Search
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017) in Movies
Dec 17, 2019
Without a shadow of doubt, The Last Jedi is the most divisive entry in the Star Wars saga. Some people absolutely loved it, others hated it with a deep rooted passion. Personally, I sit somewhere in the middle.
I would be lying if I said that I wasn't a little dissappointed with TLJ. After the fantastic (albeit safe AF) The Force Awakens, the tone of this follow up takes a sharp turn.
A huge focus of TLJ is Luke Skywalker, and his complete disinterest in the Jedi way. I found myself struggling to accept this at times. I almost felt like that although this was an interesting avenue to explore, it didn't fit quite right with the main storyline.
Another issue I took with TLJ is some of the character arcs attributed to a few of the cast. The focal point in this regard is Kylo Ren and Rey, which is fine, but characters set up in TFA ar forced into a backseat role. An example of this is Finn. In TFA, he was interesting, existing as a defective stormtrooper. It felt fresh! Now that he is a fully fledged rebel, he just has nothing to do, and spends most of his screen time bumbling around a really out of place casino planet, a scene which plays out like an extended scene from Austin Powers.
Poe Dameron is similar, here all he seems to do is argue with a new character played by (a completely wasted) Laura Dern. It just all seems a bit loose, and it's unclear where it wants to go at time.
I absolutely respect that Rian Johnson opted to go in a different path, but it misses the mark for me more often than not.
That being said, there is still plenty to like about TLJ. I really enjoy Adam Drivers performance as Kylo Ren once again, and definitely the most engaging character here. The connection between him and Rey is explored a bit more, and it definitely provides some of the films high points, including a thrilling and incredible looking fight scene in the Supreme Leader's throne room.
The action sequences look amazing as they did in TFA, and the whole finale scene set on Crait is incredibly striking and colourful.
As I said, I left the cinema feeling a little disheartened, but I still liked The Last Jedi. It has some high highs, and some frustrating lows, but us Star Wars fans are used to that by now!
I would be lying if I said that I wasn't a little dissappointed with TLJ. After the fantastic (albeit safe AF) The Force Awakens, the tone of this follow up takes a sharp turn.
A huge focus of TLJ is Luke Skywalker, and his complete disinterest in the Jedi way. I found myself struggling to accept this at times. I almost felt like that although this was an interesting avenue to explore, it didn't fit quite right with the main storyline.
Another issue I took with TLJ is some of the character arcs attributed to a few of the cast. The focal point in this regard is Kylo Ren and Rey, which is fine, but characters set up in TFA ar forced into a backseat role. An example of this is Finn. In TFA, he was interesting, existing as a defective stormtrooper. It felt fresh! Now that he is a fully fledged rebel, he just has nothing to do, and spends most of his screen time bumbling around a really out of place casino planet, a scene which plays out like an extended scene from Austin Powers.
Poe Dameron is similar, here all he seems to do is argue with a new character played by (a completely wasted) Laura Dern. It just all seems a bit loose, and it's unclear where it wants to go at time.
I absolutely respect that Rian Johnson opted to go in a different path, but it misses the mark for me more often than not.
That being said, there is still plenty to like about TLJ. I really enjoy Adam Drivers performance as Kylo Ren once again, and definitely the most engaging character here. The connection between him and Rey is explored a bit more, and it definitely provides some of the films high points, including a thrilling and incredible looking fight scene in the Supreme Leader's throne room.
The action sequences look amazing as they did in TFA, and the whole finale scene set on Crait is incredibly striking and colourful.
As I said, I left the cinema feeling a little disheartened, but I still liked The Last Jedi. It has some high highs, and some frustrating lows, but us Star Wars fans are used to that by now!
Otway93 (567 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga in Video Games
Apr 26, 2022
Character Roster (2 more)
Humour
Gameplay
Character Skins (3 more)
Collectibles
Replayability
Crashing
The Force was with them...mostly.
