Last year, I celebrated the 40th anniversary of the first Star Wars movie by reviewing all the movies that had been released up to that point, stopping at The Force Awakens. For those who were wondering why I didn’t review The Last Jedi, it was because I didn’t think I’d see it in time to include it in my recap. I have no theater nearby, and they cost a LOT these days anyway.
So, was it worth waiting longer than most people to see what happens after that great cliffhanger of Rey finding Luke and giving him his light saber? Yes! In fact, I’ll say this right now: The Last Jedi is the best Disney Star Wars movie so far. It’s the best movie since the prequels. Ignore every hater.
One reason I like this movie is that there is more going on. The Force Awakens was a quest, similar in scope to A New Hope. Here we get to see some great character development, especially for Finn.
In The Force Awakens, Finn was a cowardly lion. He defied the Stormtroopers by refusing to follow orders and shoot innocent people, but he was frightened of what would happen if any stormtroopers found him. Now, he bravely faces one down and when the leader calls him “scum”, he defiantly replies “Rebel scum”. I loved his relationship with Rose and that scene where they go to the casino and see the decadence of those who benefit the most from the First Order. Rose was a great new character, and I’d love to see more of her.
Many people complained about what Luke is doing in this movie–living like a hermit. Did any of you see the previous movies? What did Yoda do when he couldn’t defeat Palpatine? He ran away to the Dagobah swamps. Obi-Wan Kenobi changed his name and became a hermit on the desert planet of Tatooine. When you think about it, Luke is just doing what his mentors did. Here is a man broken because he couldn’t stop his student from following the path his father had. I can understand why he became a hermit. It gave Rey some good depth too, which she needed.
Poe was the one who surprised me the most. You probably notice I didn’t talk about him in The Force Awakens. I honestly had forgotten he was in the movie. He had a lot to do in this movie. What I liked best was his maverick actions actually made things worse for the Rebels. Usually when someone is a maverick, their actions save the day and they just get a slap on the wrist. The dude’s lucky he’s not the new janitor! (Finn would probably laugh if that happened.)
I won’t say The Last Jedi is better than the originals. That’s stupid. But Disney is doing a great job so far. Next year, you’ll see my thoughts on Solo. Sorry you guys have to wait so long.
Aspie Catholic 