Star Wars: The Last Jedi Review

Merry Christmas! And may the force be with you.

I have to say, this Star Wars film left me feeling unusual when it ended. I wasn’t too sure what to expect going into this. Of course I had my speculations and predictions, but honestly, who didn’t? Let’s dig in shall we?

What I Liked

I was a big fan of every scene that involved Kylo Ren and Rey. Their dynamic together was so engaging, and the underline sexual tension had me right on the edge of my seat. Plus, Adam Driver delivers. Every scene he’s in, he steals. He’s so intense, and I think that’s perfect for his character. I’ve always said that Kylo Ren was a better executed and acted version of Anakin Skywalker; had Driver portrayed him in the prequels, maybe things would have gone differently.

That fight scene with Rey and Kylo was probably one of the best Star Wars fight scenes ever (except for maybe Vader in Rogue One). It introduced new ways to use a lightsaber, new weapons and the Praetorian Guard. These guys meant business, and watching them fight was amazing. I knew that Rey and Kylo would team up at some point, but how it was executed was dope.

Some people complained about Luke and his negative outlook on the force and life. At first, I wasn’t a fan, but then I remembered, this is so typically Luke. He spent all of A New Hope whining and complaining, all of Empire Strikes Back thinking he knew best, and then ended on an emotional high in Return of The Jedi. He’s always been driven by his emotions; and when he’s low, he’s low.

I was, however, surprised that Luke would ever consider killing his nephew. Even if it was for one small moment, I can’t see Luke just killing an unarmed boy, especially when he’s presumably watched that boy grow up. He was family, Luke must have loved him, or at the very least, his parents.

The ending of this film was amazing! Kylo’s insistence on firing at Luke, Luke’s sacrifice in the end, his conversation with Leia; it was all simply perfect. Many people didn’t like that he died, however I loved it. Especially since he died looking at the two suns, a scene he famously made in A New Hope.

Yoda was in this film, which was a pleasant surprise! Someone needed to tell Luke to snap the hell out of it, and if it couldn’t be Ben, I’m glad it was Yoda.

The Visuals

No doubt about it, this was, visually, the BEST Star Wars film we’ve ever received. This thing was stunning.

There’s one scene when the entire movie theatre gasped in awe. Trust me, once you watch this moment, you’ll know exactly what scene this was. I want a blown up version of that on my wall.

The final battle when Luke emerges and stands to face off the fighters was perfectly shot. I couldn’t get over the colours, the imagery and the space battles in this film. If there’s one thing director Rian Johnson will be remembered for, it was how gorgeous he made this film.

Carrie Fisher

Watching the late Carrie Fisher in this film was sad. Every scene she was in felt heavy and full of emotion based solely on her unfortunate passing. When Kylo couldn’t kill her, when she woke up from her coma, to when she and Luke had their last talk, it all felt so finale.

But nothing was sadder than when she said goodbye to her friend and colleague Vice Admiral Holdo (played by a purple haired Laura Dern). Something about that felt so sincere, almost as though we were all saying goodbye to Princess Leia.

While I appreciated seeing Leia use the force, I could have done without her flight through space. It felt a bit awkward and weird. For a film so beautifully shot, I would have liked that scene to be a bit cleaner.

What I Didn’t Like

John Boyega as Finn was one of the standouts in The Force Awakens, so I was pretty disappointed with where his character went in Last Jedi. If you completely took his story line out, nothing would have changed in the film, making his character completely useless.

They tried to make it interesting by commenting on social structures of rebellion, animal abuse and the idea of the rich getting richer while the poor getting poorer. And, while I appreciate that commentary, it didn’t translate well in the film. I get that they’re trying to show how important the rebellion is to “the little guy”, but then no one showed up to save them in the end, so why set that up?

At the end of the film, I understand that it was trying to show that more Jedi’s are being awakened with the Force (just like Rey was), but did we really need that whole side mission just to establish that?

The relationship between Finn and new comer Rose Tico came out of nowhere. To be honest, I would have preferred if Finn died disabling that gun, at least he would have done something! The short 5 minute moment showing Roses sister as she died was more interesting than Roses character and her little adventure with Finn.

I would have preferred Finns story to have tied in with Poe. Together, they could have learned the meaning of responsibility and leadership for the Rebellion. And while I appreciate Star Wars becoming more diverse and introducing Rose, I kind of wish she and Benicio Del Toro’s character DJ weren’t in it.

I Guess Set Up Is No Longer a Thing

I appreciate that director, Rian Johnson, wanted to go his own way. And while I applaud him for finally surprising me in a Star Wars film, I wish we would have gotten some pay off for the things set up in The Force Awakens.

Okay, so Rey’s parents are no one, she’s just one of many who are strong with The Force that’s awaken inside her. Annoying, but I’ll let that go. Not everyone has to be related to someone to make a difference. What I could not stand was Snoke. His death, while cool and surprising, just opened more questions. And we’d better get an answer to them in Episode 9.

Who was he?
Why was he obsessed with Vader and Luke?
What happened to his face?
How did he get into Kylo’s head when Kylo was still training with Luke?
What happened to the padawan’s Kylo took with him after he destroyed Lukes school? Where they the Praetorian Guard?

So. Many. Questions.

What did you think of The Last Jedi? What was your favourite moment?