she fights, even if it's hopeless. But it doesn't make her less important than anyone else. It was such a breath of fresh air for the franchise for me, it made me realise that there have never really been any normal people in Star Wars on a substantial level (and no Luke "farm boy" Skywalker doesn't count, his destiny makes sure of that).
I suppose it's all personal really, everyone will have their own take and thats brilliant. I just look at the Last Jedi and see where Star Wars could have gone.....and then watch Rise of Skywalker...... with Grandpa Palpatine and a Death Star for every ship and Rey getting over the whole Kylo Ren tortured me and killed his father thing, destroyed the resistance and gave him a nice snog for his trouble ....I just can't help but feel that the whole trilogy seems rudderless, to the point of being ultimately pointless.
But at least Chewie got his medal. I can't tell you how many years I agonised over that omission.....not 🙄.

4 months ago
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Ong many of the problems I found with is the last jedi is SPOILERS. STOP READING IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ SPOILERS that canonically, it makes the death star, and every single Imperial star destroyer outdated. Just put any small ship, even a single X-wing and hyperspace it against them. It can blow a hole on any of them. Just 20 x wing can destroy a whole enemy fleet. Also the Jedi Library only contains 5 ancient books? 5? The whole Snoke big bad, uh, nothing, died in seconds. Captain Phasma being again the most useless character ever, and please, the whole Canto Bing was a nightmare. BB-8 shooting gold coins like a machine gun and the whole heist getting wrecked because a parking violation, Leia suddenly becoming Mary Poppins on space without any explanation, Rey becoming a super jedi knight able to mow down the pretorian guard after, years of tr... No, months of tr... No, err, one or two days of training, against a rock... “That’s how we’re gonna win: not fighting what we hate; saving what we love.", yep, heroic line, and thanks to that, the whole resistance of the whole galaxy fits into a single ship afterwards. Luke Skywalker, the one that refused to fight Darth Vader, the one that cut his hand, because he still saw good in him, deciding to kill his nephew. That's literally character assassination. Beloved and iconic character like Ackbar getting killed offscreen. Holdo deciding not telling her pilots the plan for no reason at all.

Oh, and the "your mother" joke. That was too cringe. And it made Hux a joke character.

Ufff. Sorry, I intented just write one thing, then two, then three, etc.

Another problem is that it just for a second film of a trilogy, it stopped cold any story development, specially after killing the two most interesting characters. The last movie would have to create the plot, prepare the characters, and then finally solve it.

4 months ago
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I think one criticism of the sequel trilogy that is universally true, whether people actually liked the movies or not, is that they suffered greatly from not having one centralised & planned creative process from the start. It never feels like a trilogy, never feels anything more than 3 disconnected stories that happen to take place in the same fictional universe. Say what you will about the prequel trilogy (I don't feel it's as bad as many say) at least it had the benefit of one continuous & sustained creative train of thought, for better or for worse, that made it seem less disjointed. To be fair, IMO relying on the last film to create a purpose for the trilogy in the first place was just emblematic of all the sequel trilogy's problems.

4 months ago
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4 months ago
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I think if we're being honest, all of the trilogies have their own problems, and how much those specific problems affect you is going to vary from person to person. Do I love everything in the sequel trilogy films? Far from it. Do I regret watching them? Absolutely not.

There's a lot of middle ground that gets lost on The Internet, especially when it comes to these movies. And I think contributing to a conversation with, "I dislike this for this specific reason," is a lot more interesting than saying, "I have nothing to add because I didn't see it." Rise of Skywalker is a mess (and is, at times, like watching a car crash), but I can tell you why I personally feel that way.

As should always be the case, do what makes you happy. If you feel like your Star Wars journey is done, let it be done! Anything beyond what you've already enjoyed/struggled through will still be there in a year or ten -- come back to it when you get the itch. But if you're still curious about how it all ends, don't let other people's personal biases deter you from your own conclusions.

Either way, still enjoy reading all of your thoughts!

4 months ago
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Good to see you kept up with it and I'm not surprised in the least with your reviews as they echo most of my thoughts on the movies post original trilogy.

I fell asleep watching the last two movies and I'm an insomniac so that does say a lot about my opinion of them.
If I were you, I'd skip them, forgot they ever existed and chances are, you will. If you weren't really invested in any of the characters from The Force Awakens (and I can't blame you), it's probably not worth your time just to watch everything Star Wars

I recommend you just take a breather, cleanse your palate and then give Andor a try. If you liked Rogue One, you'll definitely enjoy it.

4 months ago
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Update: Just finished The Force Awakens! I'm wondering if I should watch the next two movies or just skip them and call this a wrap? What do you guys think? Either way this journey has been incredibly fun and I'm glad you guys shared it with me.

I've read all your reviews and sometimes you mention that you are a bit lost in the lore, find some things confusing or think dialogs are unnatural.
So be ready to be completely lost and disappointed.
I'm someone that liked every other Star Wars movies and I never found them confusing or illogical, until this trilogy.
The whole trilogy is stuck between two extremes, over-nostalgia (somehow bearable) and new random, illogical, clumsy and nonsensical events. And the last episode is by far the worse, an apotheosis of nonsenses.
It's only my opinion. I consider myself not too much demanding when I watch movies, but I only managed to dislike this trilogy more and more at each episode. I can't think of another movie that disappointed me as much as the last episode.

If you are a bit completionist, watch them, but keep the following mindset "Why? Brain, shut up! It's magic, don't try to understand or put logic here!"

4 months ago
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I say, finish the thing. Just two more movies, and they have redeeming qualities. They are not the worse or anything. Just keep your expectations low.

4 months ago
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the last 2 of the sequel trilogy have some very nice looking cinematography, but they are worse movies than the force awakens imo. instead of wasting your time with those 2, i suggest you watch the show Andor, since you liked Rogue One.

4 months ago
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