REVIEW: STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI
With a number of people I exchanged this scary thought: I wasn't as hyped for The Last Jedi as I was two years ago for The Force Awakens. And then they did something even scarier: they agreed with me. For Episode VII, there were many factors in its favor: there hadn't been a live-action Star Wars film in a decade, there hadn't been a good Star Wars movie since 1983 (alright, that one is my opinion), Disney had bought Lucasfilm and Daisy Ridley was an unknown for the lead. Two years ago I listed the film as my third favorite movie of the year, a bronze medal in Olympic terms. Now I wouldn't be so sure. I've watched it again since 2015, where I was in a theater full of like-minded fans hoping to be rekindled by the galaxy far, far away. It is indisputably a soft remake of A New Hope, but I suppose I was one of the sheep who liked being herded into someplace familiar. With Last Jedi...I didn't know what to expect. I knew the characters going in now, I knew Luke was going to play a major role. But the wonder of if J.J. Abrams was going to be able to walk the tightrope and pull of a Star Wars success was met, and after seeing Brick and Looper I knew Rian Johnson was an extremely capable choice. I suppose I felt...safe.
And safe is kinda what Disney is, right? The villain's never going to win. There'll never be a PG-13 animated film in their canon. So when I logged on to the old internet and discovered that people took issue with The Last Jedi because it took risks?! There is only one point in the film where it truly shocked me, and even then I wouldn't necessarily call it a risk. And I don't want you, the good reader, to
When you have this overwhelming amount of questions, it takes away from the viewing experience. Mark Hamill was immaculate as Luke, perhaps the best version of Mr. Skywalker I've seen since Empire. He's a hard shell of a Jedi, still all powerful, but bogged down with the weight of the galaxies. Holding my massive crush on her aside, I still would love Daisey Ridley's Rey, definitely filling in the shoes for Luke a la Empire, with Luke her disgruntled Yoda. Speaking of Yoda...YODA! I was so happy to see my all-time favorite character back in his puppet form, true to the new trilogy's commitment to bringing back practical effects, not to say that the rest of the VFX weren't gorgeous, immersive, brilliant.
And safe is kinda what Disney is, right? The villain's never going to win. There'll never be a PG-13 animated film in their canon. So when I logged on to the old internet and discovered that people took issue with The Last Jedi because it took risks?! There is only one point in the film where it truly shocked me, and even then I wouldn't necessarily call it a risk. And I don't want you, the good reader, to
- Read this review and fear trying to navigate a landmine of spoilers, or
- Having already seen this movie, be disappointed by the fact of me not being able to sink my teeth into anything.
Which is why, if you click that "Read more" button below, you'll able to see what my spoiler-y thoughts are for the film. If you just want a quick, numerical glance of what I thought of the film, look right below, and I encourage you to come back to this blog often in the next couple days, with reviews of soon-to-be-Oscar-darling Lady Bird, weirdly winter-released summer blockbuster Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and the Golden Globe-Best Musical nominee The Greatest Showman.
Rating: 2.5/4 stars
- Are they going to explain Snoke's whole...BEING now that he's dead?
- What was the purpose of Finn and Rose's storyline?
- Since when can Jedis use hologram powers? (Kylo/Luke fight)
- Why did Luke just vanish? Did using his newfound hologram powers drain him of his life?
- WHY DID FINN AND ROSE HAVE TO KISS WHEN THERE WAS NO SEXUAL CHEMISTRY THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE FILM?
- If Snoke had such access into Kylo's mind, why wouldn't he know Kylo was about to Darth Maul him?
- WHO ARE REY'S PARENTS?
- What are they going to do with Leia in Episode IX? Wouldn't it have made sense for Leia instead of Holdo to go out in such spectacular, light-speed fashion to finish off Snoke's fleet?
When you have this overwhelming amount of questions, it takes away from the viewing experience. Mark Hamill was immaculate as Luke, perhaps the best version of Mr. Skywalker I've seen since Empire. He's a hard shell of a Jedi, still all powerful, but bogged down with the weight of the galaxies. Holding my massive crush on her aside, I still would love Daisey Ridley's Rey, definitely filling in the shoes for Luke a la Empire, with Luke her disgruntled Yoda. Speaking of Yoda...YODA! I was so happy to see my all-time favorite character back in his puppet form, true to the new trilogy's commitment to bringing back practical effects, not to say that the rest of the VFX weren't gorgeous, immersive, brilliant.
I feel like that doesn't get said enough, because the movie is a technical masterpiece. But Star Wars, the original trilogy anyway, was always about marrying a fascinating space opera storyline with groundbreaking effects. There are too many cooks in the kitchen here, too many storylines left behind by The Force Awakens. When it's focusing on Luke and Rey's relationship, the movie soars. But even though CasinoLand, or wherever Finn and Rose went, was fun, what was the point? To say that animal cruelty is bad? Leave that to human stories: THIS IS STAR WARS! Don't forget what you are, don't take it safe, and answer those questions in Episode IX!
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