Chen G.

I want episode IX to end in a conclusive note, like Return of the King, so it feels like no other film can come after it.

This technique of writing and shooting sequels simultaneously, which became very fashionable after Lord of the Rings, is sort of dying out as a trend. If Marvel isn't doing it, ain't no reason Star Wars will. Especially seeing how they didn't do it with this trilogy.
 
Even when they do do it, they usually shot the first one, and than shot films 2 and 3 at the same time, a-la Pirates of the Caribbean.
 
This anticipation for film series' that are mapped out from the beginning is hurting people's enjoyment of The Last Jedi, and it will do the same with this new trilogy, as well. I'm not saying that they shouldn't do it: they should. But since they probably won't do it, its best to make peace with it rather than deluding one's self.

Point is, James Newton Howard is the man for the job.
 
No further discussion is needed there.

Point is, James Newton Howard is the man for the job.
 
No further discussion is needed there.

Than again, half the people here see dozens and dozens of supposed "motifs" that Williams never ever intended for, too.

I like a couple of them very much, but on the whole it was never going to be a hallmark of cinema, yes.
 
 
I like parts of The Phantom Menace; the whole - not so much. But it does have a sense of scale and adventure: Just on Naboo you visit both forested environments, a palace and an underwater environment, all juxtaposed with the arid Tatooine and the urban Curoscant. That sort of "palette" in terms of setting is essential to adventure films and its something that this film does well.
 
Harry Potter, by its nature, doesn't have that expansive nature, and its mired by bad pacing and a complete lack of a sense of foreboding of any kind. Its just a safe padded room for children. Still, I'm always willing to somewhat excuse pacing issues in an "establishing" film in a series, and while the acting and effects are bad, they're still better than The Phantom Menace.

I find it quite memorable, and very emotionally resonant, for me.

I find it quite memorable, and very emotionally resonant, for me.

That's an insult to Pixar!

The only ring in the Star Wars prequels is the anus from which they were expelled.
 
 
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this universe operating on the premise that not every single person can indeed use The Force?

Than again, half the people here see dozens and dozens of supposed "motifs" that Williams never ever intended for, too.

I think old-fashionedness is not a problem per se, but the way the movie lingers on every bit of its own costly fabricated magic and the gross caricatures (the foster parents) as well as the elephantine running time make it a bit of a chore to sit through.

Clearly the visual came first, before the in-world details.  I'm fine with that - it was very striking.

It seems very arbitrary and pointless is all. Could have been worse though, someone could have said "I hate salt. It's scratchy and irritating and it gets everywhere."

Crait looks fine. There were a couple of quick shots of Finn and Rose outside that didn't look all that convincing, but those were fleeting moments. Doesn't really count.
 
What I disliked about it was that they had to have one of the ressistance fighters comment on the terrain: "oh, its salt."

Yep. It almost feels like a false third act. You think the film is coming to a close, but than it's revealed to be just the midpoint.

Easily solved.  Finn was recovering in some kind of Bacta tank at the end of TFA right?
 
First scene of Episode IX:  "Finn..Finn..wake up".
 
You're welcome JJ.

I'm not a huge fan of the original Star Wars. The acting isn't quite there yet, there's a lot of 70's weirdness to be had (think the creatures in the cantina), and it doesn't have neither the grandeur nor the drama of Empire Strikes Back: See how it pulls a Bambi's-mom on us with Ben's death.
 
Empire is the only film of the whole series that, I as someone who was exposed to Star Wars as an adult, can watch and say: "this is that good, and than some."

Its used before the love story is set in motion for "technical" reasons: Williams wanted to introduce the theme as early as possible, so the first time that either one of the lovers (Han, as it so happens) appears, the theme is used.  The next appearance is with Leia, and "grows" out of her theme.
 
Empire Strikes Back has the closest thing in Star Wars to a Howard Shore-esque "overture." Both the Imperial March, love theme and Droid motif are all stated in that very sequence.
 
What seals the deal for me is that musically, the love theme may as well have been a secondary Leia theme. Its absolutely tied to her theme, and it no way evokes Han Solo.
 
 
I dunno. Luke and Leia isn't as clearly tied to Leia's main theme in the way that the love theme is. Williams doesn't compose themes that can be arranged into "families" a-la Wagner or Howard Shore.
 
There are connections between themes, and occasionaly a character will have a secondary theme, but there aren't sets and subsets of them.

Nah. It's too inconsequential to be a leitmotif, much less one that can be treated separately from the unabridged Force theme. It's just a little introduction figure.

Watching the original Star Wars now we can look on it as the setup of the romance between Han and Leia, but at the time of its release I think the idea was more that Leia would end up with Luke, and setting-up some chemistry with Han was intended not to be followed through but rather to create tension: the good ol' love-triangle tactic.
 
Within the Empire Strikes Back, the back and-forth between Han and Leia suggests that they've been through some other adventures together. Its one of the earliest examples of George Lucas' world-building technique of having characters mention ordeals that they endured in places that we never actually see in the films, a (terrible) technique that would be abused to no end in the prequels with the dialogue betwene Anakin and Obi Wan.

HZ: "NO, not him! Take Junkie!"
JW: "Resitance is futile, give him to me."
 
 

The music in the Echo base corridor at the beginning of the film where Leia's Theme morphs into Han Solo and the Princess makes it pretty clear it's a love theme
 
As far as Powell goes. I have a film music compilation of several GB and and about 200  composers and have retained only 1-2  tracks from him .His music doesn't do anything for me

That's just Williams jumping on the earliest possible chance to introduce the theme. Otherwise, its a theme for Leia and Han as a pair, or for their entire subplot altogether. 
 
It is, in no way, a theme for Han Solo. Musically, its very closely tied to the theme of the princess.

It's not.
 
Not quite. For all my gripes with the score, I don't remember too much in the way of thematic inappropriateness in that score.