Today’s quick review: Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi. With the First Order on the verge of wiping out the Resistance, Finn (John Boyega) and Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) embark on a desparate mission to give them a way to escape. Meanwhile, Rey (Daisy Ridley) attempts to convince Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) to train her in the ways of the Force, only to find the old Jedi Master haunted by the betrayal of his last apprentice, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver).
Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi is a sci-fi action adventure movie and the second film in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. The Last Jedi picks up where The Force Awakens left off, with a desperate Resistance led by General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) fleeing from Kylo Ren and the forces of the First Order. The film subverts many of the genre’s conventions in an attempt to portray a new, nuanced model of heroism; its success in this endeavor is mixed.
The Last Jedi boasts the high production values of a modern, big-budget blockbuster. Its sets are visually impressive, its action is scintillating, and its special effects are seamless. But the movie does have its rough edges. Among the props, costumes, and character designs are a few that stick out like sore thumbs, damaging the movie’s immersion. The impression is not helped by noticeably clumsy performances from many of the background characters.
To The Last Jedi’s credit, its new protagonists finally begin to come into their own. Rey shows a softer, more conflicted side that rounds out her character quite nicely. Finn plays a more active role in the plot and has Rose to interact with in Rey’s absence. Even Kylo Ren benefits from further screen time that fleshes out his motivations and develops his relationship with Rey. All told, the lead trio are the chief beneficiaries of the story.
However, their growth comes with a price. The Last Jedi mishandles many of its supporting characters. Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), the cocky Resistance pilot from The Force Awakens, is the primary victim of the film’s subversion of traditional heroism. Rose has the misfortune of being tied up with the film’s least successful plot threads. Their shabby treatment makes these two characters difficult to like, although their arcs will click for some fans.
The older cast fares just as poorly. Luke Skywalker has been reduced to a jaded husk of a man living in self-imposed exile for his failures. Leia Organa leads the Resistance with little of her old dynamism and occupies a passive role throughout the movie. These character shifts are somewhat justified by the dramatic needs of the story, but die-hard fans of the series will find the changes to be grating at best and insulting at worst.
The Last Jedi’s greatest controversy comes from its writing. The script toys with the viewer’s expectations at every turn, and the plot is packed with anticlimax and misdirection. In a more intellectual context, these elements could form the basis of an insightful and unpredictable story about the need for maturity in moral decision-making. But in the heroic landscape of Star Wars, they only serve to confound the viewer and rob the film of its impact.
The script suffers from other technical problems as well. The pacing of the movie is lopsided, juxtaposing Finn’s hasty mission and Rey’s abridged training with the plodding escape of the Resistance. The tone vacillates between comical romp and tragic struggle, a delicate balance upset by a handful of inopportune switches between the two extremes. The plot logic has holes in it, and the film’s moral lessons are shallow and often contradictory.
For all of its faults, Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi is still an enjoyable watch. From moment to moment, it’s a fun action adventure with a lot of polish and a couple of groundbreaking ideas. But its structural issues and hit-or-miss storytelling style make it a movie with a significant downside. The right viewer will find it to be a brilliant spin on a classic formula; the wrong one will find it to be an incoherent mess. Approach with caution.
7.5 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for the makings of an impressive film hurt by its experimental writing; your score will depend heavily on whether you buy into its vision.