I recall walking out of the movie theater with my dad after seeing “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” (2017) on opening night and saying to him, “This is my favorite Star Wars movie besides ‘The Empire Strikes Back (1980).'” Over time, Rian Johnson’s inspiring, gorgeous and heroic film has surpassed “The Empire Strikes Back” as my favorite Star Wars movie.
Since its release, “The Last Jedi” has sparked fervent debates among the Star Wars fanbase. While some, like myself, have praised the film’s bold storytelling and thematic depth, others have criticized it for diverging from traditional Star Wars tropes and misrepresenting the original characters, such as Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill).
Going into “The Last Jedi,” Star Wars fans had exceedingly high expectations for this film, as the prior installment in the famed Skywalker Saga, “The Force Awakens” (2015), grossed over $2 billion at the worldwide box office. Each fan going into opening weekend had their own set of expectations, hopes and predictions for what the film was going to be. Rian Johnson, the writer and director of the film, had his own.
I went into the movie with an open mindset, knowing the film could go in any direction. One of the most heavily debated aspects of the film is the handling of Luke Skywalker. Fans had not seen Hamill as Skywalker since 1983’s “Return of the Jedi,” many expected Luke to be the hero we all remember him being.
But, Johnson has Luke become skeptical of the Jedi order and their power in the galaxy, rightfully so. He rejects the role of the savior for the rebellion, angering many fans, including Rey (Daisy Ridley) in the film. Many of these fans overlook Luke’s admittance of being wrong at the end of the film. Wrong about losing faith in the Force, the Resistance, the Jedi and — most importantly — hope. I think Luke’s character arc in “The Last Jedi” rivals some of the best character arcs I’ve seen in film and television.
The technical aspects of “The Last Jedi” are also the best in the entire franchise. Cinematographer Steve Yedlin perfectly frames, stages and lights each frame in the film. To complement the cinematography, the production, makeup and costume design are fantastic and other-worldly. Each faction/planet has its own style and culture embedded into the clothing. Canto Bight, the Las Vegas of planets, is a perfect example. The scene when Finn (John Boyega) and Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) go to Canto Bight and into the casino is jaw-dropping and best represents what Star Wars should be.
Furthermore, as always, the sound design by Matthew Wood and Ren Klyce is transportive, placing the viewer directly into the film. John Williams creates a moving and momentous score, which at times can still put me on the edge of my seat. “The Last Jedi” is also one of the few blockbuster films released in the 21st century that has this high level of seamless blending of visual and practical effects. The only other films that come close are the “Dune” films, “Blade Runner 2049” (2017) and the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy.
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi” is a triumph of storytelling, pushing the boundaries of the Star Wars saga while staying true to its core themes and spirit. The way this film tackles the themes of redemption, loss, hope, the power of myths and failure is masterfully done. The film is a testament to the power of imagination and innovation in filmmaking.
Bob • Sep 22, 2024 at 2:23 pm
Movie was a slow motion car chase. It was simply horrible.
I will give Johnson some credit for at least trying to be original unlike Jar Jar Abrams but he failed. Other than a few really good scenes (leia pulling herself back to the ship and Luke with the walkers) it was overall a terrible Star Wars movie. Period. And the mini movie in the middle “the adventures of rose and finn” just made it even worse.
Jenifer Burney • Sep 9, 2024 at 7:34 pm
Agreed! It also surpassed Empire for me after several watches. The acting all around in Last Jedi is TOP TIER. I would say it’s Carrie and Mark’s best performances, and Adam D. And Daisy blow it out of the park. Loved the message about failure and hope throughout. Happy to see someone writing about their love for star wars instead of hate.
Michael • Sep 3, 2024 at 9:45 am
Spot on! The film speaks to a more mature audience and is not for everybody. I find Luke Skywalker far more interessting in this film than the original trilogy and Mark Hamills performance is outstanding. Star Wars needs more films like this to keep the universe fresh and exciting again.
Dan • Sep 3, 2024 at 5:42 am
100% agree! Love this film!!!
lord vader • Jul 18, 2024 at 7:56 pm
get off the crack rock sam
Joe • Jul 7, 2024 at 10:07 pm
This is a perfect example why the word Masterpiece has lost all its meaning. You have to be a child to write. This trash.
Ricahrd • Jun 9, 2024 at 10:43 pm
This is such an insane take that I have to wonder if you were paid to write this. The lack of Star Wars tropes or Luke Skywalker’s character shift is the least of its problems.
The Last Jedi was the worst Star Wars movie of all time, beating Attack of the Clones in plot fracturing and Phantom Menace with how totally needless the entire movie was.
You have a chase scene that’s not only trying to copy the millennium falcon chase scene from Empire Strikes Back, but you have people literally leave the chase and then come back to it. You have a guy and two of his buddies mutiny only to have a slap on the wrist. And you have an entire casino segment that brings in probably the best character in the series to give a fantastic morally grey viewpoint on the galaxy, only to never return to that viewpoint nor that character again. You have Rose spouting out this nonsense about how we can’t sacrifice each other to win right as this giant laser is crashed into the place where all her friends and allies are.
The movie was tone deaf to its own branding, it had no idea what it wanted to be, every scene felt like a different director worked on it, and it saved main characters like Leia and Poe because plot armor. The movie deserves the level of hate it gets for being absolutely idiotic.