My spoiler free review as posted on Rotten Tomatoes...
I have a love-hate relationship with The Last Jedi. Rian Johnson has managed to make a very divisive film that fanboys will argue about for years to come.
There is obvious good and bad in this film. The bad can be glaringly bad; the good might be a little more difficult to see. But, there is much more good in this new Star Wars than there is bad. Where The Force Awakens was carefully crafted to recall the original trilogy, Rian Johnson has made a film that’s all over the map, yet still retains this loving tribute to all the films that came before it.
The Last Jedi, arguably, strays from what we’ve seen and known about the Star Wars Universe. At times, if feels a bit too much as “expanded universe,” (a series that I feel plagued Star Wars but allowed fans to continue the adventures. It often created new heroes and villains with new powers and lore) – and some of it is poorly conceived and just a total head scratcher. There is a moment or two that will leave Star Wars fans rolling their eyes… but, those moments aren’t what this is about; they are a means to an end to move this story along.
It’s been said that Lucas’ original Star Wars really came together while editing. The Last Jedi really needed that. It’s the longest Star Wars film and it doesn’t always carry that baggage well – if they were to shave 30 minutes or so, we might be talking about a movie that stands out much more vividly as a film on par with Empire Strikes Back. Instead, we have a film that’s “…almost there.”
Still, The Last Jedi is a solid addition to our beloved franchise.
The overall arc between heroes both new and old is compelling; and their struggles – particularly those of Kylo Ren and Rey – is something new and makes the film completely worthwhile. Prepare for a roller coaster ride with emotional twists and turns like no other Star Wars movie.
Luke Skywalker is back. He might not be the Jedi you expected, but he is the hero we deserve. Poe Dameron starts off a little shaky and seems to be the rote hero routine – his story is a small part of this movie, but a solid part of the ride. Carrie Fisher – our princess - provides us a solid General Leia Organa, despite… well, you’ll see.
Some of the journey is distracting – Finn and Rose’s storyline is just convoluted and is often head scratchingly ridiculous. It’s like they wanted to do something with Finn, but didn’t know what and we got something half-baked that just didn’t make much sense both in the grand sense of the overall series and just how in interrupts the flow of The Last Jedi. (Again, a little editing could have gone a long way – but, this whole arc needed some serious help).
There are plenty of nits to pick in Star Wars The Last Jedi. Rian Johnson didn’t deliver the huge, epic masterpiece that I thought he might. But, he still hit a solid double and he’s looking to steal third. The sum of this movie is greater than its parts, it’s an interesting - and worthy addition to our beloved saga.
