Review of Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) by Jordan A — 07 Jan 2018

Though the whole idea of this film fully separated from the common storytelling formula of the Star Wars saga, most of the scenes was senseless knowing they were added just to fill the 2-and-a-half-hour time frame in which they have no significance at all even if removed from the original cut. And it made things so confusing in most parts and created huge plot holes. The Force Awakens surely adopted most of the story arc of the New Hope movie but established certain plot details that was expected to continue and build tension in the Sequel Trilogy. But The Last Jedi movie turned it down and settled to new ideas that really doesn't fit for both character and narrative developments.

About the individual character developments, starting with Luke Skywalker. Every generation of audiences who've seen the Original Trilogy knew that the he was the kind of person who does not easily put himself away on people whom he knew is in dire need, especially his father. In the movie, he was handled his father's lightsaber by Rey that signifies the hope that is in him to bring back the peace throughout the galaxy. Yet he just threw it away because of his hopeless personality due to the failure he experienced from his nephew who has darkness growing inside him, the attempt to murder him in order not to make things worse just made it far worst. There is no consistency about the writing about his character arc that made him a different kind of Luke Skywalker that all fans knew from before he became a Jedi. Next is the character of the Resistance General Leia, the damage dealt on her cruiser sending her off to space about to die was a perfect sendoff. Even she also has abilities to use the Force, being in a vacuum of space can really kill you in a matter of seconds. Seeing it was about to make audiences emotional but it would've been the right time to bid farewell to a beloved Star Wars character. It was a major disappointment they made it look unnecessary for her to use the Force to pull herself back to the damaged ship. On the part of her close friend, Vice Admiral Holdo, replacing her position in the war efforts for the meantime made things just to buy time escaping from the First Order ship dealing them too much loss and damage to their troops. Knowing that Poe Dameron already paid attention to everything going on and was willing to take the risk to make a course of action, she still turned him down for some reasons that doesn't make sense. She didn't even tell him her actual plans at all and instead, she made a sexist action turning him down to wait for orders as if there is really a plan going on. This was a huge mistake in the middle of the plot for it was only done to buy some time transitioning it to another arc where Finn and Rose discovered a weakness in the First Order starship that's tracking them down even at hyperspace. This scene was also senseless for their journey to Canto Bight to search for the codebreaker never made any sense or change of course in the plot. And instead, they were betrayed and given to the First Order under the command of Captain Phasma to execute them both. On the other hand, Rey's journey to Snoke's throne room confronting both him and Kylo Ren and those Praetorian Guards may be a highlight of the film where fans speculated her transition to the dark side after being tempted to do so. Then Supreme Leader Snoke, who was supposed to be wise and knew every intention of Kylo Ren, on his attempt to make him kill Rey in front of him making his full conversion to the dark side, was sliced in half without any thoughts of having a lightsaber placed at his side twisted and slowly pointing at him beat him senseless without any idea what's going on around. It was so inconsistent, and they didn't even give him a showoff or a lightsaber duel or any character development at all! Then things went so screwed up and that certain self-sacrificial act of Vice Admiral Holdo made her a worst vice admiral for she just sacrificed all those medical ships and other starships. At a blink of an eye, a thought came inside her to use the hyperspace to block the First Order forces from annihilating what's left of the Resistance Forces while those few escape ships were making their way to the planet Crait. In that case, why she just thought of that idea after those damage and time that they wasted running from the First Order when there's just one simple way to easily end it? While leaving those huge First Order ships destroyed in the middle of space, the Crait storyline now almost made sense for the entire movie if it weren't because for Rose Tico who prevented Finn from doing the supposed-to be-beautiful sendoff to the character. Did we just witnessed the most heroic deed of Finn from being a former agent of the First Order as a stormtrooper to a real Resistance hero, then that cringey love story that made no sense at all from saving him in that sacrificial play?

Another thing is that the use of obvious rushed CGI and lack of practical effects use also was minus points. Surely the cinematography was excellent and same as the fan service brought to the audiences, even that Praetorian Guards duel. But these details didn't even save the worst parts of the film which are the plot and character developments. J.J. Abrams and Chris Terrio will have so much hard time doing some treatment in the story process all just because of what Rian Johnson did where he just dumped those ideas from the previous installment. Disney should consider having a second thought of bringing him back for a new trilogy of Star Wars film because he really has no idea what's the real Star Wars most people knew from the time of George Lucas's influence and creative control. Ever since I watched the Last Jedi movie, I'm not being too optimistic or expecting the best for the Episode IX. But I do hope there would be a redemption between the mistrust of most fans to the development of the new Star Wars and its significance to the entire saga.