THERE IS NO TRY
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Review by Paul Preston
SPOILERS ABOUND
The pull away from the ‘70s filmmaking that made 1977’s Star Wars great continues with a disappointing The Last Jedi, a film inconsistent in tone, often rehashed, and always in a hurry, to no great reason or success.
I wanted to love this movie. I want to love all movies. But when I leave disengaged, unmoved or indifferent, I have to CSI exactly why. Here’s what I’ve come up with as far as The Last Jedi is concerned.
In the wake of criticism for more or less revamping A New Hope with The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi surprisingly begins by more or less revamping The Empire Strikes Back. It’s enough to make me give credit to the prequels for at least covering new ground. The Death Star, or Starkiller Base, is destroyed and the rebels are on the run. They seek shelter while the Empire, or First Order, seek them out to destroy them.
What happens next is a page right out of the Battlestar Galactica television show. Granted, one of their finest episode arcs, so at least they’re ripping off the best. Galactica’s pilot episode was called “33”, based on the plot idea that any time the colonial fleet jumped to hyperspace, thirty-three minutes later, the Cylons would also jump to their exact coordinates to continue the fight. This made the fleet have to jump AGAIN, and on and on until the crew could figure out a way to break the cycle. When we only get a Star Wars movie every two or TWELVE years, I was shocked to see that this plotline is one a new Star Wars film would hang its hat on, as the rebels have to find a way to keep The First Order from jumping through hyperspace to wherever they plan to hide next. The question then becomes, “Did they at least do the familiar well?”. Not so much.
The problem for me as a viewer was the film’s desire for me to root for Finn, Rose and Poe in their endeavor to find a solution, when they were in the wrong the whole time. Princess Leia has an alternate plan for escape – evacuation to a nearby mining planet and it ends up being a waste of time for Poe to have led a quest to destroy The First Order’s tracking mechanism. Result: a good thirty to forty-five minutes of the movie that add up to nothing. Pointless.
That middle of the movie involves a trip to a casino planet that is some of the worst Star Wars plotting and world-building since the prequels. It’s a land of excess that Finn in initially excited about, but ten minutes later, after a heart-warming story about animal cruelty, he hates it and can’t wait for it to be destroyed. And the casino is chock full of the kind of over-the-top comedic characters you’d find in a Lucas Special Edition who derail any importance Finn’s mission was supposed to have. But the movie jumps from BB-8 goofing with a character who thinks he’s a slot machine to Rose’s tearful story about animal cruelty to their arrest (for, not kidding, a parking violation) in the span of about five minutes. Then they bring up illegal weapons dealing as if there weren’t enough underdeveloped ideas. This movie was in a hurry, jumping from thing to thing without the benefit of letting any moments breathe.
While we’re on the subject of Finn, it’s time to be done with this guy. After realizing the rebel ship’s situation, he is caught entering an escape pod with a pack full of essentials. He was hightailing it away from the danger (I initially thought he was trying to enact a plan to save everyone but needed to be discreet about it. I will no longer overestimate his heroism). This, after leading an expedition to the surface of Starkiller Base to rescue a girl, while the fate of entire rebellion was carelessly disregarded (a moment which seemed entirely in service of a Han Solo one-liner). Maybe too many selfish moments to still be following the exploits of this “hero”? His suicide mission into the heart of The First Order’s gun in the final sequence would’ve been some sort of redemption for Finn, but that was taken away so we can have him in the next movie maybe full-out betray someone.
Speaking of characters that don’t make sense, why is Captain Phasma back? When last we left her, she was going to be thrown in a trash compactor in a joyless callback. Then, presumably, while in the compactor, the entire Starkiller Base exploded. So…why does she show up in The Last Jedi? The original trilogy would’ve made mistakes like this if Greedo just showed up in The Empire Strikes Back like nothing happened. But they didn’t make that mistake. The current Star Wars filmmaking regime does. Frequently. It’s frustrating. Phasma action figure sales must’ve been popular.
Meanwhile, Rey and Luke Skywalker pick up on the island where we last left them at the end of The Force Awakens. Literally, from the exact moment, and that shot, which did everything it could to be iconic, is crapped on with a physical gag. Unfortunate.
