Review #1,291: 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' (2017)

Say what you will about George Lucas and the way he took the Star Wars franchise dangerously close to laughing stock territory with the prequels, but he was certainly a man with a plan. The original trilogy told a satisfying story, but Lucas always knew what came before, and what would come after. As stilted as the prequels were, they never faltered in telling the story that The Phantom Menace had mapped out. When the rights to the franchise were sold to Disney in 2012, Lucas passed on his ideas of an all-new trilogy, set after the events of Return of the Jedi and bringing in characters both old and new. Although elements from these early drafts made their way into J.J. Abrams' The Force Awakens in 2015, it became clear that Disney had their own ideas, which are, as Rian Johnson's The Last Jedi would suggest, to make it up as they go along.

The Force Awakens set up plot threads and introduced shady characters to be explored in future instalments, such as just how Maz Kanata got her hands on Luke Skywalker's lightsaber and just who the hell is Snoke, the new Emperor-like big bad? Fans were foaming at the mouths dreaming up theories to tie the strands together, and The Last Jedi was the film that would answer at least some of the questions. In hiring an independent filmmaker like Rian Johnson, they have hired a man intent on delivering his own vision, and it becomes clear quite early on that the events of The Last Jedi will not bring everything into place. It takes ideas conjured by The Force Awakens and makes a point of throwing out of the window. The result is an emotional sci-fi extravaganza which has divided audiences down the middle, with one half calling for te film to be removed from canon, and the other marvelling at Johnson's balls in turning a billion-dollar franchise on its head.

I can confidently say that I am in the latter category. While The Force Awakens was a fun shout-out to the original trilogy, even following the story of A New Hope almost to a tee, The Last Jedi is determined to make you care for the previously one-dimensional characters of Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), and question everything you knew about old-hand Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). Skywalker is now so beloved within the annals of pop culture (both in universe and in our world) that there's almost a regal quality to Hamill's presence. When he first appears on screen, it's like seeing somebody dead brought back to life, and his reaction to Rey's passing of the lightsaber will likely catch you off guard. With the knowledge of Carrie Fisher's tragic passing a year ago, you'll likely be choking back the tears as Leia Organa first graces the screen. The Last Jedi has the power to make you feel in ways you would never think possible from the Star Wars franchise, especially when you remember those uncomfortable romantic scenes with Anakin and Padme from Attack of the Clones.

Not everything works however. At two and a half hours, it's too long, and Johnson's decision to take Finn (John Boyega) and his new Rebel pal Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) on a thirty minute detour to a casino in search of a hacker simply doesn't work. It's a sub-plot that doesn't really serve a purpose other than to give Finn something to do while Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) clashes heads with Rebel Vice Admiral Holdo (Laura Dern), and to set up a showdown with fan-favourite Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie). This meandering story aside, The Last Jedi is the best Star Wars movie since The Empire Strikes Back, and by a comfortable margin. Many fan complaints about The Force Awakens were due to Abrams' film lacking originality, and although it provided one genuine shock with the death of a major character, it played things very comfortably. So I find the backlash aimed at Johnson's film quite dumbfounding, and personally, having my expectations subverted made for a far more engrossing experience. But with fan presence in every corner of social media, it's clear that you'll never please all the people all the time, but you can please about 50% of us.


Directed by: Rian Johnson
Starring: Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, Laura Dern, Andy Serkis, Kelly Marie Tran
Country: USA

Rating: ****

Tom Gillespie

Review #971: 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' (2015)

When Return of the Jedi ended its cinema run back in 1983, Star Wars fans were forced to endure a terrible 16-year wait for George Lucas to final greenlight the next instalment, The Phantom Menace (1999). Fan delirium soon turned to head shaking and bewilderment when the result turned out to be a soulless CGI-fest with bad acting and the most annoying character ever to grace the silver screen (narrowly beating Kate Capshaw from Indian Jones and the Temple of Doom). The prequel trilogy mercifully ended in 2006, bringing to a close one of the most disappointing movie events in history.

