PONDERING 'THE LAST JEDI'

I have been along for the Star Wars ride since the very beginning, even before episode four was called “A New Hope.” Those were the good old days when Han shot first. I even waited impatiently for the early Christmas present in 1978 that turned out to be the bantha fodder of the “Star Wars Holiday Special.” I think I have enough experience to truly reflect on all the goings-on along this 40-year trek among the stars.

So here are my thoughts after seeing “The Last Jedi,” and obviously there will be lots of spoilers. See the movie first! (unless you want to use this as a guide for what really to watch for in the film, which will be fun also)

The all-out attack on Luke Skywalker was my favorite part of the film.

Rey vs. Kylo was my second favorite part of the film.

Poe and Finn really haven’t grown on me like Luke, Leia and Han had by the second of their movies.

So, my first thought at the Luke and Leia reunion is, “Why did Luke stop for a hair cut and dye job when the galaxy is falling to hell?” And I cracked up when Leia says, “I changed my hair,” because that was the same thought I had about Luke. Luckily, this whole situation is later explained and actually made great sense.

Is it just me, or did it look like the movie was finished, and somebody realized Maz was contracted to appear so they had to squeeze her in somewhere? And why is Lupita Nyong’o listed so high in the credits? How much did she make for this five minutes of work?

Is she still saving the story of how she got Luke’s lightsaber for another time?

Did the pseudo-Master Codebreaker really know anything about breaking codes?

Why does the whole space casino part look like it was supposed to be in another movie?

Rey’s parents revelation just had me wondering why the hell I just spent two years trying to figure out that non-mystery. And I still want to know who the heck was Snoke? But really, going back to “The Force Awakens,” there is no where in that film that alludes to any big mystery in either character … it was all just fan boy and fan girl pondering afterwards that amounted to jack.

Vice Admiral Holdo totally annoyed me at first, and then was totally awesome at the end.

Those little birds annoyed me all the way through, but the Crystal Critters were cool.

Am I the only one who thought the red stuff in the ground at the new rebel base was blood at first? And totally grossed out when the Rebel dude tasted it?

True love is stopping someone from committing suicide by committing suicide, according to Rose.

Why is Carrie Fisher the only surviving member of the main heroic trio, when she is in real life the only one who has passed?