"This is not going to go how you think" Luke Skywalker utters in one of the few promotional glimpses for The Last Jedi. Easily one of the most anticipated movies of 2017 and a follow up to the excellent
Force Awakens (2015). Rian Johnson takes over the direction this time around, seamlessly integrating the next chapter following JJ Abrams outstanding work on the previous film. His camera movements and techniques when it comes to the look and feel of the movie are quite unique. Without spoiling anything (because everyone watches Star Wars for the camera work....duh) Johnson takes on cinematic techniques that mesh well with the overall thematic elements. Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, and Oscar Isaac truly are "the spark." Boldly taking all characters in new directions, The Last Jedi is truly an unpredictable, shocking at times film that will fill any fan of the franchise, or just the casual film lover, with the gleefulness that cemented the original Lucas trilogy. So at the end of
Force Awakens, left on a literal cliffhanger, we saw Rey (Ridley) approach Luke Skywalker on an unknown island. As the Williams score roared alive, Rey holds out her lightsaber for the legendary Jedi master; a sign of desperation in a time where darkness reigns. Picking up directly after that, this film follows Rey as she goes on a journey of self-discovery with Luke (Hamill) who delivers the greatest incarnation of the "young" Skywalker we have ever seen. Meanwhile, the resistance (led by General Leia Organa/Carrie Fisher) are in a tug of galactic space warfare with the First Order (Headed by Adam Driver's Kylo Ren). Johnson takes the humor tactic, which was hinted at briefly in
The Force Awakens, and comes out with guns blazing. This movie had me cracking up in several moments. The humor is fresh and feels original and...if I don't say so myself...well deserved. Every character in this film is given a very sharp arch that is satisfactory to a holy degree. Kylo Ren defies all expectations when dealing with Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) the latter of which was greatly under-utilized in the previous installment. Kelly Marie Tran as Rose was a fresh face and a character with a unique and powerful energy. Laura Dern as Admiral Holdo was good, but there is not too much background with her. Benicio Del Toro shows up as DJ, who gets involved with Finn and Rose's mission. His character was not as strong as I would have liked. He's light-hearted and at times devilish in his portrayal of this character, but Del Toro adds little weight to this shining ensemble cast. My only flaw with the film, is that during the first act, the pacing felt off. There was too much emphasis on making a galactic war film which then was remedied by the entrance of Luke and those two subsequent acts. Other than that, the rollercoaster that is The Last Jedi made me smile and laugh, all while delivering an emotional and powerful story. Four stars= A
