And while this wasn't enough to take away from what a great time it was, it was still clearly a first step into a much bigger and greater sandbox. Now freed from the shackles of nostalgic expectations, and able to more carefully craft its blank slate, and a time-waster spin-off inbetween to tide us over, the adventures of Rey and company can continue down darker, more complex, more unexpected routes in the follow-up film, The Last Jedi. And if falling short of the same standards set by The Force Awakens, is only slightly so. The fact still remains that this is one thoroughly satisfying and awe-inspiring film.
Reviewer's note: This review will have minor spoilers for The Last Jedi, as well as spoilers for The Force Awakens. Read at your own risk.
Taking place moments after the events of The Force Awakens, Rey (Daisy Ridley) arrives to the uncharted home of legendary Jedi Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), in an attempt to coerce him back to the Resistance's side, and discover more of what lies inside of her as well. At the same time, the continually slimming Resistance led by Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) finds themselves in a desperate escape from the First Order, low on reserves and reinforcements, as they struggle to survive. All the while, Stormtrooper-defect Finn (John Boyega) teamed with maintenance worker Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) attempt to subdue the First Order's merciless ships, while Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) continues to be torn apart by the light and dark sides of the force, even developing a strange psychic connection to Rey, as all sides converge for a brutal battle for the future of the galaxy.
The Last Jedi is the product of Rian Johnson, once known for independent fare the likes of Brick, who found himself shot to particular prominence with the time travel flick Looper. Taking what had been given to him by the blueprints laid out by J.J. Abrams, Johnson is given an incredible freedom to merge those previously established templates with his own unique stamps, resulting in one of the serie's darkest entries so far. So impressive it is, that Lucasfilm has even given him the reigns to headline a brand new trilogy outside the Skywalker saga, and if this is any indication of what we can expect from him, then it's an enticing and encouraging calling card.
Let it not be mistaken that it owes some influence to The Empire Strikes Back, but ouside of being the dark set-up to a colossal finale, Johnson is able to sidestep such issues with a great subversion to viewer expectations, in some ways shattering the traditional mold of Star Wars. For instance, with much of the film surrounding the struggles of the Resistance, the film becomes an intense prolonged game of survival. Much of the film's suspense is generated by the pure hopelessness of the situation, as the rebels are low on reserves, rapidly depleting their fuel, while heavily fortified First Order attack ships track them relentlessly. It's a situation that wrings much tension, because for once in the saga's history, we really begin to feel the bigger picture of the stakes and loss racked up, to the point that the plight of the Resistance almost seems futile, a lost cause almost worth abandoning. It's an intimate scope that makes every decision in the trenches especially meaningful, of precious seconds and costly hesitations becoming a matter of life and death, further expanding on the brutality of the war-like nature of the series.
At its heart, Star Wars has always been a character-driven series, and thanks to Johnson's confident history with well-written characters, he's more than up for the task handed to him, and as writer and director not only adds terrific depth to them, but also eliciting a welcome looseness from his cast, yet never taking away from the dramatic strength of the narrative. Since her introduction, Rey has comfortably cemented herself as the new heart and soul of the films, continuing to prove a terrific anchor with her adventurous and mysterious presence. Now on a quest to learn more of the force, Rey is still coming to grips with the heartaches of her past, and the anonymity of her heritage. One of her utmost important character traits is her desire to prove herself as more than just a scavenger, more than a meaningless nobody on a dreary and deadly planet, and having shared a similar journey, it's no surprise to see why she gravitates to Luke like a potential father figure. But such is a journey laid out with difficult choices, finding herself pulled to the dark side even if against her own intentions, providing a rich canvas to expand to her character, and possibly more complex routes to be taken with Episode IX, brought to emotional and stunning life by Daisy Ridley's commanding central performance.
Adam Driver's Kylo Ren also proves a standout, continuing to establish himself as the best main Star Wars villain since his grandfather Darth Vader. Following his defeat at the hands of Rey, we're reintroduced to Ren as a broken, bitter, humiliated man. We already saw in The Force Awakens just what a conflicted character he is, and even with his own father's murder propelling him deeper to the dark, is still such a fragile soul, a fragility not taken lightly by his black-hearted Sith master Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis), whose ire and toxicity warps him like a child at the hands of abuse. A great asset to his character is the unending grayness of his decisions, in a way that even furthers subverts viewer expectations. As Benecio del Toro puts it as a slick and mysterious hacker, this has now become a world where the line between good and bad is now gone, with Ren standing as the perfect encapsulation of that ideal, showing glimpses of humanity and possible redemption, even at his most ruthless and poisonous
Johnson is very meticulous in how he spreads attention between the many key players, managing to pack a lot of juicy material into the lengthy two-and-a-half hour runtime. Outside of the Ren and Rey material, the showiest material is devoted to Finn, again excellently played by John Boyega. Having formally shed his First Order roots and grown more noble, we're reintroduced to him still fearful of more than his own safety, and specifically that of Rey, knowing that both could easily become casualties of the aggressive First Order attack. However, a fire in him is reignited upon meeting maintenance worker Rose played by Kelly Marie Tran, who combats that fearfulness with a fiery and selfless resolve. She's fitted with a background that gives her just as much reason to get away from the ongoing conflict as Finn, but by instead embracing those events and choosing to face them head on, she becomes another standout character in the ongoing Star Wars roster.