Contains spoilers, click to show
After 2 years of waiting, it's finally here, and for the most part, we are not disappointed! As someone who was there for the release of the original Lego Star Wars in 2005, I can say things have got better, and things have got worse. It balances out pretty well.
The game allows us to play through one of the most important and popular cinematic sagas in history, never missing a moment as far as I've noticed, and not forgetting that hilarious Lego video game humour that we've come to love over the years.
With around 380 characters (kind of, I'll get to that) to unlock and play as, from the most beloved characters to the guy you forgot existed and still don't really remember from the films, you have character choices aplenty, with different skills and upgrades to keep you going for a long time.
So that's the positives, so far so good. But now, alas, some quite big negatives.
Firstly, as I mentioned, you can unlock around 380 characters to play as...kind of. The term "character" here is a bit misleading. There's plenty of characters, yes, more than you could really want, but with some characters they have multiple skins to show off their wardrobe from across the saga. Luke Skywalker for example has 17 different skins all classed as a separate character.
Secondly, the collectibles. In this game, the blue bricks that have featured in the free roam of previous games, have reached a new high in terms of quantity. Over 1,100 to be found, all can be found via a number of repetitive tasks.
Thirdly, crashing seems to be a huge issue on the PS5 version. The game for me has crashed and closed over a dozen times since day one while using the character selection. That plus the lack of a manual save feature makes for some frustrating moments and wasted time.
And finally, and perhaps most disappointingly, replaying levels. The entire game has 45 main story levels, 5 per episode, These levels are really only highlights, just the most memorable parts, you can't go back and enjoy everything from the beginning. Level 1 for example would see you instantly speeding away from the giant fish as you leave the Gungan city, while level 2 puts you straight into the Podracing.
Overall, this is a great game that I would recommend to any Star Wars fan, but it was far from perfect in terms of design.
The game allows us to play through one of the most important and popular cinematic sagas in history, never missing a moment as far as I've noticed, and not forgetting that hilarious Lego video game humour that we've come to love over the years.
With around 380 characters (kind of, I'll get to that) to unlock and play as, from the most beloved characters to the guy you forgot existed and still don't really remember from the films, you have character choices aplenty, with different skills and upgrades to keep you going for a long time.
So that's the positives, so far so good. But now, alas, some quite big negatives.
Firstly, as I mentioned, you can unlock around 380 characters to play as...kind of. The term "character" here is a bit misleading. There's plenty of characters, yes, more than you could really want, but with some characters they have multiple skins to show off their wardrobe from across the saga. Luke Skywalker for example has 17 different skins all classed as a separate character.
Secondly, the collectibles. In this game, the blue bricks that have featured in the free roam of previous games, have reached a new high in terms of quantity. Over 1,100 to be found, all can be found via a number of repetitive tasks.
Thirdly, crashing seems to be a huge issue on the PS5 version. The game for me has crashed and closed over a dozen times since day one while using the character selection. That plus the lack of a manual save feature makes for some frustrating moments and wasted time.
And finally, and perhaps most disappointingly, replaying levels. The entire game has 45 main story levels, 5 per episode, These levels are really only highlights, just the most memorable parts, you can't go back and enjoy everything from the beginning. Level 1 for example would see you instantly speeding away from the giant fish as you leave the Gungan city, while level 2 puts you straight into the Podracing.
Overall, this is a great game that I would recommend to any Star Wars fan, but it was far from perfect in terms of design.
RəX Regent (349 KP) rated Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) in Movies
Feb 20, 2019
This is not the first Star Wars spin-off, but it is joining a legacy of sub par entries to the franchise, certainly as where the big screen has been concerned, with two Ewoks movies and The Clone Wars TV pilot come movie to contend with. But Rogue One is first to take on the mantle of a blockbuster and attempt to compete with the very best of the Saga, if not join them.