We get to learn how tormented Skywalker has been since his attempted tutelage of Ben Solo went south, allowing him to slip into the persona of Kylo Ren. Daisy Ridley spends a lot of the movie crying. She’s absolutely up to the task of being a young woman frustrated with being saddled with The Force, but not knowing what to do with it. She begins training with Luke in and amongst more comedy bits with Luke’s one-liners, Porgs and the island caretakers. Again, the tone asks a lot of your ability to “go with it”. It seems harsh to keep harping on this angle of why I didn’t like The Last Jedi, but I can only use the initial trilogy as a template for how to do things right (well, Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back). You can’t make these new movies without the originals in mind, and it just feels like many decisions here were made “’cause it’d be cool” or “’cause we have a Christmas 2017 deadline”.
In the end, my favorite character is Kylo Ren. The tantrum-throwing young adult phase of his is over and he’s become a much more menacing member of The Dark Side of The Force. Shades of Return of the Jedi abound as Rey is sure she can turn Ren, and much like Luke and Darth, they go before The Emperor, or Snoke, to do it. Here, Snoke/The Emperor shows Luke/Rey how his/her friends are in horrible peril and she/he should turn to The Dark Side…like in Return of the Jedi.
Benecio Del Toro shows up as a character on the casino planet, who has all the definition and memorability of Mack from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. And if you’re saying, “Mack? Who?”, I say “Exactly”. Domhnall Gleeson returns as General Hux only to be emasculated by two things – unnecessary humor that undercuts any threat his character might be, and his own overacting as if sneering=bad guy. Hux and Snoke also claim to have The Rebels “tied to the end of a string”, and this brings up another frustrating plot point. How do they have them tied? Is it a spy on board the ship? I thought that plot point might’ve come to a head when Poe declared Laura Dern’s Holdo a traitor! But no, that actually went nowhere and The First Order can track The Rebels through light speed just because they can, much like The Saviors escaped The Sanctuary on The Walking Dead just because they did (“Eugene” was their reason, I believe), and if you can compare your script to this season’s fall finale of The Walking Dead, you’ve got a problem.
Also:
– Han had dice we’re supposed to care about?
– Finn somehow was able to drag Rose safely into the rebel base without the entire First Order Army seeing them or killing them?
– Luke thinks he can turn Darth Vader back from The Dark Side, but gives up so early on Ben Solo that he gives him a death sentence in his sleep?
Star Wars remains one of my favorite movies of all time. But the newest incarnations…have lost me.
Directed by: Rian Johnson
Release Date: November 15, 2017
Run Time: 152 Minutes
Rated: PG-13
Country: USA
Distributor: Lucasfilm/Walt Disney Pictures
Star Wars: Episode VII came out only 10 years after Episode III, so I don’t know where you get 12 years from. Rose’s story wasn’t about animal cruelty. It was about the exploitation by the rich and corrupt. Selling weapons to the First Order isn’t an underdeveloped idea. It’s part of the corruption that Rose was talking about. You make a lot of good points, but you clearly wasn’t paying close enough attention. No, working at a video store or a movie theater doesn’t qualify you to be a film critic. Real film critics actually study film, as in they have university degrees in Film or Film Theory.
Hello William – your comment is very interesting. It’s short but covers a lot of ground. I’m happy to debate film with you, but then you insult me for no reason because it’s the internet, I guess, and that’s what people do.
First, you got me on the math. It was ten years between REVENGE OF THE SITH and THE FORCE AWAKENS.
Then, you actually debate the movie with me, which I appreciate. I paid plenty of attention to a franchise that’s been with me longer than you’ve been alive. Even if I went with you on the idea that THE LAST JEDI was trying to make a statement about the exploitation by the rich and corrupt, I think they failed to do so. Whether it’s animal cruelty or exploitation, all the casino planet plotting seemed like a wasteful distraction from what I really cared about with this movie, that being the rebels escape from The First Order. Even the movie itself stopped caring about everything that happened on Canto Bight once everyone got back up to the spaceship battle. They returned to it at the end, but by then the movie lost me.
