Director Rian Johnson’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the eighth installment of the film
series, is visually stunning, with an array of dazzling colors, frighteningly
gorgeous explosions, and magnificent vistas of land and water. There are also
the grand and silent expanses of space, so still and peaceful until filled
with enemy combatants, reminding us that wars (star ones and otherwise) wreak
havoc no matter where they occur.
But beyond the sheer visual majesty of the film, there is
the human element that is simple yet profound. As always at the heart of any Star Wars film is the eternal struggle
of good and evil, with evidence of the gray area in between that either side
can visit and exploit. If Star Wars: The
Force Awakens can be considered an invigoration of this film series, The Last Jedi makes a case for being one
of the best of the bunch by bringing things back to basics – especially revisiting
the Skywalker family that has been at the heart of all eight films.
In The Force
Awakens it was a chance for Han Solo (Harrison Ford) to take center stage,
and this time it falls to Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) to step forward. If you
are expecting to see Luke be something like the starry-eyed farm boy who wanted to rush
off to Toshi Station to get some power converters, you will be very
disappointed. This incarnation of Luke is grizzled and gritty, with shades of
Obi-wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness) from A New
Hope but a more cantankerous and dark version. Purposefully making himself
an outcast on a remote island near the ruins of the first Jedi temple, Luke’s
not looking after anyone as Obi-wan did with him on Tatooine; rather, he has
gone to this isolated place to live out his years in isolation and die.
The arrival of Rey (Daisy Ridley) holding Luke’s father’s
lightsaber in hand (you know, good old Darth Vader) is at first an annoyance
for Luke, but as their tempestuous relationship evolves it becomes one of
teacher and student, albeit one far different than Obi-wan and the young
Skywalker. As Luke sees Rey’s inherent power, it frightens him to think about
what could happen because, as Yoda saw in his father, there is a darkness in
Rey that may blossom if left unchecked.
There is, of course, the by now familiar story line of the
Resistance led by General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) trying to outrun the
First Order led by her son Ben Solo/Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). It is both
comforting and unsettling to watch Fisher’s scenes knowing that she is no
longer with us, but her gutsy performance is the essence of what her character
has always been. Force sensitive without having Luke’s raw power, Leia is
perhaps the most important Skywalker in that she has been able to harness the
Force to lead others in the fight against evil; however, her rag-tag rebels are
fleeing because they have been decimated by the First Order and seem to be on
the brink of extinction, so things are not looking good for her or her
followers.
Poe Dameron (Oscar Issac) and Finn (John Boyega) are back
along with adorable robot BB-8. Add new character Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) to
the mix, and this trio attempts to engage in a dangerous mission behind Leia’s
back to disable the enemy’s tracking device in order for the rebel forces to
escape. Of course, this involves Finn heading back to his old stomping grounds
on an enemy vessel and puts him on a collision course for a showdown with his
former tormentor, the chrome-armored Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie).
On the enemy side we see the bickering between General
Hux (Domhnall Gleeson) and Kylo as they each seek to win favor with Supreme
Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis). This time around they are all aboard Snoke’s ship,
and we get to see Snoke in person. In contrast to the way Luke and Rey are
interacting, Snoke admonishes Kylo and pronounces him as unready to be what
Kylo always wanted to be – the next Darth Vader – and belittles him for wearing a mask, calling it “that ridiculous thing.” It becomes clear that Snoke is trying to push Kylo over
the edge, and a subsequent scene when Kylo destroys his mask in an elevator captures
the frustration of the student of an unappreciative master.
Another story line has Kylo and Rey connecting over time
and space through the Force, with each being able to “see” the other despite
great distances. Their connection is enticing as it is frustrating – Kylo knows
that she is with Luke and we wonder about his ulterior motives – but there also
seems to be an emotional and dare I say a possibly romantic connection
evolving. A scene with the bare-chested Kylo causing a reaction in Rey is both hilarious
and disturbing.
Relationships are key in this film and the one between
Luke and Rey carries the most weight. As secrets are revealed and dark memories
revisited, the element at the center of all the movies in the series gets clarified and in
some ways redefined – the Force is much more than we ever imagined and not
merely a Jedi religion. The Force cannot end if the Jedi and Sith perish – the Force
is forever. It is dark and light and everything in between and holds the
universe together, but the dark side is insidiously alluring. Luke tries to
clarify this for Rey before it is too late, knowing that Kylo is trying to pull
her away from the light.
Prepare to get emotional throughout the movie, especially
during key moments between Luke and R2-D2, Leia and Rey, and Luke and Leia.
When Luke tries to tell R2 off about going back and helping his sister and the
Resistance, the plucky little droid shows him the holographic message from A New Hope when Leia put the Death Star
plans into R2 and told Obi-wan that he was her only hope. Leia and Rey have a
connection that no doubt is entwined with the Force, and it seems as if Leia
can be the maternal figure Rey has always wanted and needed. One of the most
touching scenes will bring tears to the eyes as Luke and Leia reunite and find
some closure after so many years.
One of the most enduring elements of the Star Wars films has been its music, and
John Williams is back to once again enrich the film with his luxurious score. There
are many scenes that are intensified with appropriate music at just the right moment, and I
seriously doubt that anyone will be without a lump in his or her throat as Luke
stares at a sunset and the music wells similarly as to when he looked at the sunset on Tatooine so many years ago in A New Hope. The stark visual beauty of that scene and so many
others in the film is astounding, with cinematographer Steve Yedlin being
partners in crime with Williams to truly enhance the viewing experience.
Star
Wars: The Last Jedi is not only a better film than its
predecessor, but stands with The Empire
Strikes Back as the best in the series. It is also a tribute to the
imagination of George Lucas, whose original characters and story of the
Skywalker family continues to resonate 40 years after it all began. We still
care about Luke, Leia, R2, and C-3P0, and the same can now be said of this new
generation of characters – Rey, Poe, Finn, and BB-8.
The
Force Awakens left us with more questions than answers. The Last Jedi brings us to a definitive ending and answers some questions but
sometimes not in ways we had hoped, and new ones arise to leave us scratching
our heads and wanting to know more. One that stands out concerns the Force-sensitive
kid that Finn and Rose meet on the planet Canto Bight. Is this the face of a
new Jedi in the making and the future hope of the rebels? Perhaps the trilogy
Rian Johnson is bringing to us after Episode
IX will provide the answers.
The
Last Jedi is a beautiful, gruesome, sometimes comical film, with
space and land battles, strange new creatures like the Porgs – Chewbacca’s new
best friends – and the emotional heft to keep us watching (and not looking at
our watches) for two and a half hours – I was amazed how quickly it went.
In the end, after you assess all that you have experienced, you will be enthralled and overwhelmed. More importantly, like a most thrilling theme park ride, you will want to jump on board and experience it again.
In the end, after you assess all that you have experienced, you will be enthralled and overwhelmed. More importantly, like a most thrilling theme park ride, you will want to jump on board and experience it again.
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