In many ways, Rogue One is the prequel that we have been waiting for, taking place directly before the original movie, A New Hope, Gareth Edwards of Monsters (2010) and Godzilla fame, has managed to create a fan boy's dream following the events which are mentioned in the opening crawl for that classic movie, the theft of the Death Star plans which would ultimately lead to Luke Skywalker's "shot in a million" to destroy the moon sized planet killer.
But here, the task was to both take Star Wars in new new direction as well as to flesh out the story of the Star Wars saga itself. They manage to pull this off with the only real complaint being the pacing which is sporadic at best. With a combination of contrived plotting and uneven pacing, the starker, war movie which this is, can feel at times, like a check list of everything that fans have wanted to see on the big screen since 1983 and as such, runs the risk of being a vacuous, through-away movie, the "greatest hits" as it were.
But I feel that it skirts this issue and manages to stay on the side of narrative integrity, just about. We finally see Darth Vader, post Episode III for the first time in a life action film since 2005, something which the prequels failed to deliver and whilst at first it seemed to be a crowd pleasing cameo, by the finale, it paid off perfectly, as did the resurrection of the late Peter Cushing's Grand Moff Tarkin, with the aid of ground breaking, if not morally questionable CGI effects. This was also used to bring us a cameo from Princess Laia (1977) to great effect.
Also, integrating stock footage of the original Red and Gold Squadron pilots from Star Wars (1977) and the demise of the original Red 5, who's place Luke Skywalker would assume, were all nice touches.
In the end, at best Rogue One serves to turn the original Star Wars movie into and two part epic, with this movie seamlessly leading into the opening of Star Wars but how does it hold up in its own right?
Well, it is entertaining, well acted, if not let down by Gareth Edwards' slightly uneven direction, but how the notorious re-shoots, which have clearly left several key shots form the trailers on the cutting room floor and possibly changes the finale significantly, effected this is as yet unknown, and Michael Giacchino's slightly over the top bombastic score, Rogue One will certainly be an entertaining and action packed entry into the Star Wars universe.
But the true success of this film lies with its expansion of the Saga as a whole, bridging the less popular prequels with the original trilogy for the first time on the big screen, taking on finally, what J.J. Abrams' The Force Awakens (2015) deliberately chose not too. Hopefully Episode VIII (2017) follow in the same vein, finally repairing some of the issues which Lucas' much derided prequels, which at their heart, may have had much more to offer than Lucas' poor direction let us see the first time around.
In many ways, Rogue One is the prequel that we have been waiting for, taking place directly before the original movie, A New Hope, Gareth Edwards of Monsters (2010) and Godzilla fame, has managed to create a fan boy's dream following the events which are mentioned in the opening crawl for that classic movie, the theft of the Death Star plans which would ultimately lead to Luke Skywalker's "shot in a million" to destroy the moon sized planet killer.
But here, the task was to both take Star Wars in new new direction as well as to flesh out the story of the Star Wars saga itself. They manage to pull this off with the only real complaint being the pacing which is sporadic at best. With a combination of contrived plotting and uneven pacing, the starker, war movie which this is, can feel at times, like a check list of everything that fans have wanted to see on the big screen since 1983 and as such, runs the risk of being a vacuous, through-away movie, the "greatest hits" as it were.
But I feel that it skirts this issue and manages to stay on the side of narrative integrity, just about. We finally see Darth Vader, post Episode III for the first time in a life action film since 2005, something which the prequels failed to deliver and whilst at first it seemed to be a crowd pleasing cameo, by the finale, it paid off perfectly, as did the resurrection of the late Peter Cushing's Grand Moff Tarkin, with the aid of ground breaking, if not morally questionable CGI effects. This was also used to bring us a cameo from Princess Laia (1977) to great effect.
Also, integrating stock footage of the original Red and Gold Squadron pilots from Star Wars (1977) and the demise of the original Red 5, who's place Luke Skywalker would assume, were all nice touches.