Finally, you talk about me as if you know the first thing about me, making assumptions about my history with film. I could make the same assumptions by clicking on your name above your comment, going to your IMDB page and saying, “No, working as an extra, stand-in or having a number of (uncredited) IMDB listings doesn’t qualify you to be an actor. Real actors actually study acting, not sociology at UC Irvine, as they have degrees in acting.” But I don’t know you and that wouldn’t benefit a debate about film. It would also seem mean and childish…don’t you think, William?
I don’t disagree with your thoughts and feelings about the movie. All I said was that Rose’s story was about exploitation of people and resources by the rich and corrupt and she never mentioned animal cruelty, which you have neither denied or have had the integrity to directly admit. I thought the same thing you did until I watched the movie the second time, so I can admit I was wrong.
I also don’t disagree with the fact that you’re a lot older than I am, which only makes it all the more sad that your ego is so frail and you were so insulted by my pointing out facts that you felt the need to attack me personally and call to question my professional life, which has nothing to do with the conversation at hand. I cited your own words about what makes you “qualified” and pinpointed that working at a video store or a movie theater doesn’t make one more qualified to be a film critic. I also read your IMDb before making that comment.
After graduating from one of the best public universities in the world and going into one of the top 10 M.A. programs in Communications in the country to spend two post-graduate years studying Advertising, I trained at one of the best acting schools in L.A. for over three years, the same acting school where James Franco and Ashley Judd learned how to act, and I had Jeff Goldblum as a teacher. There are also, however, actors like Jodie Foster and Hugh Grant who win acting awards without having ever had any formal training. They either are very naturally talented or they get their training on set.
I have been acting professionally for the past 10 years. I get flown cross-country, put up in hotels, and paid thousands of dollars for my work as an actor in movies like Captain America: Civil War and TV shows like The Vampire Diaries. I am a National Active Member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, so I vote on and go to the Emmys. I was in Atlanta all of September working on a movie with Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, Joel Edgerton, an Lucas Hedges. If you had bothered to read my resume or bio or look at my photos or videos on IMDb, you would know this. You see, unlike you, I do my homework and I read so that I don’t make ignorant and incorrect comments. Just because I have worked other jobs on set doesn’t mean I’m not an actor.
Extras don’t get trailers, on-screen credit, or residuals. “He has worked in a movie theater, video store, film set, video production company and movie-themed amusement park. He’s worked movie premieres, written screenplays, directed short films, served as editor on numerous television shows, written and directed commercials, performed stand-up comedy around the country, performed with The Second City, kick-boxed a grizzly bear, stared down a tank, and defeated all thirteen Halo games and Scientology. He’s qualified.” For someone who claims to have experience as an editor and a director, you sure seem ignorant about how the industry works.
Clearly, you’re very sensitive.
Clearly not as sensitive as you. I only referenced what was readily available and right in front of my eyes. You looked me up to find out about me, but went out of your way to ignore over 70 acting credits over 10 years. You scrolled and scrolled and scrolled down through them and clicked on a link to see the seven projects that I’m listed as a stand-in on. You sure dug deep to find what you thought would be a clever insult but only managed to demonstrate your ability to ignore blatant and overwhelming facts.
Clearly, you’re very defensive.
Lol. No, clearly you’re very defensive and offensive and you can’t read because you completely missed the point of my comment if you think it’s defensive. You seem to struggle with grammar, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. A middle-aged white man trying to be a film critic but lacking even a grade school level grasp of the English language is very pathetic. I’m defensive? No, I just thoroughly enjoy tearing down idiotic losers and exposing them for all to see. 🙂
Clearly, you’re very angry.
Clearly, you have the intellect, deductive reasoning, and originality of a 10-year-old despite being about 50. Very pathetic indeed. As much as I enjoyed obliterating you, your lack of wit and brain capacity has made this boring and unlike you, I have a life to get back to, so I won’t be responding to feed the 50-year-old virgin troll any more. Do feel free to respond though to prove my point that you have no life.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI. They’ll be passed on to the editor.