Review: Star Wars Episode VIII- The Last Jedi

by Joe Brennan

Another year over, another Star Wars film seen. And with another Star Wars film, another heated debate between passionate fans ensues: specifically, between me and my friend Alex Gibson. We have very conflicting opinions: he didn't like The Force Awakens but loved Rogue One. But I loved The Force Awakens and didn’t LOVE Rogue One.

So who was right? Was this the best film since Empire or has it overtaken Attack of the Clones as the worst one yet? Well, here’s what I thought of it.

It somewhere in middle of both extremes, but that’s not bad. I loved it- it’s far stronger than the prequels and probably better than Return of the Jedi. I’ve seen it twice now, first on the Friday of its release in the Leicester Square Empire IMAX and then again on the Sunday in Portsmouth. The film was truly unique when it came to structure and character dynamic and seemed to break (or at least bend) every convention previously set up by Star Wars films while still staying true to its origins. Rian Johnson had the difficult balancing act of juggling so many characters, a darker tone and a sense of comedy that doesn’t detract from the seriousness of other moments. And save for a few missteps, he did a fantastic job. The cinematography and CGI are truly breathtaking, John Williams blows us away once again with an amazing new score (I’m currently listening to it every night to try and decide if it’s my new favourite) and the cast provide so many stunning performances.

The new, younger cast introduced from the last film are back and better than ever. A comedically snivelling Domhnall Gleeson as General Hux is slowly becoming my favourite Star Wars character as he perfectly plays off the conflicted angst of Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren. Daisy Ridley manages to convincingly display a facade of calm determination that often slips to reveal Rey’s emotional vulnerability- showing us once again why she was the perfect choice to lead a new trilogy. Oscar Isaac somehow managed to make Poe Dameron more charming and attractive than last time- he is joined, as always, by the increasingly adorable droid BB-8.

The Orig-Trig characters are back too! C3PO has more to do in this film and used his time to remind us what made him so iconically annoying! R2D2 provides a brief yet touching moment of spotlight and makes it very clear why fans everywhere love that little astromech. The ult favourites like Admiral Ackbar and Nien Nunb return as resistance leaders, although it could be said that neither were given enough to do; at least there’s potential for the next film...

Most importantly, Mark Hamill now has lines! And they’re good! Probably the performance that moved me the most was Carrie Fisher’s General Leia Organa: a beautiful final look at our beloved princess.

Ostensibly in response to the heavily criticised plot of The Force Awakens (specifically that it relies too heavily on nostalgia and essentially was the same as Ep IV), The Last Jedi’s setup is vastly different to anything we’ve seen in a Star Wars film- it would seem they listened to the feedback! The main plot follows a simple game of cat and mouse between The First Order and the dwindling forces of The Resistance. The expectation that Rey’s training with Luke would dangerously mirror The Empire Strikes Back is thrown away within seconds of their interaction. The direction of Luke’s character is unexpected but not unwelcome, playing a shadow of his former optimistic Jedi self, almost as if Old Ben Kenobi had grown resentful of the Jedi order. A blend of Obi Wan, Yoda and Old Man Logan.

The film is very character and dialogue driven, focusing more on relationships and themes between the people and families of this saga than the battles' lightsaber flips, with quite a limited number of action scenes. The scenes that do contain action, however, are all exhilarating and fun- the world building is exciting and the CGI is nearly flawless. There is one example of puppetry, however, that will make any fan extremely happy.

I’ve already mentioned John Williams but at the age of 85 he  has shown us once again why he is still the best man for the job when a film needs emotional character themes. Leia’s theme seems to be the most repeated motif, Rey’s is becoming almost as iconic as past tracks and Rose Tico’s theme is one that will surely get in your head. The Force Theme is used in a way that will move even the most cynical fans. I’d recommend buying the soundtrack.

As for criticisms, I can only think of one or two- there’s a subplot (or part of one) that seems to be there to pad the run time, which is weird for a film that is two and a half hours...

However, there are a few missed opportunities: Captain Phasma has been built up as a badass during the marketing of both Episode VII and VIII and has once again been wasted; the new character Rose Tico has very little to do so her inclusion feels slightly forced and she makes a few baffling decisions; the new character DJ had a morality quite unique to the films so far and that made him interesting but there were a few t-t-t-t-times where he was just irritating. BB-8 and Artoo were somewhat under-utilised and Vice Admiral Holdo could’ve done with being established in a previous film (and she probably ought to have communicated better with the hothead she’s trying to keep under control).

The biggest weakness is the lack of Lando. HE IS STILL NOWHERE TO BE SEEN. COME ON, GUYS, HE’S OLD. HURRY UP!

But, as someone who enjoyed Rogue One, loved The Force Awakens and can only just about tolerate one of the prequels, I can safely say this is my favourite Star Wars film of the twenty-first century. I’ll have to see it a few more times in order to make a decision on where it fits on my overall ranking, but this gets a positive review from me.

I’d also recommend seeing it more than once, if you can. Thank you for reading and may the force be with you.