In the end, at best Rogue One serves to turn the original Star Wars movie into and two part epic, with this movie seamlessly leading into the opening of Star Wars but how does it hold up in its own right?
Well, it is entertaining, well acted, if not let down by Gareth Edwards' slightly uneven direction, but how the notorious re-shoots, which have clearly left several key shots form the trailers on the cutting room floor and possibly changes the finale significantly, effected this is as yet unknown, and Michael Giacchino's slightly over the top bombastic score, Rogue One will certainly be an entertaining and action packed entry into the Star Wars universe.
But the true success of this film lies with its expansion of the Saga as a whole, bridging the less popular prequels with the original trilogy for the first time on the big screen, taking on finally, what J.J. Abrams' The Force Awakens (2015) deliberately chose not too. Hopefully Episode VIII (2017) follow in the same vein, finally repairing some of the issues which Lucas' much derided prequels, which at their heart, may have had much more to offer than Lucas' poor direction let us see the first time around.
Gareth von Kallenbach (965 KP) rated Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
The eagerly anticipated next chapter in the Star Wars saga; “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” has arrived and it is by far one of the best films in the series and a significant upgrade over “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”. The film picks up where the last film concluded as Rey (Daisy Ridley), has located the long in hiding Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), and attempts to recruit him to return to fight the evil First Order and train her in the ways of the Force.
At the same time, the First Order has commenced an assault on the retreating forces of the Resistance and this has caused a rift when key members of the command staff are lost/injured leaving Vice Admiral Holdo (Laura Dern) in charge. Her style does not mesh well with the impulsive Poe Damron (Oscar Isaac), and in a move of desperation, he oversees a mission for Finn (John Boyega), and Rose (Kelley Marie Tran), to make a desperate move to allow the forces to escape the relentless assault and pursuit of the First Order.
For many films, the above scenario would be enough to comprise the bulk of the movie but in the case of The Last Jedi, it is simply part of a much larger and far more intricate storyline that is at times much deeper and darker than one would expect from a Star Wars film.
Rey finds Skywalker a broken and bitter man who is consumed with his past failure regarding his Nephew Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), and wants no part of his former glory and praise believing the best thing for the Universe would be for the Jedi to end.
Ren at the same time is a conflicted mess as he is eager to win the approval of his brutal master Snoke (Andy Serkis), while being drawn to Rey who believes he can be redeemed. It is this conflict as well as the tug of war between Snoke, Ren, and General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson), that shows a much more dynamic and complicated connection between the characters as well as drives home their complexity of their relationships and the situations they find themselves in.
The late Carrie Fisher is captivating as General Leia and her presence lifts the scenes she is in. She portrays Leia with a calm yet feisty and determined edge which shows that she is always in control no matter the situation.
The action in the film comes in waves and when it arrives, it is a wonder to behold as the lavish visuals and complex action sequences are dazzling but unlike the Prequels, never once overwhelm the cast as this is first and foremost a character driven story.
The film does put more of an emphasis on the new characters vs the old, but as this was always the plan, it is nice to see that older characters are not shoved aside or given a token cameo, they are still central to the plot just let the younger cast do more of the heavy lifting, but still get plenty of moments to shine.
Writer/Director Rian Johnson has done a masterful job in crafting a new entry into the series that not only entertains, but gives a deeper and dark look at the universe which makes the film easily one of the best Star Wars films ever made. There are sequences that will delight and surprise fans, and when it was over and I could catch my breath and reflect upon what I had just seen, I found myself saying that I could not have asked for a better sequel as it not only entertained thoroughly, but provided plenty of unexpected moments that makes me all the more anxious to see how the new trilogy concludes in 2019. “Star Wars”: The Last Jedi” is the film that fans have been waiting for as it contains all of the best elements of Star Wars and boldly moves the franchise ahead.
http://sknr.net/2017/12/12/star-wars-last-jedi/
At the same time, the First Order has commenced an assault on the retreating forces of the Resistance and this has caused a rift when key members of the command staff are lost/injured leaving Vice Admiral Holdo (Laura Dern) in charge. Her style does not mesh well with the impulsive Poe Damron (Oscar Isaac), and in a move of desperation, he oversees a mission for Finn (John Boyega), and Rose (Kelley Marie Tran), to make a desperate move to allow the forces to escape the relentless assault and pursuit of the First Order.
