Star Wars: The Force Awakensis a film that needed to play it safe in some regards. It was introducing new characters, new worlds, and trying to restore a fanbase that felt burned by the prequels. It succeeded in establishing a baseline for the sequel trilogy, and that baseline has allowed writer-directorRian Johnsonto move the franchise forward with the stunningStar Wars: The Last Jedi. Although, likeThe Force Awakens, it takes more than a few beats from the Original Trilogy, Johnson feels eager to subvert our expectations, challenge the archetypes the series was founded on, and take bold steps to establishing a new concept of what aStar Warsmovie can be while still feeling very much in line with previous films in the franchise. Although the movie suffers from a few pacing issues, they ultimately don’t detract from the film’s stunning craft and confident storytelling.
The Last Jediis spread out over three storylines. Although Starkiller Base was destroyed, the First Order is on the move and the Resistance is on the ropes. Rey (Daisy Ridley) has traveled to the island on Ahch-To to try and convince Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) to join the Resistance and lead a new Jedi Order, but she also has the personal motives to try and find her place in the galaxy now that the Force has awakened within her. She’s also found a new bond with Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) that allows them to communicate over long distances, and she believes she might be able to save him like Luke saved Vader. Over on the Resistance Fleet, Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) butts heads with commanding officer Vice Admiral Holdo (Laura Dern) over trying to preserve the remnants of the fleet with the First Order bearing down on them. Discovering they can’t escape because their lightspeed is being tracked by the First Order, a revived Finn (John Boyega) and technician Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) head to the casino on Canto Bight to find a hacker who can break the tracking device and allow the Resistance to escape.
Although the similarities toThe Empire Strikes Backare clear, Johnson is always upping the stakes in his story to try and deprive the audience of the security blanket of recognizing callbacks and parallels. The opening battle between the Resistance and the First Order makes the skirmish on Hoth look like a cakewalk, and Johnson is invested in not only showing the cost of war (as much as a PG-13 movie will allow), but challenging the comfortable archetypes that allows viewers to take a passive stance on the conflict at hand. In a lesser movie, the cocksure Poe Dameron challenges authority, shows his bold ways are what wins battles, and is the Han Solo 2.0 that inspires a generation of boys to also be cocksure charmers. InThe Last Jedi, Johnson is eager to challenge that ideal and show that it’s wise, authoritative women like Holdo and Leia (Carrie Fisher) that have something to teach the flyboys. That’s incredibly refreshing, but it never feels preachy or self-congratulatory. It comes off as the evolution this story needs.
You see that evolution on Ahch-To as well where, on the surface, it seems likeThe Last Jedihas created a mash up ofEmpireandReturn of the Jediwhere the island is Rey’s Dagobah, providing a journey of self-discovery and Jedi training, but she also believes she can save Kylo Ren by forming a personal bond with him. Neither one goes according to plan, and while the parallels are clear, whereThe Last Jedicomes alive is how Johnson twists and subverts our expectations in the way that only a trueStar Warsfan can. IfThe Force Awakenswas a matter of giving fans what they wanted, thenThe Last Jediis giving them what theyneed, which is more complex characters and themes that break free of the traditional archetypes and mythic tropes the franchise was founded upon.
Where the film struggles the most is on Canto Bight. Taken on her own, Rose isn’t a bad addition to theStar Warsmythos, and the movie definitely needs someone to play against Finn. Unfortunately, they lack the electric chemistry we saw between Finn and Rey inThe Force Awakens, and their secret mission in a casino feels like it should be far more entertaining than it actually is. The plot beats feel rote, but that can almost be forgiven for Johnson’s willingness to go overtly political. Johnson shows the rich populace of Canto Bight as war profiteers, free from the consequences of their actions, burdened by neither the First Order or the Resistance or even the morality of the child slavery that supports their entertainment.
Some may see this kind of commentary as a break from the escapism they expect from aStar Warsfilm, but it’s actually Johnson making the world richer and more complex, finally freeing it from its sacred confines, pulling it apart to see what makes it tick, and building it back into something richer and more interesting if not as easy to digest. Rather than follow a clear moral line, it pulls the characters into interesting trajectories, showing their faults and pushing deeper into the greys rather than relishing the black-and-white conflict that spawned the series.
And yet none of these complexities deprive the film of its richness or texture. This is stillStar Wars, but with the freedom to finally take some chances in everything it does from the humor (this is the firstStar Warsmovie to make a joke at the expense of someone’s mother), to the visuals (cinematographerSteve Yedlinhas made the best-lookingStar Warsmovie with images that others will copy for years to come), to the score (John Williamscontinues to find ways to outdo himself) and beyond. The performances across the board are outstanding with everyone absolutely owning their character. Snoke finally feels threatening, Luke is broken but not unrecognizable, and Fisher makes us miss her terribly every second she’s on screen.The Last Jediis a movie that feels different enough that it no longer feels stale, but it never veers so far away that you couldn’t immediately recognize it asStar Wars.
Where the film falters is in its pacing. Even jumping between three storylines, there’s a lack of momentum at times as no one is really going anywhere. The Resistance fleet is crawling away from the First Order; Rey is in a stalemate with Luke on Ahch-To; and obviously things aren’t a breeze on Canto Bight. And yet the dramatic tension of the first two storylines hold up intact. The fleet storyline plays like the excellentBattlestar Galacticaepisode “33” and everything is Ahch-To is great because Johnson is doing some fascinating things with the character dynamics between Rey, Luke, and Kylo Ren. But the Canto Bight stuff is a bit of a drag, and then you feel it in final act of the film where, despite some amazing moments, you can’t shake the feeling thatThe Last Jediis probably a bit too long even if it’s difficult to know what to cut.
Even if you can feel the film’s runtime as it heads to the climax, there’s no shortage of appreciation for what Johnson has accomplished. I won’t be surprised if fans start openly wondering ifThe Last Jediis better thanA New HopeorEmpire, although I think it’s clear that the film surpassesThe Force Awakenseven if the sequel’s success is partly due to the unglamorous groundworkThe Force Awakenshad to accomplish. There are so many moments and details I want to dig into withThe Last Jedi, but I don’t want to spoil the many reveals, twists, and turns that make the movie such a wonderful experience. I lost count of the jaw-dropping momentsThe Last Jedipresents, and it’s a movie I can’t wait to revisit.
Rating: B+
