• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Film
  • DVD
  • Editorial
  • About ScreenFish

ScreenFish

where faith and film are intertwined

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • News
  • OtherFish
  • Podcast
  • Give

The Last Jedi

The Last Jedi: Identifying the Enemy

January 2, 2018 by Heather Johnson 17 Comments

I know who Snoke is.

Ok, I admit that I originally had that as the title, but could foresee the flood of “clickbait” accusations with the overall discontent surrounding Snoke’s identity, so I moved it. But in all seriousness, I do know who he is. In a way.

I know there are hundreds of articles on Star Wars: The Last Jedi, so what could one more hurt? I enjoy discussing and reading countless theories and thoughts because there is always something new in the Star Wars universe that may have been overlooked the first time around. I mean, it’s a timeless story that spans generations and galaxies, and bridges the past with the experiences of the present and with a hope for the future. The conversations after the credits are part of what makes Star Wars Star Wars.

I want to be sensitive to everyone’s personal definitions of “spoiler,” so if you are still avoiding all of the press and discussion until you see it, here is where I say “it’s better to be safe than sorry,” and perhaps come back later. For everyone else, I want to talk about Snoke.

Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) has been an enigma since The Force Awakens gave us a holographic introduction of a seemingly larger-than-life villain with a mastery of the Dark Side of the Force. He not only controlled the First Order, but guided and influenced a young Ben Solo, a former Jedi-in-training under the tutelage of Luke Skywalker (Adam Driver and Mark Hamill respectively), and transformed him into Kylo Ren.

In The Last Jedi, Snoke is still in charge, and still pushing Kylo Ren to a deeper commitment to the Dark Side. Granted he isn’t as physically imposing up close and personal, but his power seems all but absolute, much like the villains that have come before him. In the prequels, Senator/Chancellor/Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) seduces Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) with a promise that he can prevent the death of Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman). In epsidoes IV-VI, Darth Vader (voiced by James Earl Jones), uses the family connection between himself, Luke and Leia (Carrie Fisher) in multiple attempts to turn the young Jedi into following in his father’s footsteps.

Snoke uses those same external influencers and family connections but in a very pointed way, as he flips the relational dynamic between the “target” (in this case, Ben Solo) and the path of darkness. And this is what makes Snoke far more dangerous, and far more recognizable as a villain, than either Palpatine or Vader.

Instead of focusing on what the Dark Side can offer, Snoke uses the weaknesses he sees in Kylo, compares him to those he has admired (or hated), and twists a manipulating knife of self-loathing and doubt deeper into Kylo’s vulnerable soul. Snoke has taken hold of Kylo’s sense of self…who he is, his bloodline, his purpose, his talent…and poisoned it with talk of inadequacy and failure. It isn’t that the Resistance is too strong, or Rey too powerful for him to defeat, it’s that Kylo is too weak. His conflicting feelings keep him from doing what is necessary. Snoke feeds the doubt that is already inside of Kylo…that is inside of all of us…to maintain his control over him.

And this is why Snoke is such a dangerous enemy – not because of his skills with a lightsaber (apparently none), or because he has a connection to the villains before him (we actually get nothing of his backstory, which I think is what makes him even more dangerous) – but because of how he pulls the strings. His approach feels familiar because most of us have seen it or lived it in our own lives.

I mentioned that we get nothing on Snoke’s backstory. Maybe it will come later, but I don’t think it’s necessary. Snoke is more dangerous for the same reason Rey is more powerful – because they aren’t anyone “special.” Like the Force can choose anyone, so can the Dark Side. Snoke is a scarred, dangerous, hurtful person not because of who he may have been, but because of how he permits the Dark Side to work within him and in turn, helps him convince Kylo Ren that is an epic failure.

There are people in our lives that seem to have an unshakeable hold, and not because they are caring and supportive, but because they feed the small voice inside of us that whispers “you aren’t good enough, you aren’t smart enough, you aren’t pretty enough, you aren’t thin enough, you aren’t rich enough.” They poison our hearts with false declarations of our identities and leave no room for us to break free. Their power doesn’t come from a supernatural source or an inherently evil past (for most people anyway), it comes from the moment we accept their assessment of our weakness.

Snoke’s identity is clear: he is the abuser. He is the former boss, the ex-spouse, the controlling significant other, the overbearing parent, the toxic friend…Snoke is the manipulator in our lives that plants seeds of self-doubt and worthlessness, who cultivates a garden of thorns in our hearts, devoid of the warmth of the sun and relief of the rain. His sickening self-confidence that Kylo will strike down his “true enemy” solidifies his position as abuser. He is absolutely convinced that Kylo belongs to him. 

