Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)

 

Quite possibly an unpopular opinion coming on, but: I like 'The Last Jedi'. 

Is it without its faults? Heck no. It isn't one of the best Star Wars-films out there, but it certainly isn't the worst. But it is rather safe to say this one got butchered online and that carried over into a lot of people's enjoyment of this film. Alas, but let's delve into this one, shall we?

The First Order is on a winning streak, despite the loss of their massive Starkiller Base. In fact, they are conducting an all out strike against the Rebels, who are now the last hope for the Republic. So things already look grim, and it gets worse when Poe wants to destroy a massive Dreadnought ship, but loses almost the entire fleet in the process. This doesn't sit well with Leia, of course. To make matters even worse, the First Order now has a way of tracking the Rebel ships through hyperspace and there really is nowhere to run. Leia is injured, most of the upper echelons of command are killed and Vice Admiral Holdo has the uneasy task of trying to keep it all together, which doesn't sit well with Poe. So a plan is hatched to disable the tracking system by sending Finn and a new character called Rose off to find a codebreaker. 

Meanwhile, Rey is having trouble convincing Luke to help and possibly even train her. He is extremely reluctant, after having had bad experiences by losing Ben Solo, mostly through his own fault, by the way. Rey is also attracted to the dark at times and she even establishes a sort of mental link to Kylo Ren. 

It all comes to a head on the planet Crait, where the last rebels try to hold off the First Order and Rey has her showdown with Supreme Leader Snoke. 

So yes, this film has issues. What doesn't work is the whole sidequest from Finn and Rose on Canto Bight. It drags the film down and could have easily been left out without any impact on the overall plot. It's also a little too on the nose, with explicit reminders that these wealthy people are arms' dealers and that they supply both sides. Also, I don't like Benicio del Toro in this. He is pretty annoying and his appearance doesn't amount to anything. 

What also doesn't work, is the comedy which is at times pretty forced. This especially comes into play with Poe, who starts to feel like a comedic sidekick more than a kick-ass pilot. Also, his grievances with Holdo make no sense at all. The conflict there feels incredibly forced. 

This is also the film that turns General Hux into an idiot. In the last one, he was the biggest antagonist, but here, he's played for laughs and that's doing Domnhall Gleeson no favours. 

But there is stuff that works, even if it comes from director Rian Johnson trying something different. The link between Rey and Kylo is a plot device that might feel lazy, but it makes sense. They both are not just 'good' or 'bad', they are split on the matter and in this, they find one another. It gives you a better idea how easy it is to fall into the trap of the darkness. That Luke is a grouchy old miser is also a good idea, even if most people didn't seem to feel that way. He has been disillusioned and honestly? I can sympathize with his stance. Sure, maybe he didn't need to be such an ass about it, but still. 

The set piece of the battle of Crait is gorgeous, by the way. That contrast between the blinding whiteness of the surface and that red just below: aesthetically, it is most pleasing and this last ditch effort is a pretty exhilarating piece of cinema. And the emotional touch of Luke dropping by, kissing his sister goodbye and then going to face the entire force of the First Order is still epic. 

Oh, and massive spoiler: when Luke dies, I honestly almost cried. It is such an emotionally impactful scene, combined with great music and that shot of the dying sun... 

Ah, and the reappearance of Yoda was a surprising and fun addition. Did it have to include this? No, not really. But when would you be able to not like Frank Oz actually puppeteering Yoda again? 

'The Last Jedi' is a bit of a mixed bag, and you can tell they were trying out new things but without a clear vision of where to go next. That is a shame, because that is what blemishes the latest trilogy the most: no real sense of direction. The original trilogy was already written out in full, so Lucas knew where he was going. But still, this isn't horrendous. It is still a fun Star Wars-film, only don't expect a masterpiece.