Logan Sork Film Reviews
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi
When The Force Awakens hit theaters, people around the world rejoiced that Star Wars was back and better than ever. In the months following, however, people began to criticize the film for being too similar to the original. Thankfully there was plenty of room to grow and the next film would push the story forward in a potentially new way. However, problems arose when it was revealed that the director of the upcoming film, Rian Johnson, had ditched the original outline of the trilogy and was forging his own path ahead. Does the next film in this trilogy break new ground and move the story forward, or does it create more problems in the overarching narrative? Well, to answer both of those questions, yes it does.
Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi is written and directed by Rian Johnson and is the eighth installment in the Star Wars Saga and the second in the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy. The film stars Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Kelley Marie Tran, Laura Dern, and Andy Serkis. The story picks up shortly after the events of the previous film, with Rey (Ridley) discovering a hermit Luke Skywalker (Hamill) living on an isolated planet. While Rey is keen to learn the ways of the Jedi, Luke is reluctant to teach her, saying that the Jedi are better off dying out. While Rey works to convince Luke to teach her, her Resistance allies are pursued by the First Order and their mysterious leader, Snoke (Serkis). While Poe is looking for a way to get things done and protect everyone, he must contend with Vice Admiral Haldo (Dern), a resistance leader who doesn’t want to get involved with any reckless missions. Feeling the commanders are withholding information from them, Poe and Finn (Boyega), along with the help of Resistance fighter Rose (Tran), hatch their own plan to save the Resistance from annihilation.
Most of the good things that are found in this film come from the core narrative of Rey training with Luke Skywalker and learning about the ways of the Jedi. The dynamic between Daisy Ridley and Mark Hamill as Rey and Luke respectively is really interesting to see. While some may not like the way the character of Luke was handled, I thought it was neat to see him inhabit the role of the hardened Jedi masters that once taught him. The central plot also explores the idea that the light and the dark side of the force may not be so distinct as there is an interesting dynamic that Kylo Ren brings to the table as well when it comes to this spiritual exploration. The dynamic between Kylo and Rey is also very different from the hero-villain dynamic in other films of the franchise, leading to some interesting reveals about Kylo's character and his connection to Skywalker. There’s also the issue of what being a Jedi really means, another interesting idea that none of the other films have ever really delved into. All in all, this is one of the most spiritual Star Wars films, and the central story is really interesting, helping to set it apart from the rest of the franchise in a way that makes it seem fresh, without feeling like something outlandish.
Of course, you also have a lot of the traditional Star Wars elements as well, which are always fun to see no matter how many times you’ve seen them. The action sequences are excellent, especially the opening and closing battles, as well as an interesting lightsaber battle that is different from anything we’ve seen in other films in the franchise. All of these are aided with incredibly well-realized digital and practical special effects that help give the film that classic Star Wars feel while also putting a modern spin on it. These battles, creatures and worlds are once again given another dimension thanks to another amazing score provided by John Williams. So, while it may feel different thanks to its spiritual central story, the film’s technical elements ensure that the Star Wars experience is just as good as it always is.
However, what keeps The Last Jedi from being completely good is the subplot involving Rey’s Resistance friends being hunted down by the First Order. Not only is it quite boring, as the whole concept revolves around a slowly moving spaceship running low on fuel, but it leads to yet another atrocious subplot involving a casino world and terribly blatant social commentary. These scenes feel like a completely different film from the story of Rey and really hurt the pacing of the film, making you really feel its two-and-a-half-hour runtime. Another thing that bothers me about these plots is that they just don’t fit the Star Wars universe in any way but rather feels more like a podium for writer-director Rian Johnson to make obvious political statements. And believe me, there’s nothing wrong with politics in Star Wars, you just have to be subtle about it. Sadly, however, these subplots are neither subtle nor interesting and should’ve been cut to make room for the more interesting plot.
There’s also the issue of trying too hard to surprise the audience, only to impede the storytelling in the process. There are a lot of big reveals and twists in the film that, while shocking and interesting, do a lot to undercut what was set up in the previous film. I’m all for surprise in storytelling, but if you spend more time focusing on the surprise, the story can get lost in the process. This holds especially true when the surprises in the film don’t really make much sense and could’ve easily been revealed in five minutes instead of being dragged on for an hour. The Star Wars franchise has always used simple storytelling formulas but makes them interesting by way of imagination and interesting characters. By making the story filled with twists and turns, the characters don’t really get a chance to shine because they have been shackled to the duty of subverting expectations. I would rather have a great simple story over a twisty messy one, and unfortunately that goes for a large portion of the movie and just doesn’t work.
However, when the film works, it really works. The exploration into the spiritual aspects of the force was something other Star Wars films rarely dealt with, so it was nice to see that explored for such a large portion of the film. The dynamic between Rey, Luke and Kylo is also very intriguing, leading to some of the film’s truly great moments. And as per usual the technical elements are always great. It’s just the annoying subplots and twists that knock this film down a few pegs. So, while it’s not as bad as some people have made it out to be, it falls short of achieving true greatness within the context of the franchise.
7.5/10