Star Wars: The Last Jedi

A main theme in The Last Jedi is about finding balance (between the light and the dark, old and new, hatred and love, fear and hope), so it’s fitting that the film strikes a satisfying balance between capturing all of the elements that make it feel like a main “Episode” in the Star Wars saga (as opposed to a standalone story like Rogue One), and still feeling fresh and original.

Premise:  Picking up immediately after the end of Episode VII: The Force Awakens, the First Order’s main fleet closes in on the Resistance’s base, intent on wiping out the rebels for good and securing their grip on the galaxy following the destruction of the New Republic’s leadership. Meanwhile, having tracked down Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) in his self-imposed exile, Rey (Daisy Ridley) pleads with him to return to the fight … and to train her in the ways of the Jedi.

Verdict:

Whereas The Force Awakens was all about introducing a new generation of viewers to the Star Wars universe, while at the same time reassuring the older lifelong fans that this was “proper” Star Wars again after the green-screen-heavy prequel trilogy, The Last Jedi has a greater level of freedom to tell a new and original story.  That said, it is still the middle-episode in the sequel trilogy, so there are perhaps some inevitable similarities to be drawn with The Empire Strikes Back (and, in my view, some other cinematic middle-chapters, such as The Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers), but none of that makes the film any less enjoyable.

So yes, superficially you could say that the film opens with the evacuation of the Resistance base just as The Empire Strikes Back did – but the reality is that the opening of The Last Jedi has a completely different tone and feel.  The initial space battle is not only epic in scale, but also emotionally dramatic, and sets the tone perfectly for the rest of the film, combining humour, excitement and action, alongside darker emotional moments.

“…takes a number of unexpected turns in the second half…”

Equally, while a cynic might say that Rey’s attempts to persuade Luke to train her are reminiscent of Luke’s appeals to Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back, the truth is that her storyline plays out in a very different way.  In Empire, Yoda was the wise master and the only question was whether or not Luke could be trusted with being trained as a Jedi, given what had happened to his father.  In The Last Jedi, Rey is arguably more concerned with recruiting Luke for the Resistance than she is about becoming a Jedi, and what she does seek is a greater understanding of herself rather than enhanced fighting skills.

Superficial similarities aside, after establishing that the Resistance are on the back-foot following the evacuation, and after bringing Luke and Rey together, The Last Jedi takes a number of unexpected turns in the second half of the film, and goes in some surprising directions.  In fact, there were a couple of points in the film where, if they hadn’t already announced Episode IX is coming out in 2019, I would have wondered whether this was building to a conclusion in this film, as it definitely doesn’t feel like it’s just shuffling the pieces around the board while waiting for the third instalment.

“…The standout performance in this film is Mark Hamill’s return as Luke Skywalker…”

After establishing Rey and Finn (John Boyega) as the heart of the first film, The Last Jedi goes a different way and splits them up for almost the entire film.  This gives Finn a chance to develop an interesting rapport with new character Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran) as they work together in a subplot about a plan to save the beleaguered Resistance fleet, while Rey becomes more focused on her relationships with the other Force-wielding characters, Luke and Kylo Ren/Ben Solo (Adam Driver).

All three of these actors are superb in this storyline, bringing nuance and shades of grey to a universe that can sometimes deal in very black and white terms.  The standout performance in this film is Mark Hamill’s return as Luke Skywalker, who does a fantastic job of portraying Luke’s struggle with regret, shame and guilt over the consequences of his earlier failures.  There’s also a wonderful sense that, despite his age and experiences, Luke still hasn’t learned all of the lessons that Yoda tried to teach him way back in Empire, and seeing those same character flaws shine through thirty-plus years later is a great touch.  Ultimately, Luke’s storyline is one of finding balance between the man he is, and the legend others see him as.

“…Adam Driver continues to impress, adding so many layers of complexity…”

Adam Driver – who impressed me so much in The Force Awakens – continues to impress me here, once again adding so many layers of complexity, internal conflict, unchecked emotion and even vulnerability to his performance.  Oscar Isaac also gets far more to do in this film as Poe Dameron, as he struggles with accepting the responsibilities that come with being a leader, rather than just a hotshot pilot.

The other main new characters include Laura Dern, who (as you would expect from an actress of her calibre) brings weight and authority to her role as Resistance Vice Admiral Holdo, while Benicio del Toro brings an air of mystery to his appearance as the underworld character DJ.  Rounding out the cast is, of course, Carrie Fisher who returns as General Leia Organa in a much increased role compared to the last time.  As Carrie Fisher sadly passed away last year after filming her scenes for this film, the film is dedicated to her memory.  LucasFilm have already confirmed that, as a mark of respect, they will not be digitally adding Leia into Episode IX (despite the original concept for the film involving her character), so The Last Jedi will mark her poignant final appearance in the Star Wars universe.

“…takes the saga in a bold, new direction…”

As mention in my opening above, a central theme in The Last Jedi is about balance – perhaps most overtly in relation to the suggestion that Rey’s growing mastery of the Light Side of the Force is a reaction to Kylo Ren’s rise on the Dark Side, but also in other subtle ways throughout the film.  Writer/director Rian Johnson (who also wrote and directed the excellent Looper, and who directed some of the most critically acclaimed episodes of Breaking Bad) has put together a film that not only incorporates tributes to some of the most iconic Star Wars moments of old, but which also takes the saga in a bold, new direction.

It was announced just recently that LucasFilm were so happy with The Last Jedi, they have greenlit Rian Johnson to develop his original concept for a new standalone Star Wars trilogy.  Nothing is currently known about that proposed trilogy (other than the fact it will not be “Episodes X-XII”), but I can’t help but wonder whether the closing scene of The Last Jedi might offer some clues as to where Rian Johnson would like to take it…