Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)

Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)

7/10 

Starring

Mark Hamill

Carrie Fisher

Adam Driver

Daisy Ridley

Directed by Rian Johnson

I delayed seeing this movie because of the mixed feedback it got after its release (even though it made over $1.3 billion at the box office). Some called it a good space drama, while others said it was a bad addition to the new trilogy. After watching the movie, I don’t agree with the latter. This is a solid space drama, and Star Wars: Episode VIII is better than some of the previous films. It doesn’t deserve the negative press it got from fans.

Contains Spoilers

Was the movie different? Yes, it was! It focused more on answering old riddles, filling in gaps from the past, giving Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) a fitting ending, and preparing us for the farewell of the last of the three greats, General Leia.

Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens set the stage with the passing of Han Solo (Harrison Ford). His death marked the full transformation of Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) to the dark side, much like the killing of the young Jedi served as the birth of his grandfather, Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker.
The new Jedi in this mix, Rey (Daisy Ridley), meets the last Jedi Master, Luke, to train her as she prepares to face Kylo. This is how The Force Awakens ended.

This movie further strengthens the idea of the new trio of young characters, who could potentially have future movies centered around them as they continue the fight for freedom.

It picks up where the last one left off, with Rey meeting Luke Skywalker. Luke is hesitant to train her at first, fearing that he alone caused Kylo Ren’s turn to the dark side.
He changes his mind after R2-D2 plays him a clip from the past.

On the other side, Leia and her Rebel allies are struggling to escape the First Order. Kylo, too, faces his own battles as Supreme Leader Snoke pressures him over his defeat by a novice.

These are the major themes the movie focuses on, and it doesn’t stray from any of them. All three storylines unfold simultaneously, and the director does a great job of weaving them together.

When you watch this movie, you’ll feel the sadness I did when you see Carrie Fisher play Leia for the last time—not because her character was killed off like her counterparts (Han Solo and Luke Skywalker), but because death took her from us in real life.
She passed away, and this movie was released posthumously. The final Star Wars movie was meant to be her last, as they were planning to write her character out, just as they did with the other two leaders of the rebellion.

This Star Wars movie deserves to stand alongside the rest, if not above some of them. The CGI is well done, the pacing is excellent, and the storyline is strong.