For many films, the above scenario would be enough to comprise the bulk of the movie but in the case of The Last Jedi, it is simply part of a much larger and far more intricate storyline that is at times much deeper and darker than one would expect from a Star Wars film.
Rey finds Skywalker a broken and bitter man who is consumed with his past failure regarding his Nephew Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), and wants no part of his former glory and praise believing the best thing for the Universe would be for the Jedi to end.
Ren at the same time is a conflicted mess as he is eager to win the approval of his brutal master Snoke (Andy Serkis), while being drawn to Rey who believes he can be redeemed. It is this conflict as well as the tug of war between Snoke, Ren, and General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson), that shows a much more dynamic and complicated connection between the characters as well as drives home their complexity of their relationships and the situations they find themselves in.
The late Carrie Fisher is captivating as General Leia and her presence lifts the scenes she is in. She portrays Leia with a calm yet feisty and determined edge which shows that she is always in control no matter the situation.
The action in the film comes in waves and when it arrives, it is a wonder to behold as the lavish visuals and complex action sequences are dazzling but unlike the Prequels, never once overwhelm the cast as this is first and foremost a character driven story.
The film does put more of an emphasis on the new characters vs the old, but as this was always the plan, it is nice to see that older characters are not shoved aside or given a token cameo, they are still central to the plot just let the younger cast do more of the heavy lifting, but still get plenty of moments to shine.
Writer/Director Rian Johnson has done a masterful job in crafting a new entry into the series that not only entertains, but gives a deeper and dark look at the universe which makes the film easily one of the best Star Wars films ever made. There are sequences that will delight and surprise fans, and when it was over and I could catch my breath and reflect upon what I had just seen, I found myself saying that I could not have asked for a better sequel as it not only entertained thoroughly, but provided plenty of unexpected moments that makes me all the more anxious to see how the new trilogy concludes in 2019. “Star Wars”: The Last Jedi” is the film that fans have been waiting for as it contains all of the best elements of Star Wars and boldly moves the franchise ahead.
http://sknr.net/2017/12/12/star-wars-last-jedi/
LEGO® Star Wars™: The Complete Saga
Games and Entertainment
App
LEGO® Star Wars™: The Complete Saga is available on iOS for the first time! ***Episode I Story...
Gareth von Kallenbach (965 KP) rated the Xbox One version of LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga in Video Games
Apr 28, 2022
I first saw Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga at E3 2019 during a meeting with Warner Bros. Interactive. Even at that stage of development, it was clear that the game had enormous potential as not only did it offer fun and quirky gameplay, but it also allowed players the chance to explore multiple locales from the film and play in a story and sandbox mode.
The game covers the nine episodic films in the series and allows players to play multiple characters big and small from the films as well as use multiple vehicles and weapons as they battle and solve puzzles to complete the levels.
As with most Lego-themed games there is plenty of humor and the game while following the general outline of the film plots does have some deviations which allow for some expanded gameplay and humor-filled moments.
Recreating the rescue of Luke from the cold on Hoth for example required a Tauntaun Ride to three locales to defeat enemies and align communication dishes in order to complete the task at hand.
Players can select the character they wish to control as at times one such as R2-D2 will be needed to complete a puzzle to unlock a terminal while another will be needed for their firepower or other abilities.
There are loads of cosmetics, characters, and vehicles that can be unlocked, and what I found so amazing was the incredible depth each chapter offered. Side quests and exploring could be done or players can select a more linear path and complete the missions.
The graphics in the game are series best as playing on an Xbox Series S the detail level was amazing and on more than one occasion I had to keep myself focused on the mission versus exploring.
