Luke Skywalker's peaceful and solitary existence
gets upended when he encounters Rey, a young woman who shows strong signs of
the Force. Her desire to learn the ways of the Jedi forces Luke to make a
decision that changes their lives forever. Meanwhile, Kylo Ren and General Hux
lead the First Order in an all-out assault against Leia and the Resistance for
supremacy of the galaxy.
Director:
Rian Johnson
Release Date: Dec 15, 2017
Cast: Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam
Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Laura Dern
Rated PG-13 (for sequences of
sci-fi action and violence)
Runtime: 2 hr. 32 min.
Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Review:
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is an
enjoyable entry into the long running series.It has some moments that feel iconic but as a whole it never really
captures a consistent feel that some of the better Star War films like The
Empire Strikes Back and Rogue One.Rian
Johnson delivers a solid entry that doesn’t deliver a bevy of familiar beats
like The Force Awakens did three years ago.Instead we get some interesting story choices that don’t necessarily hit
as well as they should have.I do give Johnson
credit for trying something different instead of playing it safe but none of
the choices really make for any sort of memorable moments.Instead we get 3 disparate storylines that
run concurrently but never seem naturally cohesive.Separating the 3 new leads robs the story of
letting these new generation characters form any sort of ongoing
chemistry.Daisy Ridley is just as
energetic and magnetic as she was in The Force Awakens.Ridley and Mark Hamill share solid chemistry
together with Hamill adding impressive range and depth to Luke Skywalker.Oscar Issac is given more screentime, to the
films benefit, this go around and Issac takes full advantage.He brings a strong sense of bravado and charm
to the role which feels like a new generation’s Han Solo.John Boyega is still a little broad for my
taste, it’s not his fault.The character
is written very broadly much to Boyega’s detriment because he’s a solid actor
but he isn’t given much to do here until the final act.Carrie Fisher delivers her final bow on film
and it’s very much a fitting swan song even if her character is taken off the
board for a large chunk of the film.My
biggest issue is still Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren whose character is nothing more
than a whiny emo man baby.There are a
few choice bits written into his character which posits some interesting ideas
about legend and legacy but it not enough for me to get past the fact that’s
the character is eerily similar to Anakin Skywalker in the prequel
trilogy.The film does boast some
impressive set pieces sprinkled throughout even though you can’t help but think
it all could have been trimmed down by a good 45 minutes.One subplot in particular feels like it could
have been excised entirely while finding something slightly more interesting
than a casino planet or the worlds slowest space chase.Star Wars: The Last Jedi is at the very least
better than The Force Awakens in that if finds its own path.It’s not the perfect entry some have made it
out to be but it’s an enjoyable entry.
Dearest Blog: 'Tis the season where I never work a five-day week, so yesterday I took advantage of a Friday away from the office to beat the (worst) crowds to The Last Jedi and Ferdinand.
Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers, BUT...as people are uber-sensitive about Star Wars I'm gonna say spare us all the stress and just don't read this until you've seen the movie. I might have a thought that hints at an idea that will utterly destroy your experience or something.
Normally I write in the order I see, but as a courtesy I'm going to drop Ferdinand first so parents who are wondering, "Should I take my kid to this?" don't have to wade through 2,000 words on why I've been in love with Luke Skywalker since I was ten before getting their answer.
A gentle bull called Ferdinand has to save himself and his friends from the bullfighter's ring and the Burger King.
Ferdinand is a cute, mostly benign kids' movie. I hesitate to call it a family movie because, really, there's not much here to entertain anyone over the age of ten...or most people over the age of ten, I guess, because I liked it well enough. Ferdinand's art and animation are merely decent, and the predictable story--while enjoyable--is certainly not on par with its most recent animated competition, the extraordinary Coco. A lively score from the brilliant John Powell works especially well with the film's brighter and more colorful bits. Wrestler John Cena isn't overtaxed in the lead, and, oddly, my screening seemed mostly filled with Cena fans, just one little kid among them. There's not much to say about the supporting crew other than Kate McKinnon is marginally less annoying than she was in Ghostbusters, and the animated David Tennant has WAY more lines than the animated David Tennant did in How to Train Your Dragon. To me some of Ferdinand's themes seem a little harsh for smaller kids. The film is pretty clear on what happens to the bulls, whether or not they make it to the ring, so if you still hope to feed your kids that Hamburger Helper on a busy night, maybe take a pass on this one. I don't have children and always assume kids of any age know more than I'd guess, but I also thought the language was somewhat crass for very young audiences, so, again, skip it if your kids aren't already at an age where everything "sucks."
