Review of Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) by Beck R — 17 Dec 2017

I'm only really giving it a 5 to counterbalance all the extremely low ratings, which are overwhelmingly people whining about too many women being in the movie (oh go watch ANY OTHER action/adventure movie to soothe your hurt sensibilities, you can deal with ONE FILM that has a majority of women in the positive roles), or about how the force powers are wrong or whatever (Who cares? SW hasn't had good lore since they threw out the EU). In reality it's probably around a 3.5/4.

This film is visually breathtaking. There were multiple shots where my theater of crunchy snacking and hyper kids who didn't care as much about the movie as their parents all went dead silent in awe. The only things that caused this movie to suffer were all due to the truly painful pacing. Not that there weren't multiple problems, but the pacing is specifically where it all stemmed from.

This film felt like it had five or six acts. there were at least four points in the film where I was certain it was going to end in a few minutes. Including THE climactic scene (or, you know, the third one, again, too many acts), where I was taken out of the moment because I became suspicious they were going to cut it off right there as a cliffhanger. This film was introducing new tension /2 hours/ in. The plot had squished so many things into it, that I honestly can see this script as a better structure for a full season of a TV show than one single movie.

Due to so many things being crammed into it, the character development suffered, and other than a few stand-out moments, many of the culminations of the characters "arcs" if you can call them that, seemed unearned and cheesy. There were too many moments where I could see the director shrugging at the actors, saying "Sorry, I didn't write this line, but the higher ups like it too much and I can't do anything about it. Just do your best.".

I truly appreciate the risks they took with The Last Jedi, and the pacing problems are honestly more the culmination of a trend that I've noticed in blockbuster franchises in recent years, rather than a unique problem. It reminds me of something I read years ago about how the original trilogy was actually a convoluted, unwatchable mess until Lucas's then-wife went at it with her eye for editing, turning it into the the beloved films so many love today. That her departure is what contributed to the things that so many people despise about the prequels. In the days of executive meddling and star directors, we are seeing films made solely by people who are looking at the film, from the start of production to the end, from millimeters away, for years and years and years..... Now, I think, is the time where we give editors back some power. Directors can shape the vision, screenwriters give engaging stories, actors can transform characters, but what make a film great are the people who are a step out of the process, the people unattached enough to tell you "This is not working". Those who cut the fluff and fat, and streamline the experience. They need to be involved. And they need to be given the power to save a film from the people too in love with it to change anything. Blockbusters may be most marketable when they cram as much as they can into their increasingly long run times. But that's not what makes good movies. That's not what makes people come back.

The Last Jedi was a gorgeous, action packed film with tons of fun characters, set pieces, villains, and themes. And it was too much.