Spoiler Alert Sunday :: our thoughts on Star Wars: The Last Jedi

We finally went a second time!

So, I absolutely get why people dislike this movie, or have problems with it. I’ve read multiple people’s takes on why it’s not good, and/or why they found it harmful or hurtful, and/or why they think it shits all over established Star Wars canon (it doesn’t). I think many of them are valid interpretations. I’m also really not interested in debating the merits of it. I had fun, I like it, I think it’s a pretty good, flawed movie, and I’m not really interested in fighting about it.

Having said that, here is a spoiler-minimal list of things that are (in our opinions) good about this movie.

• Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran) is a great character and I’m going to fight anyone who says otherwise. She’s brave and clever and loyal and has the best scene ever, where she basically turns into the audience surrogate fangirling over Finn (John Boyega). It’s adorable. I’m very mad I can’t find a T-shirt with her on it because I love her.
• Rey (Daisy Ridley) is still also a great character. She’s stubborn and determined and optimistic and she try. Also it’s fascinating because you can read every emotion on her face and the progressions of those are everything. (Regarding something Kylo tells her about [spoiler], I’ll be very interested to see if the third movie addresses it, because I don’t believe it but I also don’t not believe it. Kylo is a liar and I want to see this plot explored a little more because I don’t know that Rey’s emotional arc re: this thing is done yet.)
• Leia (Carrie Fisher, bless her) is practically perfect in every way and there is pretty much nothing that can stop me loving her aggressively. Of course, the movie yanks you around with her at a few different points, which is particularly heartwrenching now, but you also do have the security of knowing: she is in IX. That helps. Pretty much everything with her causes, if not tears, then watery eyes, at least. The strain of the instrumental theme is officially a killer of my soul. But I’m proud of our space mom, and I will say I pretty much cheered the first time around when she used the Force. Because, to hell with you, fake nerd boys. Leia’s got the damn Force.
• Finn (John Boyega) continues to be a good man who is doing his best and who loves Rey very much. He’s not in it as much as he should be, but he’s wonderful anyway. The saddest thing about this movie is that Finn and Rey spend most of it apart.
• I am also very proud of Amilyn Holdo (Laura Dern). Also, Amilyn is a beautiful name, if kind of born of modernist nonsense etymological conventions, but I don’t care I still like it. But the point is, Holdo is great. Also, Holdo is canon bisexual (thanks to some of the literature). She’s this beautiful soft colorful light in the darkness of this war who does what she can and takes no shit and her moments with Leia killed us hard.
• It is also nice to see so many girls in the (quasi-)background of the Resistance scenes! And a few in the First Order, too (my mom was especially thrilled about Kate Dickie, which was charming), but that’s not as exciting. There are some characters you see semi-regularly (Lieutenant Kaydel Ko Connix [Billie Lourd, Carrie Fisher’s daughter] gets more screen time this go-round, serving as a strong auxiliary member of the Resistance and its new guard; there’s a pilot named Tallie [Hermione Corfield], who mostly factors in the first fight scene but is definitely there; Rose’s sister Paige [Veronica Ngo] has a moment in that scene as well; Commander Larma D’Acy [Amanda Lawrence] seems to be one of the primary officers of the ship and does a lot of explaining) and a lot of other semi-regular background characters.
• Finn and Poe (Oscar Isaac) continue to be extremely gay, although they don’t interact as much as in the first movie. Poe is fond of referring to Finn as “buddy” and “pal,” and when Finn first wakes up from his coma and he is wearing next-to-nothing, Poe definitely sneaks a peek south before leading him off to get changed. They also touch way more times than is strictly necessary. The m/f also continues to be very good, particularly Finn/Rey, as those two spend a decent chunk of the movie worrying or thinking about each other.
• There are many excuses to laugh one’s ass off at Kylo (Adam Driver) and/or Hux (Domnhall Gleeson). This is very good.
• The porgs are cute and all, but I love the vulptex (crystal foxes) and I want a plushie.

–your fangirl heroines.

Film Friday :: 2017 in film

First off, we have already seen The Last Jedi. We saw it opening night. We’ve just been waiting to write about it because A) we’ve been crazy-busy, B) we want to go see it again to pick up more before we write, and C) we figured it would be nice to let the spoilers die down a little. But I will talk about some things about it.

So!

Best Times At The Movies This Year

4. Star Wars: The Last Jedi
So yes, we’re in the camp that quite loved this movie. And our first night crowd was great! They laughed at all the right parts. It was a stressful time that also involved tears and emotions, but it was good and important.

3. Thor: Ragnarok
Good grief. Drift partner and I loved this damn movie, as evidence by the fact that we went to see it a second time in celebration of our anniversary earlier this month. Hela (Cate Blanchett) is a brilliant villain, Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) is the bisexual warrior goddess icon we all need, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is a big golden retriever memelord, Bruce (Mark Ruffalo) is a good buddy who needs protected, Heimdall (Idris Elba) is our lord and savior. Etcetera.

