Star Wars The Last Jedi: VERY LATE REVIEW (SPOILER WARNING!!!) NOT THAT IT PROBABLY MATTERS NOW

So I saw this film back when it was released in 2017 and havent managed to get around to reviewing it until now as I managed to find an old review I did for it elsewhere. I wasnt impressed with the film at all really and found it boring lack lusture and definetly subverting of my expectations from TFA in a bad way. However I feel my review of this not like a great deal of many others is fair and not too negative or too over the top in defense of the positive as this film did have flaws.

Anyway here we go with IMO the fair pros and cons

I think its going to be remembered as one of those films that people either love or hate.

 

 

For me I thought it was an average film but there was far too many poorly timed ridiculous comedy elements especially with Chewie and the ridiculous clearly puppet Porgs.

 

Hopefully this review brings more balance to the force of fighting SW fans. XD Probably not. Somehow I recon it will add more fuel to the fire.

 

The pros for me were:

 

Finns rejuvination suit and the scene where he wakes up leaking and bangs his head.

 

Poes character development was interesting if a little lack lusture and took up too much screen time.

 

Kylo Rens evolution from whiny bratt to a pretty intimidating cruel villan.

 

I completly understand the way Luke being the miserable way he was in this film because going back to ROTJ he was more or less a pacifist mainly choosing to win by not fighting e.g. throwing his lightsaber aside in ROTJ and allowing Palpatine to torture and potentially kill him in the hope of redeeming his father to save him.However Luke wouldnt really not act after his mistakes at all for perhaps 20 years or so when Ben fell to snokes side and the darkside because he knows all about turning people back from the darksidee and giving people second chances like his father Darth Vader from crying out loud so why not a curious,naive and confused Kylo. Yeah Kylo killed Han which is pretty unforgivable IMO unless he really regrets it but Vader killed Lukes mum,many children,e.g. jedi younglings and more or less genocide when it came to the Jedi order and probably other races or rebellions. So why would Luke give Vader a chance and not Kylo. Maybe Luke told Ben which is likely about his father and his struggle with the force but Kylo decided to piss him off even more and turn anyway which makes sense.

Also like Mark Hamill said he doubt Luke would just give up when Kylo killed his other students and turned some destroying his order eithout trying to fix his mistakes and going into hiding even if he raised the next Hitler. Also Luke is aware that galactic history events repeat themselves and should have been aware or have at least prepaired for the darksides return or one of his students like Kylo turning and perhaps destroying the order. Its also not like Luke lost everyone.He would still of had the help and support of Leia,the resistance the new republic and probably Han Chewie,Lando,Lor San Tekka and many more of his friends/allies he made in the 30yrs betwee 6 & 7. Though TBH Luke for most of the movie chosing not to fight and be a miserable bum was just thematically boring and a choice I would not have made despite making a good amount of sense to a certain extent.It just makes the viewer especially older SW fans disapointed and annoyed with a precious fan favourite character.

Old Luke and Yodas appearance even if Yoda did look a bit off facially,not see through and radioactively charged XD.

 

 

The graphics and space battle over D'Qar.

 

 

The brilliant fight sequence of Rey and Kylo Ren against Snokes Praetorian guard.

 

The captain Phasma and Finn fight scene was really really well choreographed like the prequel fight scenes relative to a deadly dance with skill,tension and rhythm and a lot of quick to get to power strikes and action without the unnecessary prolonged standoff talk beforehand.

Is Phasma gone for good now?

I hope not as it looks at least combat wise the character maybe coming into her own element. However I recon she will be the running joke of the trilogy to repeatedly get knocked down and come crawling back each time even more angrier. At least this time her demise was less daft than a trash compactor showing a more serious scarier villain being developed compared to the likes of Hux and sometimes a tantrum exploding Kylo. However if she does return in the next film I recon it will then be her last for sure with IX being the conclusion chapter unless they plan to keep her for another trilogy or spinoff after the sequel trilogy. Though it might be interesting to see Phasma kill off Rose or Finn for a change in IX for more emotional weight left behind when the war finally ends but its very unlikely that Disney will kill off one of its PC characters compared to an underdeveloped villain pushed to one side prominence wise.

I would also like to see what Phasma/Gwendoline Christies complete face looks like even if she is just a normal perfect human but I hope for something like a cyborg or maybe an android.

