#them) have their stories unresolved. perhaps it's a reflection of the source material or simply a favouring of concise and contained story

[myhahnestopinion]

REVIEW: Star Wars - The Last Jedi

Does the world need more Star Wars? Eighth installments are, unsurprisingly, hardly ever the creative peak of a franchise, more often the kind where you arbitrarily throw a hockey-masked serial killer onto a boat to Manhattan to keep the story limping along. To Disney, the answer to this question is simple. Yes, the world needs more Star Wars, because the last film made over $2 billion in ticket sales alone, not to mention the certainly massive toy profits from the timely Holiday-season release. Most fans of the franchise would surely decry this level of cynicism, arguing that the world needs more Star Wars because it has truly become so much more than just another film franchise. Among this group resides the fluent Wookiee-speakers, the Census-documented followers of the Jedi religion, the annual saga-rewatchers (Originals, not Special Editions!), and the ones who will spend hours dissecting the background of every single shot to build up more evidence for their YouTube fan theories. While a fanatic, misguided, belief in the series’ sacrality may arise from this same well, to these viewers, the Star Wars franchise is more that just a multi-media money-making machine; it’s home, and each new installment brings with it more comfort and inspiration. There are many other possible answers to this question. One can perhaps infer that J.J. Abrams’ response would be that, yes, the world needs more Star Wars, because so much of The Force Awakens was spent building up the director’s trademark mystery boxes, leaving many plot threads unresolved. Acknowledging and addressing all of these responses, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, one of the franchise’s best entries to date, provides the definitive answer to that looming question. Much like how his contribution to the continuing adventures of the Skywalker family subverts all expectations while also providing everything one is looking for from a Star Wars film, and much like how the film is both the darkest film of the series as well as its kid-friendliest, director Rian Johnson’s answer is seemingly a paradox. Does the world need more Star Wars? Yes. And No. Star Wars is dead. Long live Star Wars!

Star Wars: The Last Jedi picks up on the adventures of the original trilogy stars and the new characters successfully endeared to viewers during The Force Awakens in the aftermath of that last film. The Resistance fighters, including Finn (John Boyega), Poe (Oscar Issac), and General Organa (Carrie Fisher), are on the run from Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and the First Order. Meanwhile, Rey (Daisy Ridley) heads off to the site of the first Jedi Temple to seek out long-absent Jedi Master Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). 

Perhaps the most pressing question on potential movie-goers’ minds following Episode VII is whether The Last Jedi follows through on that pattern and is simply a rehash of Empire Strikes Back. While not discrediting the general consensus that the “another Death Star, but bigger” nature of Starkiller Base was unnecessary, such a question for the new trilogy is entirely misplaced. Much has been written about the poetic structure of the Star Wars saga (Reading the “Star Wars Ring Theory” might just change your mind about the prequels) and how the repetition of the respective films of the series reflect the Taoistic philosophies on balance that are the focus of the franchise. Rather than draw away from these cycles following this backlash to the last film, Rian Johnson wisely steers into it, using them to honor the legacy of the franchise, while crafting something wildly new. 

The Last Jedi sees the cycle of darker, more complex middle installment of trilogies begin anew. Characters become separated, allowing the film to explore each new protagonist in greater depth than before. Legends return to train the new generation, characters are redeemed and characters die, each playing into the archetypes of the Hero’s Journey that enhance the emotional depth of the mythology. In a different example of the cycles at play, the film’s plot bears striking similarities to the tense, last-ditch space-escape sequences of Battlestar Galactica, a franchise born out of the post-Star Wars sci-fi craze itself, bringing everything full circle. Rather than show a series fully out of ideas, each of these repetition answers the question of whether the world needs more Star Wars with a resounding “yes.” The Force Awakens began this argument, but in a particularly heartwarming meta-textual scene late in The Last Jedi, the rationale for this answer is made quite explicit. The Star Wars saga deserves to live on as a multi-generational cultural basis for heroism and hope, an ambition justified by the already observable impact of expanding these acts of heroism to encompass a more diverse set of characters.

