Star Wars: The Last Jedi - Review (Non-Spoiler)
Directed By: Rian Johnson
Rating: PG-13
Rating: PG-13
Starring: Daisy Ridley, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Kelly Marie-Tran, Andy Serkis, Laura Dern, Carrie Fisher, Anthony Daniels, Benicio del Toro, Gwendoline Christie, Domnhall Gleeson
Expectations/Background: Let's not kid ourselves. This is Star Wars we're talking about. One of the biggest franchises in the entire world is releasing a sequel. How can you not be excited? Especially after the success that was Star Wars: The Force Awakens. For all the complaints and the comments of how the Force Awakens was a rehash of A New Hope, I enjoyed the film nonetheless. But I knew it was time - it was time for a new Star Wars movies. We had established the universe again with these new characters, and now it was time to branch out and gives a movie that was deserved of the phase "continuing the saga". And when I stopped to think about it, the idea that this saga was this rich and yet it was 8 films deep truly amazed me. When Rain Johnson was brought on to direct the film, he told us that he was not going to be making a remake of The Empire Strikes Back, which relieved me in so many different ways. He told us we would be seeing a new, fresh take on the Star Wars world. Accompanying that were Mark Hamill's comments of how he was so shocked after he read the script because the direction that they took Luke Skywalker was totally different than what he had imagined, and I began to become very excited. Would this be another prequel let down? Or was this worthy of the original trilogy?
The Movie: While I understand exactly why some of you may think otherwise (more on that later), I enjoyed this film immensely. This film is so radically different yet so similar to other Star Wars saga films the tit's eerie. You have parallels being drawn to things that happened before, and yet Johnson takes these characters and spins them out in whole new directions that I loved for the most part. The fans will be divided and already are; but as for me - I can say I loved the film.
Positives: This film is bold, both visually and narrative-wise. It takes so many different risks. The one word that describes exactly how I felt after the credits began to roll: exhaustion. When the end-credits music that we all know and love began to play, I could physically feel my body slump over and my heart beat beginning to pound faster and faster. This film takes you on a journey and wraps you up in this universe that you become so invested into what's going on. But you don't even realize it until the very end, at which point, you're just overwhelmed, in the best way possible.
I'd like to start off with Rian Johnson. Some, perhaps many will disagree with me, but I think the script, which he wrote, the direction, and the storyline were all uniquely him while fitting into a larger context of the Star Wars universe. And I think he was the right choice to fill in the second part of the new trilogy. We needed someone who could say, "Let's take these characters and drive them forward" and he did exactly that.
Visually speaking this film is stunning. There is one shot in particular that everyone will know when they see it, but it takes your breath away in the audience, it really does. It will become one of the most iconic shots and scenes in the entirety of Star Wars, I guarantee it. And the visual lighting and camerawork he does on Ahch-To as well as other planets we visit is just gorgeous to look at.
Talking about actors and characters, not a sing one gave a bad performance. I have some disputes with certain storylines that certain actors and characters were given, but that's a separate issue. Each actor brought their A-game to the film. Starting off with Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver, they do such a great job at playing two sides of the same coin as the story progresses. The remaining of the Big 3, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher (may she rest in peace) give the performances of their careers I believe, especially Mark Hamill who has gone on record to say that this is not the Luke Skywalker that he had envisioned. The rest of the supporting cast, Oscar Isaac, Laura Dern, John Boyega, and Kelly Marie-Tran deliver on such a profound level that they meld right into the Star Wars universe.
And the humor in this movie - let's talk about it. There are some jokes that didn't quite hit home for me. There were song that I was wondering to myself, "Is this really Star Wars?" But as the film continued, I began to enjoy the humor more and more and when the film ended, I thought that the humor worked and fired on all cylinders.
What Johnson is able to do with these characters though is spectacular - for the most part. What Rey, Luke, Leia, and Kylo in particular all go through in this movie feels like a natural progression of their characters, as well as an evolution - not just staying stagnant but moving forward and pushing the boundaries of what we know.
This film does explore some abstract ideas (though not as much as I had hoped) about what the Force is and what it really does mean to the a Jedi or a Dark Side user which is wonderful.
Also - and this may be one of the things I love the most - the film shows characters who are vulnerable. Characters who make mistakes. In fact, I would argue that the trie film exists because of a couple mistakes made by various characters which is great. Many will complain and say that they want their Star Wars movies to have the hero on Tatooine who can do no wrong, but even he made mistakes that led to Han being frozen in carbonite. This film explores how mistakes and failure are not downfalls, they are lessons. That was awesome.
And on a couple final notes - porgs are adorable. They are used in just the right amount to where they're not annoying and they're just cute. C3PO, R2D2, and Chewbacca are used very well - Chewbacca actually has one of the best scenes in the entire movie (he has two great scenes - I enjoyed the dramatic one over the comedic one).
And yes - if you have no seen the film please stay away from spoilers. There are so many twists and turns in this film that you DO NOT want spoiled for you. They'll take your breath away when you watch it in the theater.
