Star Wars: The Last Jedi

RATING: A-

So far I had honestly been a bit underwhelmed by the Disney Star Wars offerings. The Force Awakens was exciting and fun, but it didn't really bring anything new to the table and was kind of a rehash of the original first Star Wars movie. It even had another Death Star with another weird weakness for our heroes to exploit. Rogue One was a bit of a mess--an entertaining mess, mind you--but a mess of underdeveloped characters and plagued-by-reshoot issues. At this point, I was trying to keep my expectations more tempered for the next "main" entry in the series. The film kind of had a difficult task--it had to be a great middle chapter like The Empire Strikes Back, but it also needed to not just totally rip off The Empire Strikes Back. 

And let's be clear. This film does not reach the heights of The Empire Strikes Back. And it definitely has some issues of its own. But it gets so much more right--and overwhelmingly so--than it does wrong that I did not come away conflicted between satisfaction and disappointment this time. Instead, I came out mostly just feeling the former. 

This film has more than one thing going on it at once. Picking up more or less where the last movie left off, Rey is seeking the help of Luke Skywalker as she tries to find her path and what role the Force has in that. Meanwhile, the First Order is about to tear apart the Resistance despite the loss of Death Star III (aka Starkiller Base)--leaving Poe Dameran, Finn, Leia and others to try and escape in a very extended space chase. 

The film opens up with quite a bang for a colossal space battle sequence. It's nothing special, but it's exciting enough to get us hooked immediately. And for the most part, it doesn't let up too much. Parts of the extended interstellar chase get a little tedious at times, but it's balanced out with the much more interesting story of what's going on with Rey and Luke. There are some unexpected twists and turns there--Luke is a bit different now. They needed to shake things up somehow on that front without completely disrespecting the character, and I think they pulled it off quite well. The film slows down in the middle for a "side quest" of sorts with Finn and his new friend Rose, but then it picks up again for the long third act--in which there is almost nothing to complain about at all and the awesomeness is delivered in spades. Although there are great moments throughout the rest of the movie (as well as a couple of really dumb moments), it really is the final 45 minutes or so that make the film as great as it is. 

As mentioned before, there are some issues for sure. Let's start with Supreme Leader Snoke. Without spoiling anything, he's rather underwhelming despite being played by Andy Serkis. He was supposed to the big bad controlling everything--and technically he still is--but he really isn't given enough to do. Something else that bothered me was that during the "space chase," they end up manufacturing a conflict among the good guys. Normally I don't complain about cheaply created conflict like this, but it could have been so easily avoided that it's rather stupid instead. Elsewhere, there's a somewhat long-ish casino scene that's the sore spot of the movie--and a jailbreak shortly after that reminded me more of Jurassic Park for some reason than Star Wars. Also, in an issue that seems to have bled over from Marvel, sometimes it feels like there's too many jokes or they're being used in the wrong situation. That does sound like a weird complaint, so let me spell out why it *can* be an issue (even if not all the time). Yes, I'm laughing, but that's not the point. Note to Disney: not everything has to be a joke, sometimes it's okay to be completely serious--and to not undercut the seriousness of the situation. 

It might seem weird having all those gripes about a movie that I claim to actually really like. There's a couple more too, but I can't really say them without giving away spoilers. But most of the issues are relatively trivial. And the good stuff just outweighs the not-as-good stuff so much better this time around. The product as a whole is better. And it doesn't feel rehashed most of the way through either--yes, there is some stuff that is a bit derivative of previous SW movies, but in lesser quantities and not as blatant (no Death Star this time). 

And here is another thing that is quite possibly key to how I've felt about VII and VIII. Force Awakens, while enjoyable, did not really do almost anything to change the status quo. It was the same old Star Wars. That's not really a bad thing, but given the title I was expecting a little more--and I certainly wasn't hoping for another doggone Death Star. The Last Jedi *does* change the status quo more. It gives us surprises and twists. But it still truly feels like a Star Wars movie like its predecessor. It's not perfect, but it's so much closer to what I was hoping for in the first place out of new Star Wars movies. 

So ultimately, The Last Jedi is not The Empire Strikes Back. But it is the best Star Wars film of the Disney era thus far. And if you had been feeling underwhelmed by The Force Awakens or Rogue One the way I was, this should be a breath of fresh air. But even if you're a hardcore Star Wars fan and loved both of those movies, you should still get your money's worth. Hopefully Episode IX can close out the new trilogy in similar fashion.