Our hardest battles aren’t fought with weapons and epic cinematic throw-downs (although the tag team of Rey and Kylo was majorly epic in my opinion), but in quiet determination, with a few key people pulling us through – both past and present.

I find it no accident that Kylo cuts the tie to his abuser with the Skywalker lightsaber when he strikes down Snoke. Kylo has been unsuccessful in the past at retrieving that lightsaber, yet in this scene he wields it effortlessly. You can’t convince me that Rey’s presence in Kylo’s life isn’t fueling his already conflicting soul, encouraging him to break free, making it possible for the lightsaber to respond to his command. And for me, having it seem such a simple act is what makes it so poignant and powerful.

Now Kylo did identify his true enemy and take him out, but the remnants of Snoke’s power still run deep. We see this play out for the remainder of the film. At first this really bugged me, as I was so ready for him to turn light. But it can’t be that way. It hardly ever is. When we take that first step away from a toxic presence, we are simultaneously at our strongest and weakest points. The journey is just beginning, which makes it vital to surround ourselves with people of light, like Rey and the fledgling remainder of rebels, as opposed to dwelling on our anger and sense of injustice and pouring our energy into violent revenge. Snoke’s role is far from removed because Kylo still reels and responds to his influence.

But there is hope! There is always hope, and in true Star Wars fashion, we are left with an image of resiliency, inspiration, and dare I say it…grace for the ones fighting a battle deeper than we may ever know.

 

Filed Under: Film, Reviews, Star Wars Tagged With: abuser, Adam Driver, Carrie Fisher, Finn, Kylo Ren, Luke Skywalker, Mark Hamill, Rey, Snoke, Star Wars, The Last Jedi

4.08 Letting the Past Die in THE LAST JEDI

December 25, 2017 by Steve Norton 36 Comments

http://screenfish.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/4.08-The-Last-Jedi.mp3

With the return of Luke Skywalker to the Star Wars universe, you’d expect that fans would be buzzing… but STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI has proven to be one of the most divisive films of the series. This week, Steve is joined by podcast vets Chris Utley and Patrick Erskine to talk about the dangers of nostalgia, the power of nobodies and the damage of the past.

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

4.08 Star Wars The Last Jedi

A special thanks to Patrick and Chris for joining us!

For those of you in Canada who are interested, you can donate to ScreenFish by clicking the link below and simply selecting ‘ScreenFish’ from the ‘Apply Your Donation…’ area. 

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/connect-city/

Filed Under: Film, Podcast Tagged With: Luke Skywalker, Mark Hamill, Princess Leia, Rian Johnston, Rotten Tomatoes, Star Wars, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, The Last Jedi

seeing it coming [The Last Jedi SPOILERS]

December 22, 2017 by Matt Hill 6 Comments


when old wineskins
make way for new,
who sees it coming?

if one waits on royalty
but receives rabble,
will one still receive?

and though death is
obviously an end,
isn’t it always also a beginning?

even so . . .

shred the Jedi texts and
burn the sacred tree,
for the force is
the force for everyone –
“The wind blows wherever it pleases.
You hear its sound, but you
cannot tell where it comes from
or where it is going.” –
true always,
clearer now

when the one book
in the one tongue
gets Gutenberged,
then can the word
truly be writ
on its true home:
the hearts of all,
not the papers of the few

even so . . .

if Rey be the seed of nobodies,
that need not mean
she cannot still be
the start of a new hope –
for the last shall be first,
the weak shall be strong,
the poor shall be rich

also forget not
the lamb yet lion,
the servant yet master,
the pauper yet king –
forget not that
things many
can yet be one

even so . . .

Skywalker is dead.
the call of the
force/wind/God
made in a way most final.
his shoot of a branch
seemingly snipped.
the Jedi –
once but a
dreamer of a boy
looking aloft to
binary stars –
finally, the last.

yes, but,
who supplants him?

who but he himself:
yet another boy dreamer,
looking aloft to a
new sky of his own

so can you see?

can you see it coming?

the new wineskins?
the royal rabble?
the end-yet-beginning?

can you see that
Luke is Rey is
the boy dreamer
is all the dreamers is
me
is
you?

and can you see that
this is the way of the
force/wind/God?

i hope,
yes

 

Filed Under: Editorial, Reviews Tagged With: Bible, Christian, interpretation, Jesus, lucas, Luke Skywalker, Mark Hamill, meaning, review, Rey, spiritual, Star Wars, The Last Jedi

Scenes From A Thursday Night In A Galaxy Far Far Away

December 18, 2017 by Chris Utley 1 Comment

SPOILERS FROM STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI ALL OVER THIS ARTICLE.  DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE MOVIE!!!!