The replay value of the game is also amazing as there is just so much content available that allows players to be creative and above all have fun.
In keeping with the Lego brand, the game is ideal for all ages as while there are plenty of characters being shot and explosions, the end result is usually a pile of bricks for players to collect. The sound and music in the game also need to be noted as there is a great mix of voice talents, sounds, and movies that will transport players deep into the Star Wars universe.
On more than one instance I found myself saying that I would play one more chapter before stopping only to find myself powering on for extended gameplay sessions.
I cannot say enough great things about the game as it is for my taste the best Lego-themed game ever and a must-own game for Star Wars fans of any age.
5 stars out of 5
The game covers the nine episodic films in the series and allows players to play multiple characters big and small from the films as well as use multiple vehicles and weapons as they battle and solve puzzles to complete the levels.
As with most Lego-themed games there is plenty of humor and the game while following the general outline of the film plots does have some deviations which allow for some expanded gameplay and humor-filled moments.
Recreating the rescue of Luke from the cold on Hoth for example required a Tauntaun Ride to three locales to defeat enemies and align communication dishes in order to complete the task at hand.
Players can select the character they wish to control as at times one such as R2-D2 will be needed to complete a puzzle to unlock a terminal while another will be needed for their firepower or other abilities.
There are loads of cosmetics, characters, and vehicles that can be unlocked, and what I found so amazing was the incredible depth each chapter offered. Side quests and exploring could be done or players can select a more linear path and complete the missions.
The graphics in the game are series best as playing on an Xbox Series S the detail level was amazing and on more than one occasion I had to keep myself focused on the mission versus exploring.
The replay value of the game is also amazing as there is just so much content available that allows players to be creative and above all have fun.
In keeping with the Lego brand, the game is ideal for all ages as while there are plenty of characters being shot and explosions, the end result is usually a pile of bricks for players to collect. The sound and music in the game also need to be noted as there is a great mix of voice talents, sounds, and movies that will transport players deep into the Star Wars universe.
On more than one instance I found myself saying that I would play one more chapter before stopping only to find myself powering on for extended gameplay sessions.
I cannot say enough great things about the game as it is for my taste the best Lego-themed game ever and a must-own game for Star Wars fans of any age.
5 stars out of 5
Star Wars: Rivals™
Games and Entertainment
7.5
Rate It
App
Fast-paced, competitive shooter set in the Star Wars™ universe! Confront your rivals in the first...
Star Wars: Rebellion
8.3
Rate It
Tabletop Game
Star Wars: Rebellion is a board game of epic conflict between the Galactic Empire and Rebel Alliance...
Boardgames StarwarsGames MiniaturesGames
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017) in Movies
Jun 10, 2019
The Galaxy like you've never seen it before
Crafting sequels is never easy, but creating a fitting sequel to 2015’s biggest movie and one of the world’s biggest franchises is no easy feat. Not only do you have to make a film that moves the game on from The Force Awakens, but one that also meets the incredibly high expectations of fans across the globe.
Who took on this ridiculous job I hear you cry? Well Looper’s Rian Johnson takes over directorial duties from J.J. Abrams and the result is The Last Jedi. But is this a fitting sequel or a lacklustre affair?
Following on from the events of 2015’s The Force Awakens, Rey (Daisy Ridley) develops her newly discovered abilities with the guidance of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), who is unsettled by the strength of her powers. Meanwhile, the Resistance, led by General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) prepares to do battle with not only the First Order, but Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) too.
The Last Jedi opens with a beautifully choreographed battle between good and evil as Resistance pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Issac), assisted by the adorable BB-8, tries to take on the evil First Order. This stunningly directed sequence sets up The Last Jedi perfectly – this is one hell of a good-looking film.
