Illustration By Leo Gordon
Lightsabers and blaster pistols return once again for the second release in the latest Star Wars trilogy. Directed by Rian Johnson, The Last Jedi picks up the story immediately after the events of The Force Awakens, the previous movie. From here we find the legendary Luke Skywalker, and watch as young Rey’s training begins from the former Jedi. Meanwhile, the nefarious First Order continues to reign over the galaxy while the noble Rebellion, dwindling in numbers struggles to stay away from their dark grasp.
Following the recent release of Star Wars The Last Jedi, many opinions have risen about the famous franchise’s newest movie. Both die hard fans and casual viewers have been split by the controversial plot and events. Many longtime fans claim that the ideas and scenes are recycled from previous movies, and that much of the story was unnecessary and boring. In my opinion, The Last Jedi was a bit underwhelming. As a huge star wars fan, I was hoping for an exciting sequel, similar to the great Empire Strikes Back sequel in the original trilogy. It lacked a progressive main storyline, and much of the scenes seemed forced and very unnecessary.
I agree with many people in saying that some moments did seem like a slight flashback to previous movies, however, I believe that this is exactly what made some scenes great. I believe that this was done on purpose, so that the audience could assume the ending of a scene due to previous knowledge, only to be completely shocked and unsuspecting of the outcome.
I found the actual cast to be very good in general, and that always helps to improve any opinion on any movie. The chemistry between Adam Driver and Daisy Ridley was excellent, and provided a good yin yang effect as an addition to the story. The two seemed to go together naturally, and were shown in scenes that were meaningful and paired with solid dialogue. Although it was nice to see Mark Hamill back in action, I realized that his acting was not up to par with some of the other actors that contributed very impressive performances. This did not end up being a huge problem, due to the fact that he is no longer the main character, it was just something that seemed more noticeable when he is compared to such great young actors.
My biggest problem with The Last Jedi was the use of diversity in the cast. At first, I was excited to see another actor of color added into the Star wars universe, but the story and character of Rose, played by Kelly Marie Tran, was given what seemed like a poorly made side character. She had an interesting although brief background, but still seemed like a character solely made to diversify the cast. I am all for having a diverse cast, and I encourage it strongly, but this was definitely not the way to go about it. It was forced, and was only used as a way to make Star Wars look a little better.
The Last Jedi just ended up as another so-so sequel. You won’t be disappointed with buying yourself a ticket, but you won’t be dying to see it again. Unfortunately, a few good scenes scattered throughout a two hour and thirty-five minute movie just wasn’t enough for even a huge Star Wars fan like me to fully enjoy. There were small bright spots in the movie, but in the end it was not able to seal the deal. The story seemed all over the place, with many unnecessary sidetracks, and had little movement in the overall storyline, leaving the viewer with a sense of desire for more.