To perceive of The Last Jedi as nothing more than a remake of Empire Strikes Back with a more inclusive cast of characters, however, would be to ignore the clever rejection of those very cycles that Rian Johnson also weaves into the tale. The film’s answer to that necessity question is, once again, also a “no.” The world does not need another stale retread of the same basic material. It doesn’t need a new legacy hero. It doesn’t need a new Big Bad in a throne. And it sure as hell doesn’t need each returning element enshrined as holy and untouchable. The Last Jedi is perhaps the bravest big-budget blockbuster to come out of the studio complex in years; there’s almost a palpable sense of contempt for much of its intended audience. The series as fans have known it comes under attack from within. Gone are the childish simplification of “good” and “evil,” replaced not by an rejection of morality, but a surprisingly nuanced and mature exploration of the true nature of heroism, misguided intentions, and the frequent failures of the good. Equally emphatically demolished is any desire to cater to the demands of groups of aging fans. The J.J. Abrams mysteries analyzed for two years are swiftly subverted, and the expected shape of the series’ overarching storyline is shattered. In order for the Star Wars saga to live on, it must evolve, and The Last Jedi, as that transitional piece, is likely to arouse certain controversy, but ultimately revitalizes the power of the mythology.  

Similar to the film’s risky reinvention of the franchise’s core, The Last Jedi has a delightfully bold embrace of weirdness. While The Force Awakens established an aesthetic that returned the series to its practical-effects roots, nothing matches the curiosity-sparking assortment of costumed creatures, puppets, CGI beasts, and new planets dominated by a single ecosystem produced by The Last Jedi . It’s perhaps impossible to review the film without mentioning the Porgs, the bird-like creatures introduced in the film that, like BB-8 before them, are too adorable for one to mind the obvious merchandising motivations behind them. Much of the film’s humor is derived from simple reaction-shots of bizarre new aliens, just some of the numerous visual gags that Johnson incorporates into the film. The film overall draws a lot more attention to its film-making than any other installment, with one particular plot line dependent on clever editing techniques, and one emotional sacrifice employing a striking absence of sound. Even beyond the showier bits, the film’s direction is notable, such as the recurring use of a blood-red color, and a thrillingly choreographed throne-room fight scene. The Last Jedi not only makes the case that the franchise needs to expand the scope of its storytelling, but that it needs to expand its visual styling as well. 

A lengthier, more-conventional analysis of the film’s quality is perhaps unnecessary; Star Wars is the very definition of a review-proof franchise. From the dynamic space battles, to the more intimate character moments, the film is spectacular and arresting. The actors all do an excellent job, including Mark Hamill’s humorously gruff return to the iconic character, and newcomer Kelly Marie Tran’s Rose, who manages the impressive feat of being the most likable character in the entire film. John Williams provides another grand, operatic score, and the audience will leave excited to see the trilogy’s conclusion. It’s a gorgeous, enthralling, and moving cinematic epic, but as illustrated by the prequels, even if the film had failed on multiple fronts, it wouldn’t kill the franchise. As a profitable brand for Disney and the source of perhaps the world’s most fervent fandom, there will always be more entries, more moments to recreate at conventions, more fan theories to form, and more children who will grow up idolizing the heroes. But for Star Wars to continue to be a powerful source of entertainment and inspiration in the world, fans must be willing to acknowledge their place in this cycle, something that’s understood by this latest film as it finds the balance between respecting what came before while paving new ground. Despite what the title suggests, there will be many more tales of Jedi to come, but if they’re all as capable of honoring the mythos and as willing to subvert the cycles as Star Wars: The Last Jedi, then the world will need more Star Wars for a long, long time. 

Star Wars: The Last Jedi, also starring Andy Serkis, Lupita Nyong’o, Dohmnall Gleeson, and Laura Dern, is in theaters now.