 

 

Canto Bight

DJ: Hes a really cool/clever character.However Im in two minds about him as his snake like stutter to add weird memorable character to him was so dumb and irritating it made me laugh how cool and unique they were trying to make him seem. Also he was a bit of a Lando ESB copy especially considering that he double crosses them. Lando should have been the master code-breaker for crying out loud. It would have made sense for him like Han to have history with Maz gambling wise and his charms could be what attracted Maz to him once, and Canto Bight is a casino world and Lando is a pro sabacc player/gambler who ran a casino on cloud city and won the place off the baron administrator in a game of sabacc. Also Lando could have made the canto bight sequence purposeful by being a FO kidnapped Finns long lost father.

 

I dont know what Ruin Johnson was thinking there because he was really for bringing Lando back and thought it would be a great idea.Well dumbo you could have made that boring part in your movie a whole lot more interesting if you did.

 

 

Snokes funny surprise death.Even though I dont think hes dead as he/Andy Serkis has been cast for the next film cos he might be a character who can reposes bodies.

Acually I wrote this part of the review a while ago before the official episode 9 cast list was recently announced so Im not sure about Andy Serkis's Snoke return unless it is as a flashback to show how he met Luke or the emperor or turned Ben Solo to the darkside.

 

 

Lukes scenes on the island along with the island native amphibian people called the caretakers.

The resistance vs FO skimmer fight on Crait was beautiful.

 

Lukes surprise illusion duel with Kylo Ren was interesting but it had a major plot whole concerning Luke wielding his classic blue lightsaber which Kylo had accidentally helped destroy 10-15 minutes earlier in his throne room squabble of thats my lightsaber with Rey. How did Kylo not think something was up when he saw that lightsaber brand new,unbroken and somehow in Lukes hands 15 mins later.I guess the excuse you could say was that Kylo was totally distracted by Lukes presence and finally coming face to face with his old master after all this time to notice.

 

 

Luke becoming one with the force whilst watching the binary sunset.

 

Vice Admiral Holdo like DJ a brilliant actor but a bit of an iffy undeveloped main character to take center stage.

 

Lieutenant Connix aka Carrie Fishers daughter being given a bigger part.

 

I thought that was very kind of Lucasfilm. :)

 

Snokes epic star destroyer.It was a really clever and cool design how the other smaller star destroyers docked into the Supremacy's wings.

 

Cons:

I like all the new canon films aside from the Last Jedi which I would say I dislike the most because it had some terrible troll style plot turns and decisions from Ruin Johnson like killing Luke off in a dumb way (just from exhaustion???,however his death moment was a beautiful call back to episode 4) in the 2nd film when we hadn't really got to see him much again nor the true less miserable version of Luke.

He should have died in 9 at least like George would have done perhaps saving Rey in a sacrifice and the future of the Jedi order. Also the TLJ had no plot TBH and was a dull space chase for the entire duration more or less.

Also why didn't Finn and Rose go off to find Resistance reinforcements or support of another kind like New Repbulic remnants or aligned Manderlorian groups then bring them back to finish off Kylo and the First Order fleet rather than some dodgy double crossing Lando copy. Killing off Snoke was a surprising and interesting revelation though. However I think like Lukes death it happened too soon and we didn't get to know anything about him. His death and Kylos takeover should have been left to episode 9 without killing off kylo perhaps and saving him for the next trilogy and killing off Rey by his hand but she has a child with Finn or something and that child could be the key in a future trilogy to restore the Jedi order like the last piece of hope.Giving this trilogy a dark ending would definitely make it more interesting and memorable.

Lastly I must say it felt like Rian Johnson wanted to make his own trilogy and cover all his interpretation of what it should in this single film by undermining allot of episode 7 and subverting exceptions which is clever but not in the interesting way whilst not leaving allot of story left especially concerning Luke for episode 9. Also Im not sure if Kylo can pull off being the big bad for episode 9 but we will have to just wait and see. Hopefully he has a bald look or long hair and a beard to show a large time jump which I think is expecting for IX.

 

BB-8 piloting the FO AT-ST was stupid.

The flash back scene where Luke was about to strike down Kylo Ren in his sleep after sensing his evil movtives.

 

Mark Hamills face was hilarious in the attempted assassination of Kylo Ren in the flashback sequences. I love that guy. He always makes me laugh even if he didn't intend to in that scene. XD

 

I also cant believe they chose to kill off Luke in the second movie after only having him for like 30 seconds in TFA & to have Luke as a miserable annoying farmboy bum again for most of the movie. XD. However I recon Luke is not dead and teleported to the force netherworld/death realm to get a greater understanding of the force and can return alive and well or went there to rejuvenate his life force after feeling drained after the whole complex long force illusion thingy.

