Star Wars VIII: The Last Jedi Review (Contains Spoilers)
(Credit: Disney/Lucasfilm)
Wow, what a year for the film industry. Despite that the 2017 box office has currently failed to live up to the expectations of 2016, audiences have experienced a range of different, unprecedented successes (i.e., Wonder Woman, Get Out, It, Thor: Ragnarok, Spiderman: Homecoming, and Baby Driver). Also, there were relatively underwhelming performances that failed to meet expectations (i.e., Justice League and Kingsman 2: The Golden Circle). So, where does Star Wars VIII: The Last Jedi rank?
I will say this – Star Wars: The Last Jedi is NOT the movie of the year – that achievement is arguably earned by many Oscar-bait films such as Get Out, Logan, Dunkirk, Lady Bird, the Big Sick, and the Shape of Water. But I will tirelessly defend Star Wars: The Last Jedi as one of the greatest sequels to a film franchise since The Dark Knight AND is by far the must see movie experience of 2017. I suspect that despite the fan backlash, Star Wars: The Last Jedi will receive its rightful embrace by ALL Star Wars fans, and will be propped up as a worthy competitor to the most significant film in the franchise – Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.
(Credit: Disney/Lucasfilm)
Where do I begin? With an RT score of 92% and a strong performance in the box office, it might be strange for casual audiences to understand why the film is receiving such a polarizing response from its fan base. In fact, one line stated throughout many promotions and TV spots precisely encapsulate what the team behind Star Wars: The Last Jedi was emphasizing to its fan base before the film’s release, “This is not going to go the way you think – Luke Skywalker.” I call that fair game. Star Wars fans, we were all warned of what this film intended to be – unexpected and different. Yes, before seeing the movie I read all the discussion boards and joined in the opposition directed at Star Wars: The Last Jedi for its subversion of our expectations, the deconstructing of Luke Skywalker, and for breaking familiar territory in Star Wars franchise canon. But isn’t that precisely what critical fans wanted after feeling as though Star Wars: The Force Awakens was just a retread of Star Wars: A New Hope? As a fanbase, did we not ask for new, groundbreaking Star Wars storytelling?
Rian Johnson, the writer, and director of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, did precisely that by single-handedly and unapologetically elevating the quality of the Star Wars film franchise in an entirely new and unique direction. I dragged my feet, and went to the theater fully intending to bash this film – but then I watched the opening minutes and got humbled. I was so, so wrong. Immediately, the film immerses you in the desperate conflict between the First Order (i.e., the bad guys) and the underdog, Rebel Resistance (i.e., the good guys). I could feel the intensity and the urgency of the dire circumstances and realized this movie experience was going to be different, which is such a rarity nowadays. Simply, Rian Johnson masterfully reminds audiences of the epic scope of Star Wars with the game-changing capabilities of modern film-making for a genuinely visually pleasing, and gripping experience that was lacking in previous Star Wars films.
(Credit: DigitalTrends.com)
My praise goes to Rian Johnson as his direction and plotting caused me to feel the urgency of the conflict, all the while elevating classic Star Wars elements such as John Williams’ (updated) score, space battles, and true emotional stakes. We feel the sacrifices of the Resistance rebels. I struggle with deciding on what sequences or scenes were my most favorite (which is not an easy feat, by the way). Additionally, Rian Johnson’s storytelling makes smart use in continuing after the final moments of Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens, and addresses so many events that have drawn such an uproar among the Star Wars fan base. For instance, the death of Han Solo, Luke Skywalker’s absence, the origin of Kylo Ren, and perhaps the mysterious ancestry of Rey is all rectified in my opinion.
(Credit: Lucasfilm)
I have long grappled with some of the decisions made by JJ Abrams in Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens, but I also realize that it’s time to accept the inevitable. Therefore, once I was able to do that I now see how Rian Johnson makes an impressive use of those decisions in ways that elevate Star Wars: The Last Jedi into arguably the most complex film of the series. For instance, the trajectory of Kylo Ren is the most surprising, yet so exciting and bad-ass. His scene-stealing opposition of Supreme Leader Snoke strangely rectifies the death of Han Solo, while the deciding for the first time in his life of the path he wants. It is clear he is the “big bad” of the series but is also the most interesting villain I have seen in a long time. Rey’s parentage reveal was very satisfying as I have always hoped for in that a person doesn’t need to be a Skywalker to be naturally gifted with the Force. Heroes can emerge from the unlikeliest of origins, and are often everyday people who are not “special” by any means.
When analyzing Luke and Leia Skywalker – both their characters storylines, and actors (i.e., Mark Hamill, and Carrie Fisher) send off their characters beautifully as their purposes are to honestly pass the torch to our new franchise staples Rey, Ben Solo/Kylo Ren, Poe Dameron, and Finn. Indeed it is a privilege to see Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker evolution from the Star Wars: A New Hope to now, and Carrie Fisher’s posthumous performance as Leia Organa is sent off with a profound amount of grace.
(Credit: Lucasfilm)
In the words of Kylo Ren, “Let the past die. Kill it if you have to. That’s the only way to become what you are meant to be.” I think this quote is incredibly relevant as it speaks directly to Star Wars fans. Some of us are holding onto the past of previous Star Wars trilogies that maybe we are all failing to see that Star Wars VIII: The Last Jedi positions the franchise into a whole new level of weighty, quality, and complex material.
Dear Star Wars fanatics, the film is LITERALLY ABOUT MOVING ON. The recurring theme throughout the movie focuses so much on the meta-commentary towards its fan-base of letting go and accepting that the times of Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford are indeed over. Star Wars fans, this movie experience is for you all.
(Credit: NME/Press)
Seriously, films such as the Last Jedi are why I love the entertainment industry, storytelling, and the reason for how I got into this craft in the first place. A new generation comprised of Daisey Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, John Boyega, and newcomers such as Kelly Marie Tran are so eager to receive the baton. Each of these new actors elevates their game while gaining their iconic moments – the standouts of this film quickly go to Daisey Ridley’s portrayal of Rey and Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren. For casual audiences, I urge you to see this movie because it is such a wild ride of fear, sacrifice, emotion, stakes, humor, hope and optimism. For these reasons, Star Wars VIII: The Last Jedi is an unexpected, exhilarating gift at the cinema this Christmas. And once we can move on from the past we might see that. I do realize the Star Wars fan base runs deep having existed for nearly forty plus years, and I may not be able to convince every fan to get on board with this movie due to my age.
But at the same time, let’s be totally honest – no matter how Star Wars fans feel about the movie, there will be repeat viewings throughout the rest of Christmas season, and massive franchise money train of Star Wars will run for another one billion (or two) dollar movie. You all will see Star Wars IX (no matter what. Thank you, Disney and Lucasfilm for another remarkable Star Wars movie in time for the holidays.
David’s Score: Star Wars: The Last Jedi gets an A+ (5/5 Entertainment, 5/5 Story Structure)