Review of Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) by Nikolayg — 05 Jan 2018

There are spoilers in this review.

TLJ was the single biggest motion picture letdown of my life. Disney should have released this parody on April 1st. There are over 82,000 signatures on a change.org petition to remove TLJ from Star Wars canon as of 1/6/18. Disney won't do that, but that there is a petition at all conveys that something is wrong here. And something is. Aside from being a bad movie, TLJ refutes the values of Star Wars. Disney pretends complaints show how sophisticated TLJ is. Those dumb fans, they don't 'get it'. But last I checked, thin characterization, using characters simply as vehicles for action, inconsistency within a trilogy, and thinking ships need fuel in space to keep moving, were not signs of sophistication. The discrepancy with pro reviews may be explained by the fact that pros' publications receive Disney advertising dollars. I give TLJ a 1 for the actors. They are not to blame. But the writing is ruinous to the entire franchise.

First, too much CGI, visually messy scenes. The movie had no idea what to do with Finn. The casino planet scene was filler. And how is it possible, after destroying Starkiller Base, that massive weapon, that the First Order seconds later has all but vanquished the Resistance? There's no gap between VII and VIII. (There was a gap of 3 years between ANH and The Empire Strikes Back.) So why is the First Order in such top form after such a huge defeat at the hands of the Resistance (now inexplicably called the Rebellion). It's like the Resistance's accomplishments of the last movie accomplished nothing at all. By the way, I'm not a bot. And I'm also not alt right or a Trump supporter. I'm white, married to a brown woman of African descent (she was not born in the USA and her first language is not English). We have a young daughter who loves BB8, R2D2, Rey, and light sabers. But that's based on TFA. We wouldn't allow her to watch TLJ any more than we'd let her watch Sesame Street themed porn.

The biggest problems with TLJ were Luke's characterization, the lack of characterization of Rey, and the anti-Star Wars theme which rendered this not Star Wars, but Mirror Universe Star Wars, or Bizarro Star Wars.

Regarding Rey, if you think her TFA "vision" had meaning, or there was any rhyme or reason to Maz Kanata saying to Rey, "Now it calls out to you" (referring to Darth Vader's and Luke's light saber) you will be disappointed. IT IS ALL DROPPED. The identity of Rey's parents might have helped explain why she's so great at everything, but this was squandered. This is not a sequel, it is not act 2, it has almost nothing to do with TFA. Ep 2 continued Ep 1; 5 continued 4; but Ep 8 spits on Ep 7. The idea that Rey could beat Luke (trained by two Jedi masters) in a fight is ludicrous to the Nth degree, especially when you consider how much training Luke (not to mention Anakin) required. Luke lost his hand to Vader because, while he trained under Yoda, he left too early. He paid a price. Rey pays no price. She's perfect without education beyond a two minute meditation session. A protagonist so strong is not credible, and is boring because nothing can threaten her, thus no suspense. Johnson knows this; it's why the last act shifts and all but abandons Rey; there is no peril for Rey now that she's superwoman. He's left JJ with nothing for Ep. IX. As for Luke, this was anti-Luke. Luke was aware Vader had killed millions, yet in Return of the Jedi, refused to kill him. So Luke's instinct to kill Ben in TLJ wasn't in keeping with Luke's character. And would Luke abandon his cause, and his SISTER, for decades, to hide out? No. But if so, why did he leave a clue to his whereabouts for people to follow? He was searching for the first jedi temple why? No reason at all. Rian Johnson wasn't consistent with the original films or Force Awakens. TLJ is hermetically sealed off from and doesn't fit with the saga. It takes place in a separate universe. The statements throughout TLJ that heroism and sacrifice are not positive values, that there is no difference between good and bad, are anti-Star Wars. They also deny TFA, not to mention the intense sacrifices of Rogue One that made everyone's lives in TLJ possible. Bottom line. TLJ is creepy and nihilistic.

Being pro-women is great. But Poe sexist, when Mon Mothma led the Rebels for 4 movies and then Leia led them, is absurd. Making every man bumbling, evil, or arrogant is hard to miss. You don't have to tear men down in order to build women up. That is just what feminists are always publicly claiming they are NOT about. Finally, the dialogue has no personality. In TFA when Finn helps Rey on the Falcon just before Han shows up - has more personality than in all of TLJ. I just bought Thrawn book 1 for an alternative post-Episode VI saga that makes sense. Disney has the legal right to make canon but that's an empty right when there is no spirit behind it. I'll decide what I consider canon.