The Last Jedi Fan Review (SPOILERS)
Failure and expectation fuel new, polarizing Star Wars film.
If you’re reading this and have yet to see The Last Jedi, these aren’t the spoilers you’re looking for.
As fans react to viewing The Last Jedi, many have conflicting outlooks on the film. Some tout Rian Johnson’s take on Star Wars as one of the best in the series. Others view it as a letdown after the plot setups in The Force Awakens.
I genuinely enjoyed the movie, and think it is an excellent addition to the Star Wars universe. As we say goodbye to favorite characters, we see the development of the next generation of legends. The movie examines the legacy of heroes and villains through themes of expectation and failure.
The Force Awakens started a flurry of internet theorizing and armchair directing. Who are Rey’s parents? How did Snoke rise to power? Who are the Knights of Ren? Fan expectation mirrors the film’s theme, as both characters and audiences struggle with these questions. The Last Jedi may be disappointing to fans expecting answers, but shows that not everyone in that universe comes from a legendary bloodline. Rey’s internal struggle with her expectations of her lineage ultimately results with her accepting that her parents are “nobodies.” Her great expectations, as well as fans’, are dashed with the intent of showing that anyone can start their own legacy and have an impact.
Similarly, many fans expecting a reveal of Snoke’s background or “true identity” must accept that we won’t get all the answers in a single movie. His early death came as a surprise to many fans expecting more out of the supreme leader. However, fans should remember that no one knew Emperor Palpatine’s background until it was explored in books and prequel films. We don’t know everything about everyone, and that’s okay in the Star Wars universe.
More than any Star Wars film to date, The Last Jedi explores failure as both a plot and character device. Fans are accustom to seeing grandiose plans come to fruition in each Star Wars movie. In A New Hope, the rebels destroy the Death Star, in Return of the Jedi the rebels destroy the second Death Star, and in The Force Awakens the resistance destroys Starkiller Base. In The Last Jedi, Poe, Finn, and Rose fail to carry out their plans to let the resistance escape. One criticism of the film is the unnecessary nature of this subplot. In addition to giving Poe and Finn screen time while Rey, Kylo Ren, and Luke deal with their struggles, this subplot shows us a new side of Star Wars that fans aren’t used to seeing; when daring plans to save the day fail. Poe serves as a great icon for fans in this way, and the movie treats it perfectly — branding him as the flyboy who wants to blow things up and save the day.
Failure is also explored as a character device. Luke’s great struggle in The Last Jedi stems from his failure as a Jedi Master. This is the central plot to the film and allows the audience understand Luke’s isolation from the Force. While all heroes fail, failure is the greatest teacher for redemption (as Yoda says). It is Luke’s acceptance of his failure and his ability to move on that lets him find peace at the end of his life.
Visuals: 10/10
The Last Jedi’s biggest strength was the visuals and cinematography. Rian Johnson and his production team put together incredible landscape shots and iconic space displays. My favorite shots were:
- Snoke’s starship ripped apart by the hyperdrive.
- Luke looking into the binary sunset.
- Luke’s force projection facing the First Order forces alone.
- The Resistance forces fighting on Crait’s salt fields.
Plot: 6/10
As the longest Star Wars movie to date, the situation at the end of The Last Jedi is not extremely different than at the end of The Force Awakens. Snoke is dead. Luke is dead. The Resistance is broken and reforming after the First Order’s destruction of the Republic. Finn, Poe, Leia, and Chewbacca are in very similar positions. The major developments only happened with Rey, Kylo Ren, and Luke, which leads to many fans criticizing “filler” subplots. Unlike after The Force Awakens, fans do not know how Episode IX will play out. Rian Johnson is handing the reigns back over to J.J. Abrams with an open book.
Soundtrack: 10/10
I cried during Binary Sunset. What of it?
Dialogue and Script: 7/10
One of the most contentious devices in The Last Jedi is humor. Used well at times, other scenes seemed forced and out of place. I think we can all agree that Force Luke brushing off his shoulder after the First Order’s onslaught was unnecessary. The Last Jedi offers low and high points, and redeems misplaced humor by offering brilliant dialogue between Rey and Kylo Ren.
Acting: 9/10
While almost every character acted their role very well, Adam Driver’s performance elevated Kylo Ren’s character to a new level of conflicted villainy not previously seen in the Star Wars universe. He’s the Anakin Skywalker we always wanted. Seeing Mark Hamill appear as Luke in his finale was cathartic for fans disappointed in his lack of dialogue in The Last Jedi. As introduced in Rogue One, Star Wars is a feminist universe. Daisy Ridley, Carrie Fisher (RIP), Kelly Marie Tran, Gwendoline Christie, and Laura Dern all delivered excellent performances that showed an incredible amount of female prowess in the galaxy.
Armchair Directing
Like other fans, there are things about The Last Jedi I would like to change. I’ve yet to see a perfect Star Wars movie, and this is no exception. I’ll limit my wishes to just one, but I truly feel it would have made the movie more palatable to many fans.
Change: General Leia Organa sacrifices herself in place of Vice Admiral Holdo.
In The Last Jedi, audiences saw an incredible sendoff of fan-favorite Luke Skywalker. Paired with his sister, Leia, the film would have gotten more impact out of one of the most visually stunning shots. Knowing that Leia sacrificed herself for the survival of the Resistance would have been a poetic farewell to the strongest woman in the galaxy. This also would solve issues with Leia’s appearance in Episode IX. Personally, I don’t want to see a CGI Carrie Fisher in the final installment of the trilogy. It will be interesting to see how J.J. Abrams approaches Leia’s character in the final film.
Optimist Rating: 9/10, Exceptional
If you’re the type who saw The Last Jedi and focused on the many incredible cinematic moments rather than the drawbacks, you probably thought this was a Top 3 Star Wars film and deserves to be in the same conversation as The Empire Strikes Back. Scenes like Snoke’s ship splitting in two, Kylo Ren and Rey teaming up against Snoke’s guards, and Luke’s farewell were some of the most beautiful Star Wars moments across the nine films so far (including Rogue One).
Pessimist Rating: 5/10, Mediocre
If you’re the type who saw The Last Jedi and focused on all the things that could have been changed for the better, you probably thought you could’ve written a more compelling script than Rian Johnson. While showing flashes of brilliance, scenes like Leia’s Mary Poppins re-enactment, Finn and Rose’s casino rampage, and comedic one-liners were some low points that made you think back to the Prequels.