I've had mixed feelings about The Last Jedi since seeing it opening night last week. It certainly has its moments, scenes which shock, dismay, and make you want to stand up and cheer. Alas, they are part of a film that feels disjointed and, if we're being honest, attempts to do too much. A lot happens in The Last Jedi, and it isn't always presented very well. Important moments occur, but they're not allowed to marinate, because we're on to the next one. And, finally, there are plot holes and plot devices galore.
Enough vagueness. Let's dig in to what works and what doesn't regarding the latest entry in the venerable Star Wars saga. What follows are, of course, SPOILERS. If you haven't yet watched the movie, then turn back now.
First up...
The Good
The Last Jedi is a stylish-looking film. There is a nice contrast between the grayness of the space scenes, versus the lush red and gold of Supreme Leader Snokes chamber, as well as the white and red landscape of the salt planet, Crait. The casino city of Canto Bight proved to be an interesting excursion, as well. It was another beautiful set piece.
There's no denying the emotional elements of Last Jedi. I have, perhaps, felt more during this film than in any other Star Wars movie. Some of that is by chance. If Carrie Fisher were alive and well, then I likely wouldn't have felt such an emotional tug with so many of her scenes (especially her reunion with Mark Hamill as Luke). And yet, life is life, reality creeps in, and Fisher's last outing as Leia is a moving one.
Speaking of Luke, Mark Hamill does a great job portraying the conflicted, older Jedi. We see his character go through its own arc within the movie's run time, and his last scene -- the showdown with Kylo Ren -- gave me chills. It was a superb send-off for the character. It was also bittersweet, in that, going back to the original trilogy, there was so much hope with Luke, so much pressure for him to be The One, that to see him as a scraggly, bearded recluse in this film is somewhat sad.
What The Last Jedi does quite well is put into perspective the Skywalkers' saga. They (Luke, his father Anakin, and even Leia) are not the saviors of the galaxy. They will not vanquish evil, because evil can never truly be vanquished. At best, it can be kept at bay for a time. That is where Luke, Leia and even Anakin-as-Vader (ultimately) play their parts. They're able to help where they can, even if it does not come with the euphoric finality that so many seem to think them capable of. Kudos to the movie for bringing some clarity to this.
John Williams' score is, yet again, excellent.
And now...
The Bad
Where to begin? First, The Last Jedi just doesn't flow very well. It starts off alright, and some scenes flow well into each other, but then it begins to feel halting and disjointed. There is so much packed in to the 150 minute run time that it feels like too much. We find out that series legend Admiral Ackbar is dead with a throwaway line of dialogue. Laura Dern is introduced as Admiral Holdo, only to die later on (more on that later). Snoke is killed during a moment of arrogance. Kylo Ren and General Hux bicker, briefly, then Ren takes command. A new, young, potential Jedi is introduced quickly, then clunkily brought back at the very end of the film. Leia is dead, then she isn't. Luke's actual death could have been handled better. And Yoda shows up!
What of the plot holes and plot devices? I knew, midway through, that the movie would, at best, get a mediocre grade from me, when it became apparent that the thrust of the plot was that the First Order and Resistance ships couldn't outrun each other, and were involved in a slow-speed chase. I mean, seriously? These ships have the exact same speed as one another? And they only have two settings: the casual speed they're at during most of this film, or hyperspace? We're not to believe that the First Order couldn't have summoned other ships to arrive and cut-off the Resistance ship(s) from the other side? And, yes, I know there aren't sides or directions in outer space, but you know what I mean.
Speaking of that slow-speed ship chase.... when the rebels evacuate their main vessel, Admiral Holdo stays behind. Something about someone needing to pilot the ship? But why? They were already in the main hangar, and no one was piloting it then. Later on, we're treated to scenes of Holdo standing on the bridge looking furtive. She's literally doing nothing. There was no reason to have her stay behind, other than to make her seem heroic and, of course, so she could have that hyperspace moment where she rams the rebel ship into Snoke's vessel. Which brings me to another plotting issue...
When Holdo rams the rebel ship into the main enemy cruiser, all of the surrounding First Order vessels seem to be hit by... whatever that was... hyperspace residual light? Whatever it was, it makes the ships blow up real good. Next, we see Leia and her resistance people get to the planet Crait, where they hide out in an old rebel base. And then, here comes the First Order with a mass of destructive equipment. Where did this equipment come from? Their ships were destroyed, no? Reinforcements? But if they came from reinforcements, then why couldn't they have just come earlier? Of course, the answer is because then there wouldn't have been a movie.
I dunno. All films require, to a certain extent, a suspension of disbelief, but The Last Jedi stretches that to the point of breaking. Perhaps watching it again, this time knowing what's to come, will provide a better understanding of the film? And yet... I can't help but feel that The Last Jedi is an ambitious, yet flawed project. I give it credit for attempting to break some of the Star Wars mold. After forty years, that's not easy to do. In a way, it succeeds. It also doesn't, and that's a shame.
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