Ferdinand runs 106 minutes and is rated PG for "rude humor, action, and some thematic elements."
Ferdinand is a passable kids' movie that offers little for the rest of the family...but I liked it.
Of a possible nine Weasleys, Ferdinand gets five.
Fangirl points: David Tennant! Raul Esparza!
Okay, now onward to Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
With hope all but lost, the Resistance seeks a new hope. Erm...hang on.......
When a property is as iconic as Star Wars, it's more important than usual to offer a disclaimer on where these opinions come from, because I feel like most opinions on such things come from more than whether or not the movie itself is any good. So...I was ten when the first Star Wars came out. If memory serves, it was the first movie I ever saw in a theater. I fell in love with Luke Skywalker and have been in love with Luke Skywalker ever since. Thus, even though The Force Awakens is pretty universally well loved (and I, myself, loved much of it), it was also a bitter disappointment to me due to the lack of Luke. You can keep your Han. You can keep your Leia. For me it's all about Luke.
As advertised, The Last Jedi features a fair bit of Luke. Surly, difficult, fed up, conflicted, heroic Luke. Mark Hamill turns in an epic performance worthy of an epic installment in an epic series. Luke Skywalker, you remain my hero. The rest of the cast is great and terrible and a little bit in between. Kudos to John Boyega (who needs more to do) and Oscar Isaac, who engage with honesty and charisma. Of course Carrie Fisher is amazing, though her every appearance is a kick-in-the-gut reminder of what we've lost. Domhnall Gleeson's General Hux is a moustache-twirl away from a cartoon, but for my money is a more entertaining and menacing baddie than Kylo Ren, who always feels more like a kid sulking in his room with a comic book than a genuine threat to the galaxy. Much of that may have to do with Adam Driver, who is ineffective at portraying the conflict within this tormented character. Despite her closet full of awards, Laura Dern is about as exciting as a paper doll, and I'm only grateful her screen time is limited enough that it didn't ruin more of the movie for me. Annnnnnnd...Daisy Ridley is somewhere in between all that. Rey is so critical--both to Star Wars in particular and movies in general--sometimes I feel like the actor just doesn't do the character justice.
The Last Jedi starts fast out of the gate, but suffers great lags across its bloated runtime. In addition to my usual complaints (really, there are only so many moves that are interesting and necessary in any fight or chase scene), there are a couple places where the picture drops asides that seem extraneous and could have been eliminated with no real damage to the end result. The effects and CGI look pretty great, and much of the film is simply stunning, visually. The action is exciting and often takes unexpected turns, and there's a good bit of humor that mostly hits the mark without feeling forced. It goes without saying that John Williams' score is once again the very definition of iconic. The Last Jedi does a fine job of giving new players their due, while never seeming to shaft the old favorites, then tying both together in such a way that fans can probably envision this series going on forever, passing the baton from one generation of rebels to the next.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi clocks in at a massive 152 minutes and is rated PG13 for "sequences of sci-fi action and violence."
The Last Jedi has won over critics, while leaving the fandom bitterly divided. I found a lot to love about it, but was left without the euphoria I expected when the end credits rolled. As always, though, I beg you, dear reader(s), not to let the Internet make up your mind about this movie. Get on out to the theater and see it for yourself.
Of a possible nine Weasleys, Star Wars: The Last Jedi gets eight and a half, which includes one (1) bonus Weasley for having an actual Weasley in the cast.
Fangirl points: You guys...ADRIAN FREAKING EDMONDSON is in this movie!
