Director – Rian Johnson (Looper, Breaking Bad)
Starring – Mark Hamill (The Guyver, Metalocalypse), Daisy Ridley (Peter Rabbit, Murder on the Orient Express), and John Boyega (Pacific Rim: Uprising, Attack the Block)
Release Date – 2017
Rating – 3.5/5
Horror fans tend to have broad tastes. Most horror fans love all things horror along with some sci-fi, exploitation, action, adventure, and so on. They really like to taste it all. Most horror fans are sci-fi fans which only makes sense considering films like Aliens, Critters, Galaxy of Terror, and so many more are considered sci-fi. Sci-fi is a genre we all tend to love but horror fans never truly appreciate it.
When it comes to sci-fi no film is as popular as the Star Wars saga. This series of films has captivated audiences for decades with no signs of slowing down. After Disney acquired Lucas Films they released three new Star Wars films to date. Fans was given a new chapter to the original trilogy with The Force Awakens and a year later they received the prequel film Rogue One and then in 2017 they were finally given a follow up to The Force Awakens with The Last Jedi.
**Spoiler Alert**The film picks up sometime after the events in The Force Awakens when Finn (Boyega) awakens and learns that Rey (Ridley) is on a mission to find Master Skywalker (Hamill). While Rey is away the Rebellion is attacked by The First Order and are forced to flee. Finn is afraid that their retreat will make them lost to Rey who is unaware of their assault. He tries to flee but is unable to but is forced to fight with them during their assault from The First Order.
Rey has to convince Luke to train her which he reluctantly does. Once he does he soon realizes she communicated with the Darkside just like his former padawan Kylo Ren. He tells her to leave and she is eventually captured by Kylo where they use the force to communicate. When Snoke tries to force Kylo to kill her he turns on Snoke and kills him. Kylo is now in charge of the First Order and sets his sights on the rebellion to stop his mother. Rey is heartbroken and flees back to the resistance but all looks lost until they get help from an unlikely friend.**Spoiler Alert**
I like Star Wars. Hell, I love Star Wars but its no Lord of the Rings. Lets be honest here. The series has had some ups and downs. I really like the original trilogy and the prequel trilogy was fun for the most part. Like many Star Wars’ fans I was excited about Disney taking over Lucas Films and resurrecting one of our favorite movie properties. The Force Awakens was fantastic. It is easily one of my favorite SW flicks. Sadly, Rogue One was a fun watch but a bit of a let down overall. Fans of the series knows how this one ended and it was predictable. The Last Jedi was another solid entry into the new saga but it just didn’t hit me like the other SW flicks.
The acting in this one is great. I really like Boyega and Ridley as Finn and Rey. Both are great and really carry the show. They take their actions scenes seriously and offer up some light humor when the scene calls for it. I really like the introduction of Kelly Mari Tran. She made the film funny and has earned the award of being my new crush. She’s gorgeous and talented.
The film has an amazing cast but I was let down by the lack of Hamill. When I was growing up he was Star Wars to me. I know it’s silly thinking that he would be the center piece of the film but I would have loved for him to have more in the story.
The story for this one focuses more on the relationship between Rey and the force with a lot of backstory delivered on Kylo Ren. This gives the fans what they wanted but setting the film around the battle between The First Order and the rebellion was honestly boring. A lot of action taking place but the story was stale.
Finally, the film is stunning. The visual and practical effects are top notch. There is a few scenes where you can see the attention to detail was not consistent but the overall film is beautiful. Overall, Star Wars: The Last Jedi is a fantastic addition to the Star Wars’ universe but isn’t the best in the series. This is a must for any fan.