  • Dear Disney: You’ve got money up the wazoo! How hard can it be for y’all to give Lucasfilm a proper movie studio logo with bells and whistles and such?  Marvel’s all spiffed out.  Pixar and the animation wings are spiffy.  Lucasfilm’s got that same placeholder madness from the 90’s.  Update that thing!   PLEASE!!!
  • So…Luke’s journey with the Force started with a binary sunset and ended with a binary sunset?  Coincidence?  Doubt it. Poetic?  MOST DEFINITELY!
  • How many of y’all besides me reduced the Force to moving rocks and other inanimate objects?  That mind-melding between Rey and Kylo to get in each other’s head/physical space? Mind. BLOWN!
  • And till now, we thought that Leia’s Force gift was just sensing thoughts and feelings.  Teleporting herself in a semi conscious state?   Mind. Blown. Again! Although my heart sank when it appeared that was how she was gonna die.
  • YODA!!!!
  • I’m not so sure Finn earned that “kiss from a Rose.”  There’s gotta be some cutting room floor material from that casino planet scene to justify her falling in love with him.
  • My SF colleague Arnaldo Reyes summed it up for us all in his review.  LET THE PAST DIE…but hold on to HOPE!  And that’s why fanboys are up in arms.  We will go into Episode 9 with a dead Vader, dead Han Solo, potentially Force ghosted Luke (and Yoda) and, ever so sadly, dead Leia.  The past has died.  All we have ever know about Star Wars is gone.  And that’s a good thing.  It’s what the last scene – along with the revelation of Rey’s parentage – leads us into: A TRUE NEW HOPE – the promise of something new.  Newness can be horrifying. So many times we cling to familiarity at our own expense.  We hold onto old memories, old lives, old sins that God clearly states that we are to put away.  Paul in Romans gives us one of the hallmark statements of faith when he declares that his mission in his journey with Christ is to forget those things which are behind and press forward toward that which is in front of him.  Rian Johnson has done that for us, the audience.  The past must die in order for us to move forward.  Just like our position in Christ:  Old things passed away.  Behold, ALL THINGS ARE NEW.
  • One final point about Luke. Addressing the fanboys again who were searching for their hero who they loved back in 77-83:  Heroism has a cost.  We see our heroes in real life and admire their greatness.  But we have no idea what that heroism cost them emotionally, mentally and spiritually.  Luke was supposed to be the manifested Jedi prophecy bringing balance to the Force and restoring the Jedi order.  But he failed in the process.  That failure cost him his nephew and the students he was training and also unleashed the power of the Dark Side to a new level.  Now mind you: THIS is on top of being a presumed orphan for the early part of your life, watching your aunt and uncle who were your caretakers die, finding out your sworn enemy is YOUR DADDY, losing your hand while confronting said enemy, the utter mind-blowing discovery that the most beautiful princess you’ve ever seen (and stole a couple of kisses from) is your friggin sister AND taking eleventy gazillion bolts of Force lightning from the Emperor as your enemy/Daddy saves your life and loses his in the process.  Talk about your burdens being carried!  But no one sees that.  They just see the blowing up of the Death Star, using the gift of the Force and Vader’s redemption. Heroism to the masses…failure behind the scenes.  Much like our own lives.  But as Yoda said, FAILURE is just as crucial to the journey as the successes. The American wing of the Christian Church is infected by this anti-failure mindset.  It has seeped into the fabric of the entire country. We celebrate success. We denigrate failure.  I have seen failure get people who genuinely love God removed from churches because of it. I have seen friends lost because of it.  I have seen the outright dismissal of people’s walks with Christ because of it. But, in my life, I have seen FAILURE be the launchpad into the revelation of the grace and mercy of God.  I never would know God’s genuine love if I hadn’t failed.  And I have failed epically. Just like Luke. But out of the ashes of my failures have come my greatest victories.  Just like Luke.  Luke’s final act in this film was paid for through the cost of his failures.  He became greater and more powerful than at any point in the Star Wars saga!  Can’t wait to see the lessons his Force ghosted self will teach Rey – and hopefully that little boy in the final scene.
  • JJ: Pressure’s on you, bruh.  You alienated a legion of Trekkers through your remake of The Wrath of Khan in which you made Khan an English dude and flip flopped Spock’s death into Kirk’s death.  We cannot have those shenanigans for Episode 9! No digging into your crates to find another movie to remix. The gauntlet has been thrown. Rian Johnson has set the table. It’s on you to bring the feast that will end this trilogy. DON’T SCREW THIS UP!!!

