Martintox Presents: Disorder Reviews
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STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI
Rating System
I have a new album and a new Disorder Reviews blog. I have recently recovered from a stroke, and I am now in serious debt.
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STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI
Director: J. J. Abrams
Producer: Kathleen Kennedy, Ram Bergman
Screenplay: J. J. Abrams
Music: John Williams
Actors: Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Kelly Marie Tran
Release Date: 15 December 2017
Genre: space opera
This review is dedicated to fellow user Silence.
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What an adventure the Star Wars sequels have been! It’s been less than a year since The Rise of Skywalker brought the saga to a powerful conclusion (until they make the next trilogy and try to adapt Dark Empire a second time), and yet it already feels as if these new films are an integral part of the franchise. In all honesty, I had some doubts when I first saw The Force Awakens, but after enough discussion with fellow redditors, I’m proud to admit that the Disney committee behind these new films are worthy to handle this brand, as they have managed to outdo George Lucas’ own attempts to drive it into the ground. Following in the footsteps of many great trilogies (Star Wars IV through VI, Christopher Nolan’s Batman films, Dark Souls), the second installment The Last Jedi is the cornerstone that brings into maturity many of the deeper thematic elements of the first part — you need only look at the endless constructive discussion surrounding this particular title to see the sheer impact it’s had on our zeitgeist. While it has made for a somewhat divisive work upon release, I feel it’s a better time than ever to revisit it and see how J. J. Abrams has used this film to build up towards the franchise’s epic finale.
In truth, this is the one movie of the new trilogy that I haven’t seen, but considering the tight leash that Abrams and the executive committee have had on the development of the new films, I feel it’s safe to extrapolate the events of The Last Jedi based on what’s happened in Force Awakens and Rise of Skywalker. As was expected after the end of the first part, a major plot point is Rey’s training with Luke Skywalker. Of course, this is thematically important, as we see the formation of a strong link between the saga’s old blood and its new arrivals. I also applaud Abrams’ decision to emphasize Rey’s purpose as a Mary Sue: yes, she’s performed some improbable feats in The Force Awakens, but it’s only here that we see Abrams use her as wish fulfillment — by showing the ease with which she impresses Luke with her innate knowledge of the Force, the director projects his fantasy of offering a product that stands up with the original trilogy. I cannot think of any other big name in cinema that has worked up the courage to lay themselves bare on film in such a way, let alone bring this fantasy crashing down through a stark call to reality by having Rey accidentally drop an X-Wing on top of Luke. (One could interpret this scene as a “female awakening”, but being a Kantian feminist, I do not feel there is enough proof of intent to justify such a reading).
In the meantime, things are afoot in the First Order; as they consolidate their presence in the galaxy, Kylo Ren continues his training with Supreme Leader Snoke, simultaneously mirroring Rey’s own training as well as Palpatine’s initiation of Anakin in the prequel trilogy. Their scenes together are a particularly strong reminder of Abrams’ uncanny ability to direct movies in the most safe, crowd-tested fashion possible — the camera always points exactly at what the director wants you to see, dialogue sections use the “shot reverse shot” technique constantly, and the soundtrack recycles the same 5 melodies so that you immediately know what to think whenever the orchestra swells. Truly, this approach to film-making is a perfect fit for the mechanical and oppressive workings of the libertarian monarchist First Order. Also fascinating are the occasional moments of internal questioning on Ren’s behalf, as a continuation of his moment with Han Solo in The Force Awakens. This may sound strange, given that we’ve seen him murder the leading star of Blade Runner in cold blood, but my theory is that The Last Jedi dabbles in meta-storytelling, in the sense that the story of the characters is also the story of the actors: in other words, after starring in Paterson and Silence in-between the first two parts of the sequel trilogy, Adam Driver is slowly realizing that he’s too good for Star Wars.
Now, you may be wondering what all the extras are doing; simply put, every time The Last Jedi is about to focus on either of the aforementioned plot lines for more than 6 minutes, we switch to Finn and Poe having wacky hijinks as they fend off First Order troops on a variety of planets, most of which only appear once in the entire series. These are actually the best moments in the movie by far due to the levity in their interactions, but don’t let anyone know that, because these diversions ultimately become a way to bring Rey and Ren together in the climax. You see, the gang travel at one point to Kijimi on the premise that Zorii Bliss, an old acquaintance of Poe’s, has information about Snoke’s current route. Trusting no thots, Poe double-crosses her by having Finn get the attention of a patrolling group of stormtroopers while he hacks into her computer banks, only to discover that the First Order may be using a hidden planet as a near unlimited source of power. The shock of this discovery is one of my favorite scenes, as Oscar Isaac is able to show his profound concern without gritting his teeth hard enough to make diamonds.
Unfortunately for him, the First Order installations on Kijimi notice this, and now they are all in hot water. It’s around this time that Rey returns to the gang, hoping that she won’t be arrested for a very creative kind of vehicular manslaughter, and the entire Resistance head out to intercept Snoke while they can still have the jump on him. It’s here that The Last Jedi culminates in a 20-minute battle, in which two characters die in a very tragic and emotional fashion (Lando, whose return serves as a twist in The Rise of Skywalker, and some chick we only see in this movie). In a brilliant move, Rey does not even get the chance to confront Snoke; what I have neglected to mention is that, throughout the movie, there are many subtle indications of a power struggle between Snoke and Ren, including but not limited to a divide between officers, who occasionally break the chain of command to favor either one’s interests. Ren actually takes advantage of the battle to confront his master, at which point — in what is perhaps the greatest scene in the entire sequel trilogy — he catches a glimpse of a shadowy figure that is puppeteering the First Order. Shaken by this revelation, he strikes his master down and pledges to go after this hidden leader. By the time Rey comes in, the deed is already done, and Ren vanishes with much of the First Order fleet. The movie does not end on a down note as pronounced as that of The Empire Strikes Back, but it is clear to the Resistance that they have bit off much more than they could chew. Uncertain of the future, all they can do is seek out the hidden planet that Poe has discovered. In the final scene, Rey comes to Leia and asks for her guidance in her training, hoping to turn over a new leaf after inadvertently crushing her brother with a spaceship. This interaction is framed in the same way as the end of The Force Awakens, but it’s clear that Rey has lost her prior confidence.
I need not reassert J. J. Abrams’ wealth of professionalism and corporate artistic vision in regards to the look and sound of this film, but The Last Jedi is easily his finest hour as a director. It does not merely give a clear direction to the sequels — it makes for a powerful statement on the disappointment that one will face as a result of an overly ambitious goal, serving as an allegory for Disney’s own attempts to make films as iconic as the original Star Wars trilogy. Whereas Rey’s own arrogance has corrupted her once good intentions, Ren found himself betrayed by someone that he deeply trusted — in the end, both lose their guiding figure, and it is only through The Rise of Skywalker that they able to reach self-actualization as individuals, without relying on artifacts of the past. Unfortunately, I cannot say that the quality of that film reflects this notion, but you know, it’s the thought that counts.
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PERSONAL RATING: ****½
RECOMMENDATION RATING: ****
LETTERED RATING: DELTA
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PERSONAL RATING: ****½
RECOMMENDATION RATING: ****
LETTERED RATING: DELTA
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