Ephemeris of the Mind (Film Review) Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi
Time to read: 3 min read
Movie Poster
Let the past die. Kill it if you have to.
Past Star Wars film reviews:
- Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens
- Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
- Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
- Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
- Solo: A Star Wars Story
- Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
- Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
- Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Review
I have watched and enjoyed Rian Johnson films in the past, but I must say this particular movie is very disappointing. The story (if you can call it that) follows the struggles of the Resistance, which is dwindling and on the run from the First Order. Rey trains to become a Jedi and Finn goes on a side mission to save the remainder of the Resistance.
Unlike Episode VII which borrows greatly from the original trilogy (one can argue too much) and builds on top the original trilogy, this film actually actively tries to destroy the original trilogy while not offering anything new or unique. This is most evident in the characterization of Luke Skywalker, who in the original trilogy is literally the symbol of hope, and in this film, is a bitter loser just waiting to die. I do not think it is wise to try to destroy multiple decades of lore to add new story, especially if what is being added does not even directly contradict the lore being destroyed.
The film also introduces a badass Asian female character and I was excited at first (finally an Asian character in the main storyline), but the film then proceed to kill her off in the first conflict, and the audience is stuck with her sister, Rose, for the remainder of the film. Kelly Tran did not deserve the harrassment she received online considering she did the best she could given the constraints of her script, but the script itself is so subpar it's hard to identify with Rose's characterization. Although Rose does get decent screentime, her role amounts to nothing more than background decoration, which is a shame, because Rose's backstory is genuinely interesting and warranted more exploration. Rose felt like the film was trying to desperately shoehorn in some diversity and not caring enough to actually be diverse (giving Rose a more meaningful role in the story).
There were also many promising aspects from Episode VII which were completely ruined or ignored and new subplots added which are either not relevant or fully developed. Captain Phasma, who had the potential to be one of the coolest villains in the franchise, is reduced to a mere Stormtrooper commander and the whole casino subplot literally had no impact on the greater story.
There were a few things I liked about the film, such as new force powers being introduced (being able to VR video chat across the galaxy) and some truly breathtaking cinematics. The scene with the Holdo maneuver (even though it adds massive plot holes) and the throne room fight scene are, in my opinion, two of the most visually stunning scenes in the entire Star Wars franchise. Unfortunately, it takes more than a few visual effects to fix a truly bad plot.
Conclusion
One of the most promising, but most poorly executed, Star Wars films.