It's December again and you know what world holiday is right around the corner? STAR WARS-- err, I mean, the birth of Christ! Yeah, that's what we should be celebrating, yeah. And Star Wars...
The third annual Disney Star Wars celebration is here! And I gotta admit I'm excited. I'm also a little trepidatious. I wasn't exactly over the forest moon of Endor for Episode VII. To briefly summarize my feelings about THE FORCE AWAKENS: I thought the special effects were good, I thought the acting was good, but I thought there was a severe lack of imagination and originality to the story. I didn't think it was a bad movie at all, just a movie full of nostalgia. I am well aware that this opinion is in the minority and that I'm getting old. My eyesight and mind are going a little more everyday and I'm probably not seeing/comprehending something that everyone else is.
In regards to last year's ROGUE ONE, I enjoyed it far more than Episode VII. I felt it had a more compelling plot and a more endearing cast of characters. I also liked how it reinforced the other films, filling in plot holes, making the overall story tighter. It was a better Suicide Squad movie than the Suicide Squad movie. It's just a shame they won't be telling anymore stories with those characters as I'd like to see more of Star Wars' "Dirty Dozen." These side stories have so much potential and less riding on them than the main saga episodes so filmmakers can take more risks with them, or so it seems. Maybe it's actually the other way around?
Now, three years in, we're back to the main saga. Episode VIII: THE LAST JEDI. Like I said, I'm anxious. I'm not going in with very high expectations, yet I don't feel my demands are out of line. All I want is a Star Wars movie that doesn't parallel so many familiar beats from the previous films that it feels like I'm watching the same Star Wars movie from 40 years ago. That's all. I'm not a super Star Wars fan either so I'd think I'd be an easy audience member to please. And there's SO MUCH Star Wars extended universe content to mine for material. And I haven't read/played any of it. They could turn any one of those books into a movie and I wouldn't know and I'd be pleased as punch... probably.
Anyway, a long preface ago, in a galaxy the same as your own (I assume)... The Last Jedi... Here's what I though... right after this plot summary.
(the above written on 12/14/2017)
THE PLOT
The Rebels have been discovered by the First Order and are forced to flee into hyper space after a futile struggle. The rebels exit hyper space en route to a new base when the First Order emerges from hyper space a few minutes behind them. Unable to outrun their enemies, and running dangerously low on fuel, the rebels have no choice but to keep running until their fuel runs out. Their only hope lies in the crew of the Millennium Falcon finding Luke Skywalker and bringing him back to fight for the Rebellion. Rey and Chewy find Luke, but he refuses to help...
(the following review was written on 12/23/17)
Okay, so I got sick opening weekend and it took me a week longer to see this. During that time I saw that critic reviews were by and large extremely favorable. The critics were loving this movie. Strangely though audiences seemed to be split almost exactly down the middle. The Last Jedi is the definition of a polarizing film. Either you love it or hate it. No other Star Wars film holds this big of a divide between critics and audiences. Nothing was spoiled for me though, so all I knew was that I couldn't trust the critics, which I already knew given how they loved The Force Awakens and I didn't. But then I was hearing from friends who liked The Force Awakens who didn't like The Last Jedi. And then I heard from friends who didn't like The Force Awakens who hated The Last Jedi.
I literally did not know what kind of movie I was going to be walking into. I became curious to see this movie for a whole new reason.
WHAT I LIKED
(some spoilers ahead)
The Acting and Special Effects. So, the acting is good like it was in The Force Awakens and once again the special effects are a nice mix of CGI and practical effects, which honestly makes for the best presentation possible (in my opinion). Rey and Kylo Ren have a really cool fight scene mid way through the movie against a bunch of Royal Guards and it is probably my favorite scene in the entire movie. And Luke Skywalker. He's my favorite character in all of Star Wars and I was eating every bit of Mark Hamill's appearance up.
NITPICKS
Wasted Time. This is, to date, the longest Star Wars film of them all. And it feels long. The crazy thing about it all is how much of the movie amounts to very little if nothing at all. Virtually all of Poe Dameron's story goes nowhere and doesn't effect the film's outcome whatsoever, if only to teach him a costly lesson not to be brash or hotheaded. This could be setup for his character development in a future film but in regards to this film it is merely time wasted. And a lot of the movie focuses on Poe. Finn also is plagued by the same problem. While both actors do a great job neither is given a plot thread that does anything to propel the film forward. I'd say nearly half of this film is filled with non consequential story.
