Film Review: Star Wars: The Last Jedi

ome on now. You didn’t really believe that Luke Skywalker was actually the last Jedi, now did you?

Though he apparently wants this to be the case. In Star Wars: The Force Awakens, fans saw the franchise’s iconic characters Luke, Leia and Hans take a step back from the action – not because they were weaker, but because their aims and means were different now. Playing the hero is a young person’s game. They’ve paid their dues. They’re on hero status maintenance now; the action load is lighter. In the case of Leia and Hans, their new roles were that of leaders; both military and morale. In The Force Awakens, it was their job to guide the new generation of Resistance fighters, and to teach them what they needed to know in order to prevent the First Order from taking over the galaxy.

But in The Last Jedi, Rian Johnson’s instalment of the epic space opera franchise, Luke has lost hope that the kids will be alright – and is questioning whether the Jedi were ever alright either. Having isolated himself on the remote planet Ahch-To (aka Skellig Michael, looking worthily mystic), he has nevertheless seen tracked down by the passionate and Force-ful Rey, who is convinced that only he can save the Resistance. When he refuses, she asks him to instead train her – but Luke is fearful by the power he sees in her, having already lost a young protégée to the dark side.

The question of whether all power corrupts, and whether anyone is ever purely good or evil, runs through all of The Last Jedi. Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) is set to take over The First Order, but his mercurial, almost adolescent rage conceals some insecurity and conflict – one that links him to Rey’s personal journey, in an intriguing parallel of potential. But it’s not just about the individuals. The Resistance itself, even in its quest for good, is a violent and militarized force, buying weapons from the same morally bankrupt and insanely wealthy arms dealers that The First Order does. Is motivation enough to separate the two sides, or are they inextricably linked through their methods?

There are interesting questions raised by Rian Johnson’s screenplay, however none are explored in depth – despite the film’s absurdly long run-time. Instead, clunky and repetitive dialogue about hope and responsibility are echoed ad nauseum by almost all the major players in their relative subplots – Rey’s interactions with Luke; Finn’s journey to the corrupt casino citadel with an idealistic Resistance maintenance worker Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran); and plucky pilot Poe’s (Oscar Isaac) arguments with the steely-eyed but underdeveloped Vice Admiral Holdo (Laura Dern), who knows that leadership isn’t always a handsome young man with a talent for flying and shooting – it can be quiet and thoughtful, as long as the young wans give you the respect you deserve.

As all of the conversations circle the same themes without progressing any of them, Johnson tries to inject novelty by introducing new creatures such as adorable Furby-like porgs, based on the puffins the filmmakers saw on Skellig Michael, the majestic but abused racing animals, the Faithers; and the glittering crystal arctic foxes that are discovered on the Resistance’s hideout mineral planet.

Some of these -the porgs in particular- feel like a cynical merchandise ploy to appease children, who would understandably get bored as the plot convolutes itself for no apparent reason. Even the scene transitions can feel awkward, as Johnson frequently drops a plot thread to pick up another for thirty seconds of exposition before he bounces off again. This pacing might distract somewhat from the ultimately static character development, but it’s not smoothly executed.

Digressive rather than progressive, The Last Jedi fails to develop the new, exciting and complex characters we met in The Force Awakens. Though a spectacle of air-bourne action, ferocious fighting, dramatic intergalactic cityscapes and awe-inspiring natural beauty thanks to our own shores, when surmising the impact of the plot on the franchise as a whole, you may be left shrugging.

At one point in The Last Jedi, a character remarks that we must fight to protect the things we love. Let’s hope the Rian Johnson remembers that audiences love plot and progress, not just visuals, because you just know he’s already working on the next instalment, Let me guess, Jedi: The Next Generation?