Negatives: Now, I did say that I enjoyed everyone's performance in the film. That is not to say I enjoyed everyone's character in the movie.
Let's talk about Finn, Rose, and Benicio del Toro's character.
In true Star Wars fashion, the characters begin to split off around the end of the first act and are on their own separate missions. Finn and Rose end up needing to go to a casino like planet called Canto Byte. Now, the concept of the planet itself was a very cool on - the idea of a gambling, rich planet in Star Wars had never been done before. But when they first do the wide shot of the inside of one of the casinos, it looked exactly like Las Vegas. Almost to a tee, with a couple aliens here and there.
The entire sequences just felt so contrived. And what frustrated me the most was that this entire sequence could have been taken out and explained away in a different fashion. It felt so different and dare I say it, prequel-like, that I just found myself being rather bored throughout the entire sequence.
The film was also a tad long - perhaps Johnson could have taken out a few scenes here or there, but other than that, the pacing was very good.
Positives: This film is bold, both visually and narrative-wise. It takes so many different risks. The one word that describes exactly how I felt after the credits began to roll: exhaustion. When the end-credits music that we all know and love began to play, I could physically feel my body slump over and my heart beat beginning to pound faster and faster. This film takes you on a journey and wraps you up in this universe that you become so invested into what's going on. But you don't even realize it until the very end, at which point, you're just overwhelmed, in the best way possible.
I'd like to start off with Rian Johnson. Some, perhaps many will disagree with me, but I think the script, which he wrote, the direction, and the storyline were all uniquely him while fitting into a larger context of the Star Wars universe. And I think he was the right choice to fill in the second part of the new trilogy. We needed someone who could say, "Let's take these characters and drive them forward" and he did exactly that.
Visually speaking this film is stunning. There is one shot in particular that everyone will know when they see it, but it takes your breath away in the audience, it really does. It will become one of the most iconic shots and scenes in the entirety of Star Wars, I guarantee it. And the visual lighting and camerawork he does on Ahch-To as well as other planets we visit is just gorgeous to look at.
Talking about actors and characters, not a sing one gave a bad performance. I have some disputes with certain storylines that certain actors and characters were given, but that's a separate issue. Each actor brought their A-game to the film. Starting off with Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver, they do such a great job at playing two sides of the same coin as the story progresses. The remaining of the Big 3, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher (may she rest in peace) give the performances of their careers I believe, especially Mark Hamill who has gone on record to say that this is not the Luke Skywalker that he had envisioned. The rest of the supporting cast, Oscar Isaac, Laura Dern, John Boyega, and Kelly Marie-Tran deliver on such a profound level that they meld right into the Star Wars universe.
And the humor in this movie - let's talk about it. There are some jokes that didn't quite hit home for me. There were song that I was wondering to myself, "Is this really Star Wars?" But as the film continued, I began to enjoy the humor more and more and when the film ended, I thought that the humor worked and fired on all cylinders.
What Johnson is able to do with these characters though is spectacular - for the most part. What Rey, Luke, Leia, and Kylo in particular all go through in this movie feels like a natural progression of their characters, as well as an evolution - not just staying stagnant but moving forward and pushing the boundaries of what we know.
This film does explore some abstract ideas (though not as much as I had hoped) about what the Force is and what it really does mean to the a Jedi or a Dark Side user which is wonderful.
Also - and this may be one of the things I love the most - the film shows characters who are vulnerable. Characters who make mistakes. In fact, I would argue that the trie film exists because of a couple mistakes made by various characters which is great. Many will complain and say that they want their Star Wars movies to have the hero on Tatooine who can do no wrong, but even he made mistakes that led to Han being frozen in carbonite. This film explores how mistakes and failure are not downfalls, they are lessons. That was awesome.
And on a couple final notes - porgs are adorable. They are used in just the right amount to where they're not annoying and they're just cute. C3PO, R2D2, and Chewbacca are used very well - Chewbacca actually has one of the best scenes in the entire movie (he has two great scenes - I enjoyed the dramatic one over the comedic one).
And yes - if you have no seen the film please stay away from spoilers. There are so many twists and turns in this film that you DO NOT want spoiled for you. They'll take your breath away when you watch it in the theater.
Negatives: Now, I did say that I enjoyed everyone's performance in the film. That is not to say I enjoyed everyone's character in the movie.
Let's talk about Finn, Rose, and Benicio del Toro's character.
In true Star Wars fashion, the characters begin to split off around the end of the first act and are on their own separate missions. Finn and Rose end up needing to go to a casino like planet called Canto Byte. Now, the concept of the planet itself was a very cool on - the idea of a gambling, rich planet in Star Wars had never been done before. But when they first do the wide shot of the inside of one of the casinos, it looked exactly like Las Vegas. Almost to a tee, with a couple aliens here and there.
The entire sequences just felt so contrived. And what frustrated me the most was that this entire sequence could have been taken out and explained away in a different fashion. It felt so different and dare I say it, prequel-like, that I just found myself being rather bored throughout the entire sequence.
The film was also a tad long - perhaps Johnson could have taken out a few scenes here or there, but other than that, the pacing was very good.