Kinda Plotless. I may be oversimplifying this but I think the plot of the movie is the rebels fleeing from one planet to the other to escape the First Order. That's it. The majority of the film the rebels are flying away from the First Order in space. While in this holding pattern various characters try to effect the outcome through various plots, none of which work. Yet characters were already in place with plans to succeed that do in fact succeed. So if Poe and Finn had just waited like they were told everything would've played out the same as it does.
Missed Opportunities. In this film we learn who Rey's parents are. They were simple junkers who sold their child for money. While I don't necessarily see this as a flaw, to me personally it is a major disappointment. I mean, we all waited for two years for this mystery and basically our wait was for nothing. Snoke going out like a chump was another major let down. Again, it's not a flaw necessarily but rather a personal disappointment. And they don't tell us who he really is or any of his history. He's killed and done.
And Luke. I would be fine with them killing him and I would be fine with his epic final scene. But ever since seeing the fight scenes in the prequels my only wish was to see Luke and Darth Vader have some epic fight scenes. We got Darth Vader's at the end of Rogue One. But we don't get Luke's. If I had only one thing to ask of this film it would've been one radical fight scene with Luke before him going out. Now we'll never get it. Yoda, the gimp muppet with a stick, got an epic fight scene in the series. Two of them! (please note that I mean no disrespect when speaking of Yoda as a gimp. I love Yoda) While I love the original trilogy's fight scenes, which are epic in drama and scope, they lack truly remarkable choreography. They don't need it either because of the dramatic weight attached to them. But these new movies need them. The fight scene they gave Rey and Kylo against the Royal Guards is what I wish they would've given to Luke or something just as amazing.
How do you not get that? If you're making a Star Wars movie with Mark Hamill how do you not get that all everybody wants to see is Luke Skywalker be the hero of the galaxy and legend we all feel he is? You've got Mark Hamill playing Luke Skywalker again! Do something!
Being Talked Down To. I don't know how many people felt this way but I felt the film was surprisingly condescending. To fans of Luke Skywalker I thought much of the dialog coming out of Luke's mouth was meant to tear down our notions and feelings towards the character. For instance, "what? did you think I'd face down the entire First Order by myself?" We're not idiots, you know. We realize he's one guy. You don't have to beat us over the head with it and tear down our favorite character in front of us. Then there's Benicio Del Toro's character telling us the goodguy/badguy gray area stuff. Had that thread amounted to something maybe it would've worked. But not amounting to anything, it felt like another instance where the film was treating us viewers like we were idiots.
THE VERDICT
You know, while I was excited for the movie, I went in with low expectations. Really low expectations. And this film ended up being a little worse than I expected. While I was watching the movie I turned off my brain and analytical mindset. I thought at one point I was enjoying the movie. Then, on the car ride home, I started thinking about it. And what you just read above is the conclusion I came to. As is, I'm not sure who this movie is meant for. Perhaps it's meant for the kids and not for crotchety old men like myself. All I know is that I fear for episode IX.
What I learned from The Last Jedi: The Star Wars property is in the same situation as the DC Super heroes properties. By that I mean everybody who knows what they're doing are working on the television front on shows like Clone Wars and Rebels. But in regards to the movies they have no idea what they're doing and no guiding force behind them. Help us, Timothy Zahn. You're our only hope. Be the "Kevin Feige" for Star Wars. PLEASE!
Overall Ranking: 4 out of 10
Rarely do I give out a 4 which I feel is a movie below par. And I'm conflicted at giving it a 4. But I think The Force Awakens was a better movie than this so I have no choice.
Remember, it's equally possible that I am way off base here. With episodes VII and VIII and those who like them, that's perfectly fine. In fact I wish I liked them more than I do. But I feel there is some wavelength these film are on that I am somehow out of sync with and I wish that weren't the case. I know that I have some weird tastes and can be way out of sync with the majority of folks on other movies too, so please just take my thoughts as one dude's views and nothing more.
For more of my thoughts on these new era Star Wars films click the links below.
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