Practical effects are the order of the day here, something some other franchises seem to have forgotten about, and the movie is all the better for having them there. From large scale model ships to the more intricate fauna, The Last Jedi seeps with attention to detail – no stone has been left unturned in creating a living, breathing world. So, it’s all the more disappointing to be sucked out of the spectacle with some occasionally very shoddy CGI.
Apart from a couple of lapses that are geared more towards the film’s finale, The Last Jedi is probably the best-looking Star Wars film out there. From the blood-red lair of Supreme Leader Snoke to the salt-encrusted planet of the film’s gorgeous finale, every frame gives you something to look at. Rian Johnson carefully focusses the cameras on our main characters, using intense close-ups to bleed every single drop of emotion from them. Speaking of which, the entire cast is absolutely mesmerising.
Daisy Ridley deserves recognition for being utterly brilliant in this instalment. I had my reservations about her ability to cope with the toll this franchise would take on the actress but she has proved me wrong, and then some. John Boyega is excellent and Laura Dern’s addition to the galaxy is wonderful. The problem is the cast is just so huge, it’s impossible to mention everyone. Oh, Adam Driver’s performance really has to be seen to be believed and Kylo Ren is definitely moving up the ranks of the Star Wars villain hierarchy. His take on the character in The Last Jedi is exceptional.
If The Force Awakens was J.J. Abrams love letter to the franchise, then The Last Jedi is the break-up song
Special mention must go however, to Carrie Fisher. Rian Johnson has stated that none of Fisher’s scenes were changed or moved after the actresses’ untimely death last year, but her time on screen really does take on new, and emotional, meaning here. Princess Leia is as much a Star Wars staple as Chewie, Luke or Han and the galaxy certainly won’t shine brighter without her presence. Nevertheless, this was a fitting tribute to the actress and a wonderful body of work to have her name attached to.
The script is like nothing Star Wars has ever seen before. Riddled with more twists and turns than spaghetti junction, it’s almost entirely unpredictable and that’s something you really don’t see come around very often. In any other franchise it would be exhausting, but here it’s exhilarating and incredibly well written.
At 152 minutes, The Last Jedi is a long film, the longest in the franchise in fact and there’s no getting away from that. The middle act in which some of our heroes traverse a vast casino planet are a little off pace and it does have a whiff of George Lucas’ less than stellar prequels about it, but the rest of the film moves at breakneck speed.
Overall, Rian Johnson has taken risks here and the majority of them pay off with fantastic results; Star Wars: The Last Jedi is a worthy sequel to an ever-growing brand and one that outdoes its predecessor by some margin. If The Force Awakens was J.J. Abrams love letter to the franchise, then The Last Jedi is the break-up song because while still feeling like a Star Wars movie in many ways, it’s so different it’ll have you picking your jaw up off the floor more than once. My only question is: why isn’t Rian Johnson directing Episode IX?
https://moviemetropolis.net/2017/12/14/star-wars-the-last-jedi-review-the-galaxy-like-youve-never-seen-it-before/
Who took on this ridiculous job I hear you cry? Well Looper’s Rian Johnson takes over directorial duties from J.J. Abrams and the result is The Last Jedi. But is this a fitting sequel or a lacklustre affair?
Following on from the events of 2015’s The Force Awakens, Rey (Daisy Ridley) develops her newly discovered abilities with the guidance of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), who is unsettled by the strength of her powers. Meanwhile, the Resistance, led by General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) prepares to do battle with not only the First Order, but Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) too.
The Last Jedi opens with a beautifully choreographed battle between good and evil as Resistance pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Issac), assisted by the adorable BB-8, tries to take on the evil First Order. This stunningly directed sequence sets up The Last Jedi perfectly – this is one hell of a good-looking film.
Practical effects are the order of the day here, something some other franchises seem to have forgotten about, and the movie is all the better for having them there. From large scale model ships to the more intricate fauna, The Last Jedi seeps with attention to detail – no stone has been left unturned in creating a living, breathing world. So, it’s all the more disappointing to be sucked out of the spectacle with some occasionally very shoddy CGI.