When Disney bought the rights to Lucasfilm in 2012 during a spending spree that would see them also gobble up Marvel and Pixar, they wasted no time at all developing a brand new trilogy and various spin-offs. The wait for the final product was far shorter than the build-up to The Phantom Menace, and I have no doubt that fans will be far more impressed with the result than back in '99. J.J. Abrams' The Force Awakens, subtitled Episode VII, re-captures the spirit of Lucas's original trilogy while correcting the many flaws of the prequels. It has about as much depth as Attack of the Clones - the poorest of the series in my opinion - but makes sure it brings its ensemble of new characters to life while welcoming back a handful of familiar faces.

30 years have passed since Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) watched his father die while Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and an army of Ewoks sent the Empire fleeing for their lives. During this time, Luke has fled into hiding following a disastrous attempt to train a new batch of Jedi warriors, and a new enemy named the First Order have emerged in his absence. Resistance pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) is sent to the planet Jakku to retrieve a map revealing Luke's location from hooded elder Lor San Tekka (Max von Sydow). However, the First Order - led by the brutal Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) - arrive and capture Poe, destroying Tekka's village in the process.

One of Ren's stormtroopers, FN-2187 (John Boyega) - who is later given the name of Finn - has a change of heart following his first experience of battle with the First Order, and helps Poe escape in a TIE fighter. Arriving back at Jakku to retrieve the map from Poe's droid BB-8, Finn comes across scrap metal scavenger Rey (Daisy Ridley) who is taking temporary care of the vulnerable robot, and the two flee together when they are attacked. Stealing a ship that just happens to be the Millennium Falcon, they are soon re-captured by a charismatic smuggler called Han Solo and his furry friend Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew), who understandably want their ship back. Soon enough, Rey and Finn find themselves caught up in an intergalactic war between good and evil.

If that all sounds kind-of familiar, then it's probably because you've seen A New Hope (1977) before. It's a thinly-disguised recycling of the same plot, which it turns out works both for and against the film. In many ways, it feels like the natural continuation of the original story that most of us love, suggesting that history does repeat itself and few learn from the errors of the past. It could also be argued as lazy storytelling, copying a proven formula and avoiding the risks that come with taking a familiar world into new territory. While I think both points are valid, I feel it actually works on easing us back into a franchise that many feel was reduced to a laughing stock following the calamity of the prequel trilogy, and this really does feel like Star Wars again, with sets that can actually be touched and CGI aliens that feel full of life.

Rey and Finn prove to be multi-dimensional new protagonists while their back-stories are spoken of rather than explored. Abrams exploits their quirks to comedic effect - Boyega in particular is very funny - and both are suitably flawed and poor enough to feel like actual heroes when they finally grab a lightsaber. Ren is also interesting - masked for the bulk of the movie, it's a surprise when he is revealed to be a wet-lipped and long-faced Adam Driver (even though I knew he was under there), prone to immature temper tantrums and facing his own inward dilemma. The movie's main issue is its lack of depth. While the First Order are painted more broadly as Third Reich-esque than before - especially in one ridiculous rally scene in which the pasty-faced General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson) shouts to a meticulously arranged army like a Leni Reifenstahl documentary - we never really understand their motives.

And so we are left with a basic good vs. evil story with a startling lack of grey, which may have been refreshingly old-fashioned had the experience not been so similar to A New Hope. Similar to what he did with re-booting the Star Trek franchise, Abrams keeps things light and simple for the most part, treading carefully to avoid overdoing the homages. Chocked full of contrivances that seem like the writers have forgotten that the action is taking place across an entire galaxy, you have to forgive a lot of the films flaws to truly enjoy it, and although this was far from a perfect experience, I was happy to be back in a world that I thought (and hoped) I'd seen the last of. And when the toe-tingling final scene cuts to black, I was quick to check what year the next one is due.


Directed by: J.J. Abrams
Starring: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Harrison Ford, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Carrie Fisher, Domhnall Gleeson, Peter Mayhew, Mark Hamill, Gwendoline Christie
Country: USA

Rating: ***

Tom Gillespie