Character Ranking
1. Kylo Ren
2. Luke Skywalker
3. Rey
4. General Leia
5. Snoke
6. Poe Dameron
7. Finn
8. Rose Tico
9. C3PO and R2D2
10. BB-8
11. Vice Admiral Amyln Holdo
12. Benicio del Toro's Character
The Villain(s): First of all, right off the bat, sorry to you Captain Phasma fans because she is utterly wasted yet again. Johnson took a great character and pretty much wasted her. But then again, there just wasn't much time for her in this tory. Domnhall Gleeson's General Hux was a pleasant surprise for me. I did not expect him to be so likable and charismatic, but he was given some great dialogue and some interactions he had, especial with Kylo Ren, were great. Moving on to Snoke - I was genuinely surprised with the way he looked. When he first appeared, I was taken aback in a good way - I could barely tell if there was any CGI. Did the gold robes look a little goofy? Yes, maybe, but I thought that it fit his character. And the arc and character development he has in this movie, I think many will enjoy - it's different from what we thought; you'll just have to wait and see.
And Kylo Ren. Adam Driver floored me. What an amazing, understated, subtle performance. I did not expect that at all - I walked into the film ready to see some great character development and acting form Mark Hamill and Daisy Ridley, and I got that, but Kylo Ren and Adam Driver completely overshadowed them both. The way he plays such a conflicted villain throughout the film just makes for one of the best villains Star Wars could have had. Perhaps not the best (Darth Vader anyone?) but one of the most "human" and conflicted characters in the galaxy.
The Music/Score: It's been awhile since I've heard a score by the legendary John Williams. It's been awhile since I've heard a truly memorable score for the matter. But by God, he did it again. This film's score is absolutely phenomenal. Now, I'd like to preface this by saying that it wasn't as if he introduced new themes that were instantly iconic - but what he did was incorporate old themes from all of the other saga films and weave them into the narrative. And when the film needed that "Oomph" he brought it with his music. Bravo.
1. Kylo Ren
2. Luke Skywalker
3. Rey
4. General Leia
5. Snoke
6. Poe Dameron
7. Finn
8. Rose Tico
9. C3PO and R2D2
10. BB-8
11. Vice Admiral Amyln Holdo
12. Benicio del Toro's Character
The Villain(s): First of all, right off the bat, sorry to you Captain Phasma fans because she is utterly wasted yet again. Johnson took a great character and pretty much wasted her. But then again, there just wasn't much time for her in this tory. Domnhall Gleeson's General Hux was a pleasant surprise for me. I did not expect him to be so likable and charismatic, but he was given some great dialogue and some interactions he had, especial with Kylo Ren, were great. Moving on to Snoke - I was genuinely surprised with the way he looked. When he first appeared, I was taken aback in a good way - I could barely tell if there was any CGI. Did the gold robes look a little goofy? Yes, maybe, but I thought that it fit his character. And the arc and character development he has in this movie, I think many will enjoy - it's different from what we thought; you'll just have to wait and see.
And Kylo Ren. Adam Driver floored me. What an amazing, understated, subtle performance. I did not expect that at all - I walked into the film ready to see some great character development and acting form Mark Hamill and Daisy Ridley, and I got that, but Kylo Ren and Adam Driver completely overshadowed them both. The way he plays such a conflicted villain throughout the film just makes for one of the best villains Star Wars could have had. Perhaps not the best (Darth Vader anyone?) but one of the most "human" and conflicted characters in the galaxy.
The Music/Score: It's been awhile since I've heard a score by the legendary John Williams. It's been awhile since I've heard a truly memorable score for the matter. But by God, he did it again. This film's score is absolutely phenomenal. Now, I'd like to preface this by saying that it wasn't as if he introduced new themes that were instantly iconic - but what he did was incorporate old themes from all of the other saga films and weave them into the narrative. And when the film needed that "Oomph" he brought it with his music. Bravo.
The Verdict: Again, I do understand why this film may be divine. But for what it's worth, those of you who don't like this film just because it's "different" need to rethink that. This film was bold and took risks. Did every single one pay off? No of course not, but the fact that it had the audacity to go out there and make bold moves floored me. This is not a perfect film, and perhaps not the best Star Wars film, but it is a worthy addition to the galaxy far, far away. Letter Grade: A-. Number Score: 9.2/10
**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER**: Letter grades and Number grades do not mean the same thing. Just because I give a film an A does not mean it gets a 9.5 or above. They do not line up like a traditional school grading system To see specifics, see below.
A- to A+: Amazing
B- to B+: Enjoyable, but Flawed
C- to C+: Redeemable in some cases, but heavily Flawed
D- to D+: Nothing but Flaws
F: A Failure of a Film
9-10: Perfect, or Nearly Perfect
8-9: Very Good
8-9: Very Good
7-8: Good
6-7: Okay
5-6: Average/Mediocre
4-5: Apparently Flawed
3-4: Heavily Flawed
2-3: A complete and utter mess
0-2: A Failure of a Film
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