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: Finn, Luke Skywalker, Mark Hamill, Poe Dameron, Star Wars, The Last Jedi

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Trailer Breakdown

October 10, 2017 by Arnaldo Reyes Leave a Comment

With the release of the new trailer last night, you either fall into three categories:

A) I’m not watching.

B) I can’t believe what I just saw.

C) I don’t care about Star Wars. (you are lame)

So for those in category B….this is for you.

Ok, I will admit, I’ve seen this trailer more than ten times. There are so many questions and so much to unpack. I’ve already had several conversations with many who have watched it. As my cousin told me, “I think Disney loved all the different theories and made the trailer to both enhance and debunk at the same time which just left you even more confused and anticipating even more” That is true. There are other things that some of us here at ScreenFish have discussed as well.

So let’s get to it, and in the end, I’ll give you my theory:

“When I found you, I saw RAW untamed power…and beyond that…something truly special”
–
Snoke

I believe that this beginning will bring us the flashback of Kylo turning to Snoke and the Dark Side. We know from the first film that Snoke calls him back to finish his training. Kylo was already powerful enough to send Luke into hiding (more on that later), so the real question is what will it look like to finish his training? Snoke is ancient so there is something to him that we haven’t seen in films and just maybe he will share that with Kylo. This part finishes with, again, what I believe is the flashback of Kylo receiving his now famous lightsaber from Snoke.

The next set of scenes bring us to the island where Rey gives Luke his lightsaber. Luke doesn’t seem to be happy to have it. It is possible that Luke either doesn’t want her there or wasn’t ready for her yet. Anyway, I believe that most of these scenes are the process of Rey getting her crystal for her lightsaber, which appears to be more white than light blue (or just a very light blue).

Rey is discovering that her whole life she’s known something has been there, and now it’s awake (a nod to the first film). As we see this montage, we realize just how powerful she is.

“I’ve seen this raw strength only once before. I didn’t scare me enough then, it does now”
-Luke

I believe Luke is referring to Kylo and, at this point, we get a glimpse of why I believe Luke was in hiding. It was fear. Luke knows he isn’t powerful enough to take on both Kylo and Snoke. If Snoke is truly ancient, then the clues to defeating him are in the temple. It also explains why he wasn’t happy to see Rey because he’s not ready. He hasn’t found the answers and now he must train someone but, likely, that fear creeps back in. In Rey, he sees his failure of Kylo and thinks that things are happening all over again. Luke is terrified.

From there we get the typical montage of action scenes, some Porg, exciting confrontations, and a heart-wrenching left-to-the-imagination scene featuring Kylo and General Leia.

But it’s the ending that has the Star Wars community going crazy.

“Fullfill your Destiny!”
-Snoke

Is he talking to Kylo…or is he speaking to Rey? I believe based on the next scene it was definitely Rey, but what was he doing to her? Is that a simple death grip, or is the rumor of Snoke’s ability to feed off of force wielders to gain strength true and he feels the force within her was awakened to feed him? If you look carefully in the background of the photo below, you can see that Snoke has Rey. But what is he doing to her?

And then…finally…the moment of shock, anger, confusion, sadness, and what the?

“I need someone to show me my place in all this”
-Rey

Those words, followed by Kylo and then his hands extended, have sent a shock wave. What does it mean? Well, here’s what I think. I believe it’s safe to assume that this trailer leads us to believe that Luke abandons her after he sees how much raw power she possesses. Luke is so terrified and has convinced himself that she will turn also that he leaves her, forcing her to return before she is ready.

I believe that Kylo couldn’t go through with killing his mother and that Snoke eventually does. I believe that no one force wielder can bring balance to the force; rather, it has to be a combination of dark and light. Kylo isn’t fully dark; there is light in him. Rey and Kylo will bring about the true balance together. Kylo will realize that Snoke was leading him astray and the above scene is a combination of Rey joining him and Kylo leaving Snoke.

Snoke is ancient and I think a) Anakin turning and b) Order 66 shifted the balance so much that it awoke him. He stayed hidden, gaining strength while the Empire went from its beginning until its ultimate end. I believe in order to bring true balance back, Kylo needed to turn to give way to the Force awakening in Rey. Combined, Rey and Kylo bring about the embodiment of the Force and will defeat Snoke in Episode IX together. Where Luke factors in to this equation, however, is the biggest question. Does he come back after he feels that Leia is gone? Maybe he has a renewed hope when he sees Kylo and Rey together, not embracing the dark side or the light side, but embracing the balance knowing both are truly needed.

What say you? If you made it this far, you’ve watched the trailer, so what do you think?

