REVIEW: Star Wars the Last Jedi (Spoiler-free)
Wow, talk about a reversal in public perception. I've never seen a film go from being so hyped to being so hated than the Last Jedi. While the majority of film critics have given this film glowing reviews, the film has completely divided general audiences and fans. Currently, at the time of this writing, on Rotten Tomatoes, the user score is 56 percent, which is the lowest rated user score out of the main films. Additionally, user comments on social media, forums, blogs, etc., have ranged from people lambasting this movie to people praising it. People have said that was the response the Empire Strikes Back had when it came out, but I have a feeling this film will not get the same treatment. What did I think of the film? From here on out, this is my opinion of what I thought of the film. Everyone is allowed to have their own thoughts and opinions. In my opinion, I liked the film a lot, as I thought it challenged the lore and conventions of the franchise. However, the film does have flaws, and I can see why the different direction the film took divided fans.
Story
The story of the film is both simple and complex at the same time. It's simple in the fact that the stakes and story beats the film goes through is nothing out of the ordinary. However, it's what happens in the story, and the themes that it presents is what makes the film complex. The story and writing have polarized fans. Some like the direction the story took with its characters, some hated it. Some liked the humor throughout the film, others didn't. For me, I liked the general story, but didn't love it. I liked some of the twists and turns to the lore, even if some believe it went against the established lore. I also, for me, thought most of the humor was handled well, specifically a scene with Chewie and the Porgs that made me laugh my ass off.
However, there are some elements of the story where, I found shocking, but felt they were either missed opportunities, or can be seen as a lapse in logic. There is also a subplot involving Finn and a new character named Rose that has been heavily criticized as not needed. I wouldn't go as far and say I didn't like their subplot, but it was easily the weakest part of the story. Overall, I liked the story, I liked most of the direction it took, though, some of it didn't work and I can see why it divided people.
Characters-returning
Alright, time to talk about the characters. First, the returning characters, from both the original trilogy and the Force Awakens. First, let's get the obvious right out of the way first. Carrie Fisher's final performance was fantastic. She commands every scene that she's in, and she will forever be missed as our princess. Mark Hamill is also fantastic as Luke. It has been said that he disagreed with the way Luke was written in the film, but, to me, I liked the direction the film took, even if it was completely unexpected. Rey, Finn, Poe, BB-8, Chewie, they are all great. Daisy Ridley continues to shine acting wise in her role as Rey, and the film gives her character new depth throughout the film. There is one reveal about her character that I don't entirely believe, but I'll discuss that in my spoiler review.
Also, Poe is given a lot more screentime and has his own arc through the film. Thank you, because he wasn't in the Force Awakens that long. Overall, all of the returning characters, to me, were acted well, and had their moments to shine.
Characters- new
The film also has three new characters. The first I want to talk about is Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo of the Resistance, played by Jurassic Park actress Laura Dern. I think Dern performed well in the role. However, the character itself is kind of a mixed bag. She has a conflict with Poe throughout the film, that, in all honesty, could have been avoided. She also seems to be a little one-dimensional with her motivations at first. That being said, towards the end of the film, she does grow as a character and has a moment which is one of the highlights of the film.
Next, there is Rose Tico, a maintenance worker who goes on an adventure with Finn. Again, I think the actress that plays her, Kelly Marie Tran, does a good job in the role, and the character is given more development than Holdo. However, her character has elements to her character that are a little cliche, and she has a moment late in the film that was kind of stupid. Overall, I liked the character, but I didn't love her.
The same can be said for the last new character, DJ, played by Benicio Del Toro. Again, I thought Toro played the character well for what it was, but again, some elements and decisions that were made to his character we've seen before.
Villains
The film has the same returning four villains from the Force Awakens, Kylo Ren, Snoke, Hux, and Phasma. Kylo Ren, to me, continues to be a complex and well-developed villain. He has plenty of emotional depth and development throughout the film, and his connection to Rey is explored greatly throughout. He was easily one of the best parts of the film. As for Snoke, a lot of fans don't like him, but I liked him in the film. I liked his personality and smart-ass attitude. I liked his relationship and interactions with Rey and Kylo Ren. However, there is a twist to his character that I didn't like looking back at it which diminishes his overall impact.
Hux is Hux. I like how over-the-top and bombastic he is. Finally, with Phasma, all I can say is, she looks cool. She fights Finn in the movie which looked cool.
Action and technical
For all the flaws the movie may have, one thing it nails is the action and technical aspects. The ground and space battles are both excellent. There is a fight scene involving Rey and Ren that was shot beautifully. Once again, I thought the effects were handled well, mixing practical effects and sets with CGI. Also, the sound design is superb as well. As for the music, well, John Williams returns as composer. His score is good, but there weren't too many memorable tracks from the film, and a lot of the music throughout is from the Force Awakens, which I have grown more of a fondness to since the film's release.
As I said, the real significant changes this film brings is the different themes and tone it presents. This, in man ways, does not feel like a Star Wars film. There are moments, scenes, hell, whole story arcs, that challenge the lore and feel of what the franchise has been known for. For many people, this was seen as a good thing. For many others, it feels like a betrayal and goes against what the franchise stood for.
While I can understand the reasons behind the hate, and believe me, there were some directions the film took I didn't like, I liked how drastically different it was. I didn't love it, but I liked it. The Force Awakens was heavily criticized for being too similar, so here we have a film, while having similar moments and story beats, is vastly different from what we've seen before. The film makes you feel somber, makes you almost feel empty as you leave the theater as you try to comprehend what you just saw. For some people, the film went to far, and again, I completely understand your viewpoint. However, while I didn't completely love the new direction, I liked the risks and twists the film took.
Overall
This is going to be one of those films that divides everyone, and that everyone needs to see before making a solid opinion. For some, Rian Johnson's film was please, surprise, and delight. For others, the film will make you confused, angry, and question where the franchise will go next. Hell, I'm even questioning what Episode 9 will be like. I'm still trying to process everything in the film as there is a lot to take in. This is a film I'm going to see at least one more time in theaters to try and comprehend and understand better.
Overall, did I like the film. Yes. Did I think it was a good film. It's subjective, but yes. Did I love the film? Most of it, yes, although there are decisions made that do frustrate me. Do I think the film sucks? No. Do I like the film more the Force Awakens? Yes and no. I liked how the film took more risks and added more to the lore, but I also thought the Force Awakens was more cleanly put together as a film, if that makes any sense. If I were to give the film a score, for right now, as my opinion may change, I'd give it an 8 out of 10. For right now, it's not my favorite film in the franchise, but it is certainly the one that will surprised me the most.
