Well, I liked it.
I’ll put it this way: “The Last Jedi” is a small tale that takes place on an enormous playing field. It’s the least successful when it noses around its vast surroundings purely for the sake of diversion, and it really clicks when its characters are shoved together and studied through direct conflict with one another rather than through meandering subplots. This, I’m sure, is what fans and hecklers alike can agree upon: some parts of “The Last Jedi” aren’t up to snuff, but others unmistakably, and wondrously, are.
Still, many have called this one a letdown. I can only guess that they were anticipating less leisure and more business from the follow-up to J.J. Abrams’ lucrative hit “The Force Awakens” (that is, those who didn't participate in the disturbingly racist and sexist social media storm that followed the movie’s release and actually tried judging the movie based on how good it was). It’s true that it takes a while for writer and director Rian Johnson to nudge the cookie jar within our reach, and even by that point, some viewers may feel as though they’ve spent an hour too long with a very condescending Mark Hamill.
“The Last Jedi” nevertheless passes as stimulating entertainment; as with any blockbuster, it’s marinated in helping after helping of fluffy, saturated effects — my second favorite shot closes in on a herd of scrappy dogs, glittering in the bitter wind with thick coats of frost as they scamper across a barren plain buried under salt (it’s a small moment, but a graceful one). What separates the movie from the mainstream pack, for better or worse, is its pace; despite having the longest runtime out of the nine films of the series to date, this one feels more reserved than its predecessor, which was cheesy, overstuffed, a little conventional, and wildly enjoyable.
Instead, Johnson takes his time here, and for the most part, it’s more time we spend enjoying ourselves. Like many were expecting it to, “The Last Jedi” mirrors much of its 1980 counterpart “The Empire Strikes Back” (“Awakens” caught flak for its uncanny resemblance to 1977’s “A New Hope”). The aspiring Rey, played by returner Daisy Ridley, pursues her inevitable training on a remote island with the recluse Jedi master Luke Skywalker (Hamill), who is prepared to let the increasingly irrelevant Jedi religion wither out in his absence. Haunted by the mistakes of his secretive past, he is a wiser yet moodier man than when we last saw him in “Return of the Jedi” — if Yoda was a distinguished scholar of the Force, Luke is now its snappy, sleep-deprived substitute teacher. He must guide Rey, but first, Rey must guide Luke.
Through her choppy instruction, she prepares to confront Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and the nasty First Order, which currently nips at the heels of the retreating Rebellion. Our heroes have become defenseless, and with her fleet dangerously low on fuel, Vice Admiral Holdo (Laura Dern) has no choice but to lead Resistance ships forward as the enemy closes in. On board, the spunky pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) privately sends Finn (John Boyega) and Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) to Canto Bight in search of someone who can hack into the First Order’s advanced tracking technology. These two rebels make their own punchlines rather than decisions — Rose is fatally sweet, and Finn, while bright, possesses trace amounts of egomania and klutziness. I like them both, but their cheerful chemistry takes on a life of its own and dilutes the urgency of their mission. Still, chemistry.
First, the problem: Johnson juggles a couple of storylines, some of which are more functional than others. One of the many ways “Awakens” was able to pull its audience’s strings was to conceal its true protagonist. In that film, Rey and Finn were equally interesting, Rey seeking purpose as a wandering orphan and Finn seeking redemption as a fleeing war criminal. No one wrestles for the spotlight in “The Last Jedi.” Rey now confidently lies at the center of this Star Wars trilogy, and it’s her lone quest to rescue the galaxy. Finn, once a complex paradox of greed and selflessness, has been demoted to an underwhelming, reactionary role, and the lopsidedness shows in the script. Rey’s gradual maturation slowly leads her closer to solving the intertwined enigmas of Luke, Kylo, and her estranged parents, whereas Finn’s minor journey leads him to gawk at a couple of poker tables in a casino that’s awfully reminiscent of Mos Eisley. It’s comic relief, yes, but it’s also a bit of a missed opportunity.
Fortunately, while “The Last Jedi” fumbles some investing characters, others step up to the plate. Kylo Ren has become just as much a character as Rey and feels written specifically for her, repulsing her with her fears and luring her with her hopes. The two adversaries’ consciousnesses are inexplicably linked together so that they can talk as though they’re in the same room, trapped in a sort of stalemate. In a stroke of miniature genius, Johnson stages their conversations through a tense series of minimalist shots and reverse shots across the universe. Ridley and Driver bring an intriguing and emotional fragility to their scenes — do their characters attract each other because they see losses they identify with, or weaknesses they can exploit? Their bizarre relationship makes for some juicy drama, as well as a continuous puzzle that’s genuinely hard to solve.
If the show isn’t Ridley’s or Driver’s, it’s Hamill’s. As much as he teases, Luke has more personality in these training sequences alone than he ever did in the originals, and even when “The Last Jedi” isn’t really going anywhere, he lends it a loose, amiable demeanor that I find hard not to admire. I can tell you that he can get a laugh easier than the Porgs (Ewoks 2.0) who inhabit the island, and his voice is certainly gentler on the ears.
If this has sounded like a mixed review, let me be clear about my advice: go ahead and see the movie. I found “The Last Jedi” to be a delightful stew of fun and filler, unafraid to toss poking inquiries aside and embrace a breezier flightpath than the one prescribed by fan expectations. I have my reservations about the grossly unpopular Canto Bight sequence, but those reservations concern what might have been, not what is. Perhaps I should refer to my glowing review of “The Force Awakens,” which celebrated the human focus that the film so wonderfully captured. The scenes with Finn and Rose don’t really work, but Finn and Rose do. They, like Luke, keep the film afloat with a golden lifeline of warmth, as when Rose sadly laments the silver spoons of those who least deserve it. How odd (and somewhat relieving!) is it that the biggest movie in the world, spawned from the most untouchable franchise in the film industry, feels relaxed, even patient, before its big finale?
By the way, “The Last Jedi” has quite the finale. In the last hour or so, the movie ramps up in ways I can’t really share without spoilers; without saying too much, my favorite shot of the film flashes onto the screen just as the sound abruptly cuts out, diffusing a shocking silence so seismic that you could hear a needle drop in the next theater over. I still prefer Abrams’ zippy visual acrobatics over the relatively sober vision we get from Johnson, but I’d be lying if I said that the director didn’t have me wrapped around his finger by the end of “The Last Jedi.” Still, this is Star Wars we’re talking about, and Disney will squeeze all the money it can into its action scenes to make them adequately daring. This is no surprise. I’m here to tell you that in “The Last Jedi,” the characters continue to think for themselves after they outrun the explosions.
