The Other Guy’s The Last Jedi Review

The Last Jedi is a very good movie, and a decent Star Wars movie (the two are not mutually inclusive). In a four star system, I would give it three stars. There are some definite pacing issues here. Your first time through, you may or may not notice them. You may be basking in the euphoric glow of the best Star Wars movie since Return of the Jedi. But Star Wars movies must never be judged on a single viewing. Or a second or third. Star Wars is not entertainment. It's a passion, and it must be judged on how well it holds together a decade later on your twentieth viewing. Those pacing issues will probably become more and more prevelant over time, and eventually The Last Jedi will be a Star Wars movie you watch in bits and pieces. To note, how many of you space out during some of the Dagobah training scenes in The Empire Strikes Back?

You could argue that evergreen Star Wars movies are no longer the intent, and the fact that the OT movies are just that, is part of the problem. It's like the concept of planned obsolence with consumer durable goods. Maybe in order to stay relevant as part of a cinematic universe, Star Wars movies are destined to be supplanted by "the next one", which, for better or worse, is perpetually right around the corner. So to "do it's job" (a prevalent concept in our figure reviews at Bantha Skull) is simply to be the best thing out right now, and not to be the indelible cinematic phenomenon to which middle-aged men still cling forty years later. In order for that to happen, each new chapter must "plow new snow". Eventually you're going to run out of snow. Comic books eternally stuggle with this. It's not sustainable.

With respect to its job of being the best thing out right now, The Last Jedi certainly succeeds. If you haven't seen it already, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? As I stated in the open, the pacing issues are only a small hurdle to overcome, especially on the first viewing, but tightening this movie by fifteen to twenty minutes would have had it flirting with brilliance. You will read a lot of reviews that call this movie "pefection", etc. Keep in mind that that is just the nature of an over-saturated media landscape. "Very good" doesn't grab clicks. Extremes like "pefect" and "abominaton" do. We've had an amazing spate of "pefect" movies the past 10 years. This movie is very good. Not perfect.

*** SPOILERS AHEAD ***

If you haven't seen the movie, stop here. Otherwise keep scrolling past the image.



The opening space battle is hands down my favorite part of the movie. This is the most classic Star Wars aspect of the film while also being new. The Resistance Bombers are fantastic. Saturation bombers out of the mold of the World War II Flying Fortress, they allowed Rian Johnson to make the battle up-close and personal, which is not typically a part of this type of battle sequence. Unfortunately, the entire bomber fleet is sacrificed by the insubordinate and myopic Poe during this battle. Soon thereafter, the entirety of the Resistance's support fighters were destroyed by Kylo Ren. This is a minor quibble. I wish the Sequel Trilogy would develop some secondary pilot characters similar to Wedge in the OT. Blue leader could have been that, but unfortunately, she is dispatched as soon as she arrived. That quibble aside, this opening act will have the permanence of the first act of Return of the Jedi. A few years down the road when TNT (or whichever cable channel) is repeatingly airing TLJ, you will be helplessly nailed to your couch when this scene is on.

Following the Resistance's escape from the opening seige, the First Order manages to track the Resistance fleet through hyperspace. This is such an improbable technological task, that the Resistance is initially incredulous that it is even possible. Despite this, Finn, Poe and Rose are able to spitball a solution and have diagrams of Snoke's flaghip on hand to do so. This is my other minor quibble. These type of things come too easily in the Sequel Trilogy. Not enough is earned. Two entire OT era movies are dedicated to stealing and delivering plans. In two ST era films, the Resistance, with seemlingly little effort, has detailed plans of the First Order's dominating weapon du jour, and are able to devise entire battle plans in short order. Furthermore, in the middle of a First Order barrage, the trio establishes comms with Maz Kanata. Remember the asteroid field in Empire? Vader had to leave the area to establish comms with Palpatine. These little things are important. Disney (or the wall next to me), please pay attention to having your characters earn these important things instead of having them written in for the sake of expedience. It's part of what gives the OT its evergreen status. The hard things are earned.

If you've read Mr. nomadscout's review, you know he has issues with the Canto Bight plot line, and I do as well. It doesn't feel like it meshes well with the overall movie, and to that point it's the only time I was pulled out of the movie, and not becuase of the story, but the audience. The humor on Canto Bight received almost no audience reaction, which was too conspicuous for me to ignore. The scene where BB-8 was confused for a slot machine is hilarious in a vacuum, but generated barely a lone snicker. This was despite the fact that the audience was highly engaged to that point. The reason is apparent: There was no tension that needed to be broken. As Mr. nomadscout aptly diagnosed, the scene lacks urgency. It felt like Finn and Rose were on vacation instead of in a life or death fight against the clock. Fortunately the act concludes with the battle on the bridge of Snoke's flagship with a legitimate twist. Star Wars, thus far, has leaned on the "big bad" hovering behind the scenes for each trilogy. The ST's big bad has been dispatched in the second act. Does that leave room for a heretofore unknown galactic manipulator pulling the strings for this trilogy? Probably not, but it will be insteresting.

I've mentioend two minor quibbles which should be regarded as the equivalent of simple conversational observances and not as serious issues. I do, however, have a major gripe with one of the biggest scenes and plot points of the third act. Admiral Holdo, who had already agreed to passively sacrifice herself by going down with the ship to allow the rest of the Resistance to escape, turns her sacrifice active by ramming Snoke's flagship via hyperspace. Physics aside, this creates a huge universe-spanning plot problem. If this was possible, why would ANY of the captains go down with the ship, as was about to happen for the third time in this movie. Why wasn't this Holdo's plan from the beginning? Why didn't the medical frigate attempt the same thing earlier in the movie? Why didn't the second support ship attempt the same thing? If such a devastating suicide mission exists, in a conflict where self-sacrifice is constant and prevalent, why isn't this tactic used every single time? In the Battle of Endor in Return of the Jedi, hundreds of ships went down futilely when it appears they could have had a much more effective demise by jumping through hyperspace into one of the capital ships. In The Last Jedi, this was such a devistating move, that it should be the perpetually outmatched Rebellion/Resistance's plan in every single battle. This is too powerful of a chess move. This was the equivalent of sacrificing a pawn for your opponent's entire court. There is no reason NOT to do it every single time. Also, from a standpoint of theoretical physics, the Sequel Trilogy is really starting to muddle up what hyperspace is all about. It's not going very fast. It's going very short.

The finale obviously tugs at every possible heart string for a Star Wars fan. Luke learns his final lesson that the Jedi desperately needed to learn: "Be humble or be humbled." It is a lesson that Rey hopefully has learned. This was despite pushing Jedi Force capabilities beyond anything we have seen before with a physical projection. Furthermore, I'm not entirely sure if the exertion of the battle caused Luke to die, or if he merely elected to joint the Living Force. I feel like it was the latter, which further cements his legend. There is an expression with Medal of Honor recipients: "It's easier to earn the Medal of Honor than it is to wear it." It's easier to become a legend than it is to live up to it. In the finale, Luke lived up to his legend and is seen becoming the spark of hope for the next generation in the closing scenes.

Finally, the one odd issue from The Last Jedi is that even though I very much enjoyed it, it DOESN'T have me pining for Episode IX. I actaully want a break both in the release schedule and in the narrative (as our own Randy alluded to in the comments of nomad's review). I was upset that Disney reset the galactic order so heavily in TFA. The Last Jedi shows that they weren't even done drilling to bedrock. We're practically back to the state of the galaxy at the end of Revenge of the Sith. I'd like to let his breathe for a little while.

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