Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2018)
Director: Rian Johnson
Starring: Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Jon Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Carrie Fisher, Laura Dern, Kelly Marie Tran
Primary genre: Space opera
Secondary genre: Epic
Nominated for: Best original score, sound editing, sound mixing, visual effects
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“Star Wars: Episode VIII: The Last Jedi” came two years after the massive success of the “The Force Awakens” (2015). Newcomer Rian Johnson (“Looper“ (2012), “Brick” (2005)) was an intriguing choice to helm the middle chapter of the sequel trilogy, a decision that generated unfortunately a spectacular misfire of a movie.
Johnson’s script desperately tries to infuse the already established brand of “Star Wars” with Game-of-Thrones aspiring moments that ultimately break the film. The “Lost” (2004-2010) -like plot of “Episode VII” is now reduced to quick (and cheap) resolutions that attempt to play with the expected conventions of the mythos. Johnson splits the film into three subplots (mirroring the structure of “The Empire Strikes Back” (1980)) that drug the movie down. Rey’s training in particular which feels that it should have been the main focus, is drastically affected by an animal-cruelty plot in a space casino featuring the least intriguing characters.
There are some interesting ideas floating around though involving the conflicted Kylo Ren and the what's-his-plan? Supreme Leader Snoke but Johnson executes them poorly. Unable to offer anything new just like its predecessor, “The Last Jedi” replicates key moments from “The Empire Strikes Back” (1980) and “Return of the Jedi” (1983), crumbling under the lack of a unique vision and off-beat jokes that undermine the importance of dramatic depth. His creative choices do not work (i.e., Porgs) and the action is scarce and blunt, filled with clumsy execution (i.e., that throne room scene is beyond baffling choreography wise) and plotholes (i.e., space bombers). The few skirmishes between the Resistance and the First Order look exactly the same as they did 30 years ago.
Being a gun for hire (like JJ Abrams) can be felt in every section of the film with subpar constructed (if any) arcs and sequences that fail to thrill, excite and provoke any emotional response and even John Williams’s score is underwhelming. While Johnson does employ some striking cinematography in few gorgeous shots (courtesy of Steven Yedlin and an army of special effects professionals) assisted by a mixture of real cinematic landscapes and practical effects, these are not enough to justify the lengthiest running time in the entire saga or the lack of interest for the on-screen events.
The continuous over-abundance of characters (new and old) continues to be a problem with the old ones suffering from an excessive lack of screentime. Chewbacca in particular, is totally wasted; Mark Hamill’s beloved Luke Skywalker is (unjustifiably) a former shell of the heroic son who fought to save his father’s soul; and Carrie Fisher is being relegated to an extended cameo. Her key relationship with Kylo which could have been the heart of the film does not get any exploration. Rey on the other hand is still a Mary Sue mess, a strong female lead - a mechanic, a pilot, a force user, a Jedi master (without training!), a scavenger, a fighter - that can beat anything and anyone pondering around asking meaningless questions while Finn continues to be the lame comic relief. New additions serve simply to populate the plot (e.g., Benecio del Toro what are you doing here?) and to keep the running time lengthier while Kelly Marie Tran’s Rose - an uber politically correct resistance member - is perhaps the worst character in the entire saga.
The villains do not fare better. A conflicted again Kylo Ren has no scenes that show any growth despite Driver’s attempts to energize his performance and Domhnall Glesson's goes full on OTT as a squeamish First Order general that is painful to watch. As for the infamous Captain Phasma, she is there for a simple skirmish to justify the existence of Boyega’s character and any interest that we might have had in Snoke, is dissipated due to a bizarre mo-cap performance that attempts to replicate Palpatine but fails to do so as he is a solely an obstacle for the heroes to overcome with no backstory.
"Star Wars Episode VIII: the Last Jedi" will annoy the purists of the original trilogy and alienate the fans of the prequel one. The plot seems to be made up on the spot suffering from political correctness and the Marvel like humor undermining the importance of the toothless proceedings. Without any clear arcs, spectacular action or memorable moments, “The Last Jedi” is a poor and mismatched extension of “The Force Awakens”.
A legacy ender chapter
+Some striking visuals
+ Kylo Ren is an interesting character
+Well-made
-Too many characters
-Key characters are totally wasted
-Teasing questions have no answers
-Carbon copy of key moments from "Empire" and "Return"
-Poor in spectacle and action
-Too much Marvel humor
-Poor character development
-Pointless subplots