Meanwhile, as the Resistance continues to find itself thinned out, Poe Dameron is now forced to confront the consequences of his own action, the film opening with a harrowing assault on the Resistance base, in which heavy losses are felt. Poe could have easily felt like an overpowered Legolas to the movie, but the movie wisely decides to subdue him and directly confront his cockiness and poor foresight, especially when aimed at newly appointed General Holdo (a slightly underused Laura Dern). The film also brings returning likes back such as BB8, and a much more intimidating turn for Gwendoline Christie's Captain Phasma, merged wonderfully with Johnson's new players, which in addition to Rose and Holdo, includes Benecio del Toro's drifter DJ, who is clearly having a ball in his quick, but highly entertaining supporting turn.
But the two who are sure to have the most attention are brother and sister themselves, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher. It's very hard to go deep into the film, given how much I'd have to spoil in the meantime, with Luke's own central role comprising much of it. All I can say is that without giving much away, Luke's appearance is another of Johnson's subversions working wonders for the film, brought back to us as a broken and deeply traumatized man, having grown detached from the Force and the romanticized legends of the Jedi, and Hamill in his signature role has never been better. The film is also dedicated to Carrie Fisher, who tragically passed away before the film's release, which had me very worried for how this film would conclude her story. I can thankfully say that the film is incredibly gracious and sensitive in the matter, as Fisher provides tremendous warmth and sarcastic bite in an expanded role, and even if unintended, is sent out on the most perfect and beautiful final note any fan of Star Wars can hope for.
And believe me when I say it, it's very tough to talk about this movie without divulging some critical spoilers. And that's no accident either, given the fact that this truly feels like a film built for intense reflection. Despite its familiar touches, and clear influences owed to the original trilogy, Johnson also takes the freedom given to him to play and subvert viewer expectations. No doubt that plenty of them are bound to be forever polarizing, as the film is not shy about directly challenging every pre-conceived notion you've ever had about Star Wars, including the very nature of the Force itself. One may even be willing to call the liberties taken with these new developments an astounding retcon, but I personally appreciate these interesting questions he has for what the Force can achieve, and the answers he supplies in the meantime, making the mysterious power feel more vast and fascinating than ever, in a way even managing to incorporate the mental twistiness he brought to Looper.
But even if the story elements don't work (which I don't think is the case), one still can't give enough credit to how meticulous Johnson's technical eye is. He truly feels like an excited kid building on the foundations given to him, continuing to follow in the same practical mold established by Abrams, ensuring that CGI be used to enhance the plot than to serve as it, and the same devotion to on-set models, miniatures, suits, makeup, animatronics, elaborate sets, and puppetry. Plenty of this comes to be best showcased in the extended Canto Bight sequences, that play like an odd, but entertaining mash up of the Tattooine cantina and Terry Gilliam's Brazil (complete with new doglike creatures that resemble The Last Guardian's Trico). If his visual storytelling isn't as strong as Abrams, he still perfectly emulates the mood of what makes a great Star Wars sequence.
And at this point, it's become a cliche to praise the sound design of Star Wars. There's only so many times you can uniquely compliment the instantly iconic library the series has, and yet this film still manages to find new, imaginative, enrapturing effects to make the galaxy feel alive and thriving. Unsurprisingly, Maestro John Williams is also back at the top of his game, and his score - while terrific, is so in markedly different ways to The Force Awakens. The prior film certainly has it beat in the sheer number of original motifs, given how many new characters it had to set the tone for (but that's not to undercut the several, instantly lovable new additions here), but The Last Jedi crafts a richer encapsulation and expansion of his themes both two years old and forty, seamlessly weaved together like an elaborate and beautiful tapestry.
But ultimately, I'm still very hesitant to say my thoughts on the film are solidified. With how much material Johnson gives us to chew on, and with how frequently the film plays with our emotions and pre-conceptions, this feels like a film that will require serious reflection, and perhaps even multiple viewings in order to fully digest. Even if not the most original of the series (but honestly, it's challenging to be wholly original in your eighth entry), it's still precisely the type of film you hope for in these sequels. Familiar, but not beholden to the roots of its influences. Don't get me wrong, the film certainly has its faults, but I'm willing to argue that those faults are the kind that actually aid the film rather than detract from it. At the end of the day, regardless of your feelings on the film, Johnson's ambitions still can't help but be admired, giving his film a wealth of intriguing ideas and hard-hitting emotional spectacle, meaning it can't be wholly discarded.
Only time will tell if it is able to stand on level playing ground with The Force Awakens, perhaps becoming its own modern classic in years to come. All I can be sure of are my first impressions immediately exiting the theater, and I came away totally satisfied by the time spent back in this world. Rey and company will be back in 2019, with main architect J.J. Abrams returning to close out this new phase of Star Wars, and I hope for nothing but the best to come from it, especially with as high a bar that Johnson has set for him.
"May the Force be with you, always..."
***** / *****
Where would you rank this with the rest of the Star Wars movies?
ReplyDelete1. The Empire Strikes Back
Delete2. The Force Awakens
3. The Last Jedi (Not solidified, could go up or down upon second glance)
4. A New Hope
5. Return of the Jedi
6. Rogue One
7. Revenge of the Sith
8. The Phantom Menace
9. Attack of the Clones
First four are perfect or near perfect, then 5-9 are great, passable, passable, subpar, and terrible.