Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi Review

     

     There is no denying that there has been no franchise that has such an impact on pop-culture as Star Wars. It transcends from more than just a phenomenon for some people but becomes life to them, which makes sense as to why whenever there is another Star Wars movie out, the opinions range drastically from love to hate. However that wide range of emotions will continue with the release of Star Wars Episode VIII The Last Jedi. For justifiable reasons, The Last Jedi is easily one of the most mixed films of all time, especially for being a Star Wars movie.

    

     The Last Jedi does take place shortly after the Force Awakens with Rey needing to be trained by Luke Skywalker, that’s the basics of it, however since Star Wars spoilers have been the most controversial ones in existence, it’s fair not to reveal too much regarding the film’s plot outside of the basics. Although one of the main reasons why the film can be perceived as a mixed bag is partially because of the first half of The Last Jedi, which is an honestly rough act to sit through. It does have some moments of entraining spectacle with some of the action sequences and some decent character moment here and there, but it suffers from a lot of what modern summer blockbusters try to do. The first half of the film deals with numerous attempts at humor and very little of them felt genuinely funny and felt more like Star Wars is trying to be a Marvel movie. It makes sense that Star Wars has to have some levity, but the writing for the humor isn’t strong enough and it also goes way over the top at points which feels completely out of place for a film that is supposed to be the dark continuation of the franchise. Even outside of the humor, the film just likes to go to different subplots that aren’t that engaging. While there are some incredibly neat set designs in comparison to the Force Awakens and the characters still manage to be likable enough, some of these subplots feel more like filler and do not add as much to the story for as long as the audience spends time in these areas. Not to mention, the first act does have a moment that could have had potential to be one of the most emotional and bold moments in the entire saga, except it ends up becoming one of the most ridiculous decisions made in a Star Wars movie, making it possibly the biggest Deus Ex Machina moment of the franchise, it’s so laughably bad, that it’s hard to take seriously. The film is honestly weakened by so much of this first act being a downright disappointment and uneven mess.

     

     Considering that the Last Jedi’s first act is an uneven mess, one would think that this is one of the worst Star Wars movies, even though truth is told; it surprisingly becomes one of the best. The second half of The Last Jedi improves drastically in comparison to the rough first half of the movie. Even though there are still some questionable and shocking decisions that happen in the second half of The Last Jedi, the first takes a much needed shift in tone becoming a much more epic and dark movie than the first half was leading on. Everything from the action sequences, the character depth and just some outstanding moments that give the universe of Star Wars so much more meaning is everything a fan would want in a Star Wars film. It’s hard to really say what makes these sequences so good without spoiling it, but it can be said that if there is anything that makes this movie it’s the characters. Everyone manages to be likable in their own right; however it’s Rey, Luke Skywalker and Kylo Ren that end up making this an amazing Star Wars movie. Rey and Kylo are some of most intriguing and well developed Star Wars characters the franchise has ever offered with some unique plot twists between these characters. There are very few moments where Rey and Kylo Ren are not interesting as their story is compelling throughout the entire film, even during its rough first act.  It is also amazing to see Mark Hamill in the iconic role of Luke and although his character is unexpectedly different compared to how fans were initially expected to see him, however Hamill’s performance and the over-all depth to the character makes him an overall joy to see return.

     Outside of the tone, moments and characters, there’s a little more to The Last Jedi than just these elements that make or break certain parts of this movie. For being a big budget blockbuster, the effects are expected to be overall stellar and for the most part they are. The designs and animation whether it be practical or CGI look very well intrigued into the Star Wars universe and it still makes the world feel very real. Outside of some questionable green screen at some points, the film has some pretty good effects, but what’s even more impressive visually is the cinematography. There are numerous shots in The Last Jedi that look outstanding, having excellent use of color and angles, making the film’s visual flare all the more impressive. As a whole the world of Star Wars despite some flaws with its visual aesthetic still feels real and it’s excellent to see this world expanded upon in this new series of films.

     Star Wars Episode VIII The Last Jedi is the pure definition of a mixed bag. It’s a film with as much bad as there is good but ultimately it is entertaining and compelling enough to be an over-all good time. It is far from the next Empire Strikes Back for sure as it’s not a flawless movie and it really could have benefitted from a better put together first half, but when the Last Jedi gets good, it becomes on the level of quality as Empire was. It may be a bit of a mess at certain points, but when it’s cleaned up, it becomes an incredibly satisfying experience to sit through.