Review of Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) by David K — 03 Feb 2018

The latest instalment in the Star Wars canon is a well-shot and unexpected adventure; yet the films flaws greatly overshadow these few inspiring moments. Right away, Rian Johnson's imprint is obvious with the dazzling shots of the opening space battle.

The comedic elements of the film will drive many members of the audience mad with the puzzling phone exchange between General Hux and Poe setting the tone for the rest of the film. The story is very bland with the First Order embarking on a final chase to destroy the Resistance once and for all.

General Leia has limited screen time and although Carrie Fisher brings a strong performance to the role, there is great disappoint in this being her last hurrah in the iconic role. This is greatly summed up with her "Mary Poppins" like scene in the vacuums of space.

Poe is once again one of the standouts of the new crew, but is strongly misused as he only features on the main resistance ship, following his epic opening sequence. Finn is the comic relief once again, but this time he embarks on a journey with the newcomer Rose.

Despite Rose's heroic actions, she feels like she was forced into the story. Finn's role in this movie is arguably the biggest waste of space, as his failed mission is irrelevant to the plot as a whole.

The casino scenes serve as hidden political messages and tack on unnecessary screen time to the longest movie in the franchise. Daisy Ridley is solid as Rey and has strong relations with both Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), but her training sessions are minimal and she is still a sparkling example of a Mary-sue.

Mark Hamill gives a solid performance but the portrayal of Luke in this film will anger many fans as this was nothing like his character from the original trilogy. Adam Driver is frustrating as the conflicted Kylo Ren, but his relations with Rey provide the most interesting elements of the film, specifically the fight with the guards.

The under developments of Snoke and Phasma are some of the most frustrating elements of the film, as they were built up to be major characters during the Force Awakens. Snoke's past is never touched on and Phasma once again receives limited screen time, mimicking the silliness of Boba Fett's death in Return of the Jedi.

This is down to the inconsistency and lack of communication between the writers on where the story should be heading. The third act is non-stop but often very frustrating and mimics elements from the original trilogy too closely.

Overall, The Last Jedi is a well-shot and different type of Star Wars film, however, the plot holes, underdeveloped characters, and unnecessary sequences overshadow the few positive elements. I give props for Rian Johnson for leaving his mark in Star Wars, however, it is very underwhelming and will divide fans greatly over the where the franchise goes from here.