Review of Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) by Cornelius E — 17 Jan 2018

I thoroughly enjoyed the journey that this latest chapter in the saga took me on the very first time I watched it. I've can't remember the last time I have been so surprised so frequently during the course of an initial screening of a movie as I was during 'The Last Jedi'.

But it's not my favorite film in the saga. Nor is it the favorite of many others who have taken the time to voice their opinions as such. The good news, though, is that it isn't SUPPOSED to be anyone's favorite film thus far. It is, after all, the second act in this new trilogy, and as such its sole purpose is to cause the casual audience, the die-hard fans, the sneering critics and everyone in between to experience a feeling of concern over where their beloved heroes and universe are headed.

I, for one, can attest to the fact that a few of those previously mentioned surprises that I was so impressed with had also really bummed me the heck out. But I also knew going in that this wasn't going to be the fan-servicing thrill ride that 'The Force Awakens' had been. This was going to be the big second act downer that 'The Empire Strikes Back' had been, and would perhaps even surpass it as the most tragic chapter in the entire saga.

Turns out ... I was right. There are so many things about this film thst I wish had not happened or could have happened differently, but those feelings of disappointment and dread are also what assures me that this film hit the mark. Had I walked out of the Chinese Theatre feeling nothing but hunky-dory about what I had just seen, THAT would have been a giant red flag to me that someone, somewhere had all but dropped the ball. Let's not forget, if you, like myself, happen to be old enough to remember, how much it totally SUCKED leaving the theater during the summer of 1980 not knowing what was to become of my newly frozen sarcastic hero Han, not wanting to believe that Darth Vader was Luke's dad after only knowing him as "the bad guy" and seeing him lop off his own son's hand (I was only 6 1/2 at the time myself, and there were nightmares a-plenty in store for me that would involve my own dad being less than civil with me throughout the next couple of years) ...and who was this Lando guy that I didn't trust because of the way that he had set everyone up and was all of a sudden everyone's new friend and was now piloting the Millennium Falcon!!?? (I had obviously missed a few plot points near the end at the time.) Worst of all, from my perspective, how in the world was I going to incorporate all of what I had just witnessed into the grand adventures that I was to have every day with my Star Wars guys from now on!?

Anyone in my shoes at the time may recall how long the time seemed to drag between 'Empire' and 'Return of the Jedi', and it just so happens that A LOT of other people, older people, like actual critics and adult fans and the sort, also left the theater with a bad taste in their mouth for 'Empire' as well, and it wasn't until we were all finally able to collectively view the events of 'Empire' within the context of a completed story that eventually came with the release of the trilogy's third act that we began to truly appreciate 'Empire' at face value. Today it is still widely considered by many to be the best chapter in the saga to date, especially by those who grew up in the original trilogy era. I honestly believe that a big part of the reason for that is because it was the one that effected us the most. Some of us cried. Others held their breaths. But we ALL felt something that we didn't much like at the time... and it did its job very well!

I believe that TLJ, just like 'Empire' had done long before, will eventually have its day in the sun as one of the deepest and more powerful films in the franchise. Unfortunately that day won't come for at least another two years, longer perhaps depending on how satisfying the final events of the story play out as the original Star Wars Skywalker Saga comes to an end. It has essentially taken all of my entire lifetime for the story to be told. I don't mind enjoying the anticipation one last time over these next two years, as they will be the last years of my life that I can spend imagining all the different ways in which this story, which has become so very much entwined with and a part of my own personal story, might end. Once Episode 9 is completed and released, that's gonna be it. In the meantime, I would like to thank Rian Johnson, Kathleen Kennedy, Lucasfilm and Disney for all the new fond memories, and for daring to release an Episode 8 THAT TRULY DOES ITS JOB WELL!

Because again, after all, if we had all immediately fallen in love with it, had become unconditionally accepting of the positions and conditions it had left our heroes in and found ourselves universally unable to stop praising it every single opportunity we had... it just wouldn't have been a very well-made second act, a situation that no worthwhile third act should ever be subjected to.

BRAVO!!