STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI (2017)
This review is not going to go how you think it is…. Just
saw THE LAST JEDI and figured the movie probably deserved one of my longest
reviews ever. The film takes place after the destruction of the Star Killer
Base in THE FORCE AWAKENS. The First Order is pursuing the Resistance through
the galaxy in hopes of wiping them out. Rey is pretty much camped out on “Jedi
Island” with Luke trying to convince him to join the resistance. Luke is
resistant because of a run-in with Ben Solo that turned him into Kylo Ren.
I normally don’t do this in reviews, but I feel the need once again to dispel some of the overblown critiques of this film, so after this brief wrap-up, there will be several points giving very detailed plot lines away. The Last Jedi was extremely emotional for me shattering decades of wonder, expanding and rejuvenating a universe to infinite possibilities. Star Wars is moving forward and this movie is the earth-shattering evidence of that. Don’t be a 1977 critic....just hang on for the ride. I’m a fanboy and I freakin loved it.
Even the side trips were important in that they were used to show that the first order isn't the only villain in the galaxy and establish characters. Our heroes are trying to do good but are also flawed in the sense that they didn't follow through on what Maz was asking. It kind of reminds me of Luke ignoring Yoda in Empire. I think war is messy and this movie did a really good job of portraying that, even heroes blow it and you don't have to be special in order to be one. Leia’s on-screen presence was far more dynamic than in THE FORCE AWAKENS and seeing Luke for this round was extremely satisfying. Kylo’s transformation into the formidable villain the series needed was executed with an amazing performance from Adam Driver. The rest of the cast is stellar. I do feel like Phasma could have used more screen time, but it wasn’t necessary to the story. It’s kind of like asking for more Boba Fett. Ridley comes across as even more confident in the role of Rey, and storyline-wise, this thing just feels solid as heck. Okay so now on to the defenses…
I normally don’t do this in reviews, but I feel the need once again to dispel some of the overblown critiques of this film, so after this brief wrap-up, there will be several points giving very detailed plot lines away. The Last Jedi was extremely emotional for me shattering decades of wonder, expanding and rejuvenating a universe to infinite possibilities. Star Wars is moving forward and this movie is the earth-shattering evidence of that. Don’t be a 1977 critic....just hang on for the ride. I’m a fanboy and I freakin loved it.
Even the side trips were important in that they were used to show that the first order isn't the only villain in the galaxy and establish characters. Our heroes are trying to do good but are also flawed in the sense that they didn't follow through on what Maz was asking. It kind of reminds me of Luke ignoring Yoda in Empire. I think war is messy and this movie did a really good job of portraying that, even heroes blow it and you don't have to be special in order to be one. Leia’s on-screen presence was far more dynamic than in THE FORCE AWAKENS and seeing Luke for this round was extremely satisfying. Kylo’s transformation into the formidable villain the series needed was executed with an amazing performance from Adam Driver. The rest of the cast is stellar. I do feel like Phasma could have used more screen time, but it wasn’t necessary to the story. It’s kind of like asking for more Boba Fett. Ridley comes across as even more confident in the role of Rey, and storyline-wise, this thing just feels solid as heck. Okay so now on to the defenses…
---SKIP TO THE RATING IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE MOVIE--- SPOILERS GALORE ---
- NO - It doesn’t ignore THE FORCE AWAKENS. In fact, it just shows you how powerful The First Order had become. You don’t build one weapon that blows up planets and pretend to rule the galaxy. The First Order is plagued by arrogance, not a lack of resources.
- YES – You can drop bombs in space if they are magnetized it’s literally one of the fundamental forces. Does it matter…umm no not really. Star Wars isn’t your typical sci-fi if it is sci-fi at all.
- YES – Snoak serves a much more vital purpose in the film than people realize. Why would there be any tension at all about Rey and the dark side if Snoak wasn’t in the scene when Kylo was trying to win her over? After all, Kylo had just killed her only father figure ever and nearly killed her new friend Finn. Outside of a “Mothra to singing girls” like connection to Kylo, there would have been absolutely zero reason to join his cause.
- YES – Kylo Ren is that intimidating. Unless you also think Darth Vader wasn’t intimidating either. It took Luke 2 fights to kill Vader. Kylo has already survived Luke and Rey.
- NO – Rey’s backstory is pretty much perfect and makes even more sense after re-watching EPISODE 1.
- YES – Luke’s life on the island is a little weird. Who cares.
- YES – Luke is probably the worst teacher ever. Having said that, what else was anyone expecting. He was in a position he didn’t want to be in. He felt like a failure. Maybe people with this complaint have never had a bad teacher or failed at anything. I guess that is what I am missing here.
- NO – I didn’t have a problem with the cameos. Next question, please.
- NO – Poe’s plotline isn’t a waste of time. In fact, it’s his need to try and save the day and completely blowing it, that makes him even more likable. Take your cookie cutter and think about that for a minute.
- NO – Finn’s story is also not useless. The side trip is a lot like the side trip Han and Leia took in Empire. However, instead of using 25 minutes to tell us Han is hot for Leia, this movie shows us the galaxy is still very complicated and both sides take risks to gain an advantage. Capitalism is alive and well in the galaxy. Just a really cool glimpse into the smaller world inside a giant storyline. While also giving us a reason to care about Rose.
- Not addressing the Rose is useless critique. If you don't get why she was valuable, then you must have been getting popcorn during the last 20 minutes of the movie.
- The side trip is not about social justice warriors. It’s about the fact that The First Order is an issue for the entire galaxy. Kids are growing up in conditions financed by The First Order and the Rebellion in some ways. It’s a commentary on the effects of war, the dark, the light. It’s also a foreshadowing of the future of the rebellion itself. But you know..go ahead and focus on your father's betting.
- NO – Phasma is not a nothing. Either is Finn. If you look back at THE FORCE AWAKENS you notice Finn isn’t “just” a janitor. He’s on Jakku to enforce The First Order’s dominance over any opposition to their mission. By the time we get to THE LAST JEDI, he’s already taken on Kylo Ren. Not to mention he had more motivation to win than Phasma, the entire rebellion he felt was at stake. He is not just trying to get by anymore, he is a believer in the rebellion's cause. She clearly didn’t want to kill Finn himself unless she had to. Finn’s newfound courage likely caught her off guard, since he never challenged her to combat on the Starkiller Base.I will stop here because I think you get the point.
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