2. Wonder Woman
This is cinematic gold. This movie was such a relief and such a celebration. Diana (Gal Gadot) is the other bisexual warrior goddess icon we need and also Etta (Lucy Davis) is absolutely everything.

1. The Fate of the Furious
Admittedly two of the best times we’ve had at the movies involved being able to drink during, but that’s a coincidence. This is a beautiful garbage movie full of a beautiful garbage family and the stupidest most wonderful nonsense ever, and I’m so glad of it.

Biggest Emotion-Grabbers

(Emotions other than intense happiness, since that was covered above.)

4. The Shape of Water
This movie, as we said last weekend, is flipping weird, but it’s beautiful and quiet and touching and just… lovely. It might not be for everyone, but it’s lovely.

3. Professor Marston and the Wonder Women
For joy but also heartwrenching…ness both because it’s inspiring to watch Wonder Woman come to be and because a movie about bisexual polyamory that’s not only committed and tender and loving and emotionally intense but real is something that never happens and should always.

2. Get Out
This emotion, on the other hand, is some cross between anxiety, dread, and disgust at the world. This is such a fascinating movie, and while I don’t feel it’s my place to get into all of the details I feel it is my place to say it’s expertly done.

1. Hidden Figures
This emotion is pride, mostly. I am proud of these real people and the people who made this and the fact that this is a story we can tell and that it’s true and that it just rocks. Also Janelle Monae, Taraji P. Henson, and Octavia Spencer are goddesses.

Some Standout Ladies

10. All of the women of Star Wars
Leia (Carrie Fisher) always. Bless you space mom, thank you for sending us your bees and love. Rey (Daisy Ridley) always. We love our daughter. Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran) is a beautiful delight and we also love the hell out of her. Amilyn Holdo (Laura Dern) is, surprise, also a bisexual goddess. I want more Maz (Lupita Nyong’o) in Episode IX, dammit. I’m glad Kaydel (Billie Lourd) got more to do and I dibsed her on principle.

9. Lady Bird McPherson (Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird)
As drift partner said, Saoirse deserves her damn Oscar for this emotional and compelling performance. Period.

8. (As mentioned,) Hela and Valkyrie
These two are opposites, enemies, and wonders. Hela is the most extra character, from the horns to the cape to the necroswords to the dramatic magic, and Cate Blanchett was clearly having the time of her life. Val is a tragic babe with a happy outcome, a pegasus-riding sword-wielder, and the kind of character women rarely get to be. They both make a great movie even greater.

7. Harley Quinn (Melissa Rauch, Batman and Harley Quinn)
I’m counting it! We watched this on-demand one night and then immediately ran out to buy it because it is a perfect movie. It exists in the same continuity as Batman: The Animated Series, but it’s rated significantly more PG-13, and Harley is done perfectly. She’s a big bisexual nerd trying to make good, flirting and punching and punning and singing and literally saving the world with her love for Ivy (Paget Brewster). Especially after Suicide Squad, this movie is a breath of fresh air and so is this incarnation of our best clown princess weirdo.

6. Elizabeth Marston (Rebecca Hall, Professor Marston…)
Like, I’ve always loved Rebecca Hall, but this performance is transcendent. Not because it’s flashy or particularly weird, but because it’s heartfelt and honest and, yes, quite h-o-t. It’s the best kind of movie about queer women, which is to say one that actually comes through a queer female gaze and not a straight male one, and Rebecca Hall shines as a fully realized person with fully real desires and appeal.

5. Michelle “MJ” Jones (Zendaya Coleman, Spider-Man: Homecoming)
She is just what we need in everything, namely a snarky black girl who takes no shit from anyone but isn’t afraid to give it. She’s so deadpan and perfect and such a great addition to the universe and the story and I’m excite to see how she ends up being properly MJ.

4. Mantis (Pom Klementieff, Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2)
These movies are definitely hit and miss in a lot of ways, but there are some universal truths, among them that space is very beautiful to look at and that Mantis is an adorable sincere autistic baby who needs to be protected. She’s so utterly charming and her need to be loved and be helpful is, uh, #relatable.

3. Cipher (Charlize Theron, The Fate of the Furious)
This is a garbage film, but she is the garbage queen. All of ur cars are belong to me.

2. Laura Kinney (Dafne Keen, Logan)
This kid. Just her performance in the final act of the movie nearly put this movie on the emotion-grabbing list, too, because she’s heartwrenching. She’s a little badass through the film, but she’s also so little and good and I’m proud of her and would like to make her cookies.

1. All of the women of The Lego Batman Movie
Obviously Barbara (Rosario Dawson) is the main female character in this movie, and she kicks so much ass and is just so delightful. I’m also talking about my favorite thing, the (potential) Gotham City Sirens triumvirate of Harley (Jenny Slate), Catwoman (Zoe Kravitz), and Poison Ivy (Riki Lindholme). That’s the perfect film right there. Get on it.

–your fangirl heroine.