 

Filed Under: Editorial, Film, Reviews, Trailers Tagged With: Kylo Ren, Leia, Luke Skywalker, Rey, Snoke, Star Wars, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, The Last Jedi

Star Wars The Last Jedi Trailer Debut

April 14, 2017 by Arnaldo Reyes 15 Comments

As many expected, today at Star Wars Celebration The Last Jedi panel, the teaser trailer for the next installment in this legendary series was released, along with a pretty epic poster that pays tribute to past, present, and the future. If you haven’t seen the trailer, you can watch it below (as spoilers from the trailer will follow).

Regarding the trailer, as Screenfish writer Chris Utley says, less is more. We get a little of the training that Luke is putting Rey through, but it tells all we need to know about where the film is going and asks that burning question, what does The Last Jedi truly mean? Action-wise, there’s a little bit of The Empire Strikes Back feel as we can see that the resistance is under attack. They clearly will need a new base and it will be interesting to see how much different from The Empire Strikes Back this will be.

The part that stands out the most is in the trailer’s dialogue, seemingly a narration between Rey and Luke as part of her training. It’s clear she is meditating with the guidance of Luke, and when asked what she sees, she says “light, darkness, a balance,” followed by Luke saying, “It’s so much bigger.” After a montage of action, the trailer ends with Luke telling Rey that he only knows one truth: “It’s time for the Jedi to end.”

Is it time for the Jedi to end? Of course, the theories between now and Christmas will abound, but when you piece together the dialogue, Luke’s search of the first Jedi temple, the idea that it’s time for the Jedi to end, and his comment “It’s so much bigger,” it seems like the next evolution of the Force is taking place. For Rey and Luke to win, they need to be more than just Jedi. We previously got a feel of this much larger balance in Season 3, Episode 15 of Star Wars Clone Wars when Anakin subdued the son and daughter of the overlord (a planet and beings more powerful in the force than any other and in charge of keeping balance).  Anakin was to be the chosen one, the one to keep light and dark in balance, but he rejected that calling. It seems like Luke and Rey are heading to new levels in the Force, and to do so the Jedi–much like the Sith–can be no more.

So now we are left with many new questions. Obviously, we won’t know the answers until December 15, but there will be lots of interesting conversations until that day.

What say you? Tell us what you thought of the trailer and what your theories are!

Filed Under: Current Events, Film, News Tagged With: Luke Skywalker, Rey, Star Wars, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, The Last Jedi

Last Jedi Reshoot Draws Unfounded Speculation

February 27, 2017 by Mark Sommer 2 Comments

You can always depend on the internet to spread and expand upon rumors based on tiny snippets of information. When Rogue One was doing reshoots last year, entertainment writers were sure the reason for it all was that Disney was “panicked” about their new film. But, as I commented on this last June, reshoots are part of the normal production process – at least it is with most of the better films. To be sure, there was a lot of “click baiting” going on, and history is repeating itself.

The latest Star Wars speculation has to do with Episode VIII, which was revealed lost month to be titled The Last Jedi. The YouTube channel, MIKE ZEROH, has posted a rumor the reshoots for the movie will involve huge cuts of major scenes due to the death of Carrie Fisher. However, as CinemaBlend points out, although there could be changes based on the fact Fisher will not return for Episode IX, “we never know exactly where [ZEROH’s information] comes from, so we need to give it a wide berth.”

Whatever the outcome, you can be sure reshoots would have happened even if Fisher had not died, and the fact they are happening in no way indicates which direction the filmmakers have decided to go. But “no real news” doesn’t sell copy or invite clicks. For (real) news about Star Wars movies, I invite you to visit my Facebook page, Gallactic Gazette – Star Wars News. I do my best to weed out the fringes and give you the latest news and reviews from reliable sources (including ScreenFish.net).

Filed Under: Current Events, Film, News, Star Wars Tagged With: Star Wars, The Last Jedi

Primary Sidebar

THE SF NEWS

Get a special look, just for you.

sf podcast

Hot Off the Press

  • She is Love: The Quiet Rage of Relationships
  • Black Ice – What’s needs to change in Canada
  • How Do We Do Evangelism?
  • Arctic: Our Frozen Planet – Baby, It’s Cold Outside
  • Dear Edward: Sitting in Sadness, but Never Alone
Find tickets and showtimes on Fandango.

where faith and film are intertwined

film and television carry stories which remind us of the stories God has woven since the beginning of time. come with us on a journey to see where faith and film are intertwined.

Footer

ScreenFish Articles

She is Love: The Quiet Rage of Relationships

Black Ice – What’s needs to change in Canada

  • About ScreenFish
  • Privacy Policy

© 2023 · ScreenFish.net · Built by Aaron Lee

 

Loading Comments...