Also Mark said he doesn't think Luke's dead and seriously hopes he isnt. He believed the Luke Skywalker teleported to a nudist colony after losing his robes. Yes,this may seem like a joke towards speculative fans but I also think he is being quite sincere minus the nudist colony part.Anyway Lukes robes aside from his cloak went with him anyway.

 

I hope he doesn't return just as a force ghost cos that would be boring and you wouldn't be worried about Luke getting killed meaning there's no tension or threat. Also I wanted to see a long hair Luke fight Kylo with his classic green saber but prequel lightsaber duel style. Im talking Mustafar,duel of fates style action here not a mere fake out Mexican standoff.

VII was okay and a bit of fun despite being a rehash of episode 4 for the most part. Kylo,Finn,Maz,Chewie,Leia and Hans death were interesting additions though,Solo was okay with some brilliant and some poor casting choices in terms of acting. I didn't really like Emilia Clarkes acting or Alden Enreiches & Rogue One was by far the best new SW film with awesome scenes and an awesome soundtrack. RO is definitely a top 3 SW film for me.

Ackbars unnecessary and non purposeful death should definitely have been swapped with Holdos unfairly epic one even if they had to kill him off . I know the voice actor died but he was just the voice actor. It hasn't stopped Peter Mathews Chewbacca being replaced by Joonas.

 

Rose was seriously a Disney modern PC character,lame uninteresting and boring.Come on shes just an engineer well that isnt really the problem.My issue is though that she broke/got in the way of the Finn and Rey romance becoming like some annoying fan girl third wheel with way too much screentime.

 

The Finn and Rose fathier riding scene had terrible background CGI in parts,seriously I advise you to go watch that sequence again and look at how fake it seems that they are there.

Daisy Ridleys unbearable gaping face and unconvincing acting.

 

Leia still being alive. This should have been her send off movie due to what happened in real life fore emotional poignancy and true meaning not Luke's.I know now that Carrie Fisher/Leia will have a part in episode 9 using left over footage from episode 7 & 8 which Im happy for as I love the character and the actress allot but Im very skeptical as how they will make it work in terms of her dialouge,having to wear her episode 7&8 costumes and give her a meaningful part and send off without being rushed or insignificant. This is why Leia should have died either at the begining or end of TLJ for the film to be remebered as a love letter to Leia and Carrie Fisher not Luke whose character could have continued and had the same or similar ending as the one in TLJ dying after being mortally wounded by Kylo like Qui Gon by Maul who was another grey style Jedi but in the same binary sunset fading way which was magneficant but too soon in VIII. Also when dying , Luke could have told Rey to promise him to train the broom boy if hes going to be a bigger character in 9 and to bring back the Jedi order in a similar fashion to Obi Wan promising Qui Gon to train Anakin beside his dying master.

 

I know Lucasfilm were probably trying to be respectful to Carrie Fisher due to her recent passing yet I find it almost even more insulting to keep the character alive rather than give her an emotional send off when she realistically cant be in episode 9.

 

 

Shes also not the sort of character to just disappear from a fight.

 

 

General Hux: Need I say more.

 

 

Leia literally forcing herself back to the ship was ridiculous. It was way too Mary Poppins. XD

"Im Mary Poppins Ya'lll!!!"

Disney seems to have been promoting their new Mary Poppins film out this December as Easter eggs in their other movies since Guardians of the galaxy Vol 2 in 2017.

 

The weird misleading info about who Reys parents might be and Kylo saying that they were just scavengers. Seems like a bit of a downer for something that could've been quite interesting. But it may be deliberate to sway people off.

Also can you really trust what Kylo says that Reys parents are just a couple of drunks?

Well Rey seemed to believe him anyway. Though I recon she either believed him through some convincing force mind trickery or because she is in love with him cos like Twilight girls seem to dig monsters XD. Although Kylo could have said it either to lower her moral as an enemy or to make her join him out of a lack of pride for herself and heritage or he could have lied to her about her being his sister and Han and Leia being both his and hers true parents to protect her from the truth because he killed their father that she never got to know and doesn't want to kill her and would rather she join him because shes his little sister.It also explains the force connection between the two after Snokes death a bit and why Kylo knew of the girl along with Snoke before the events of TFA. Also JJ originally planned I read somewhere for Han and Leia to be her parents and Kylo and Rey the yin and yang siblings in a similar but not the same fashion of Luke and Leia concerning the two main characters who don't know their siblings.

 

Overall I would give the film a 3/5.

 

Please feel free to comment and discuss. But please no arguing. ;) XD

 

Done