Apart from a couple of lapses that are geared more towards the film’s finale, The Last Jedi is probably the best-looking Star Wars film out there. From the blood-red lair of Supreme Leader Snoke to the salt-encrusted planet of the film’s gorgeous finale, every frame gives you something to look at. Rian Johnson carefully focusses the cameras on our main characters, using intense close-ups to bleed every single drop of emotion from them. Speaking of which, the entire cast is absolutely mesmerising.
Daisy Ridley deserves recognition for being utterly brilliant in this instalment. I had my reservations about her ability to cope with the toll this franchise would take on the actress but she has proved me wrong, and then some. John Boyega is excellent and Laura Dern’s addition to the galaxy is wonderful. The problem is the cast is just so huge, it’s impossible to mention everyone. Oh, Adam Driver’s performance really has to be seen to be believed and Kylo Ren is definitely moving up the ranks of the Star Wars villain hierarchy. His take on the character in The Last Jedi is exceptional.
If The Force Awakens was J.J. Abrams love letter to the franchise, then The Last Jedi is the break-up song
Special mention must go however, to Carrie Fisher. Rian Johnson has stated that none of Fisher’s scenes were changed or moved after the actresses’ untimely death last year, but her time on screen really does take on new, and emotional, meaning here. Princess Leia is as much a Star Wars staple as Chewie, Luke or Han and the galaxy certainly won’t shine brighter without her presence. Nevertheless, this was a fitting tribute to the actress and a wonderful body of work to have her name attached to.
The script is like nothing Star Wars has ever seen before. Riddled with more twists and turns than spaghetti junction, it’s almost entirely unpredictable and that’s something you really don’t see come around very often. In any other franchise it would be exhausting, but here it’s exhilarating and incredibly well written.
At 152 minutes, The Last Jedi is a long film, the longest in the franchise in fact and there’s no getting away from that. The middle act in which some of our heroes traverse a vast casino planet are a little off pace and it does have a whiff of George Lucas’ less than stellar prequels about it, but the rest of the film moves at breakneck speed.
Overall, Rian Johnson has taken risks here and the majority of them pay off with fantastic results; Star Wars: The Last Jedi is a worthy sequel to an ever-growing brand and one that outdoes its predecessor by some margin. If The Force Awakens was J.J. Abrams love letter to the franchise, then The Last Jedi is the break-up song because while still feeling like a Star Wars movie in many ways, it’s so different it’ll have you picking your jaw up off the floor more than once. My only question is: why isn’t Rian Johnson directing Episode IX?
https://moviemetropolis.net/2017/12/14/star-wars-the-last-jedi-review-the-galaxy-like-youve-never-seen-it-before/
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017) in Movies
Dec 20, 2017 (Updated Dec 21, 2017)
Excellent performances (2 more)
Standout awesome moments
SFX
Huge plot holes (1 more)
Wasted potential
Not Your Grandpa's Star Wars
Contains spoilers, click to show
DISCLAIMER: This review will contain spoilers from the start and throughout. If you haven't seen the movie yet, then go read someone else's review and come back to mine once you have seen it.
This is a year for great controversies and Star Wars is not exempt from this rule. I get that Rian Johnson was going for something different, but damn! This movie was not what I expected. In a way, this is a good thing, as fans were left surprised at the decisions made in the movie, however not all of the surprising decisions were made for the better.
Let's go through what I did like. First off, the performances all around were brilliant, with the stand outs being Adam Driver and Mark Hamill. Adam driver plays a conflicted and tortured, yet exceedingly powerful Kylo Ren. His performance is electric throughout the movie and as an actor, his range is extremely impressive. Although this is probably my least favourite portrayal of Luke Skywalker in a Star Wars movie, it is probably my favourite performance of Mark Hamill playing the iconic character. He commits to the odd decisions that Johnson makes with integrity and grit and it is clear that he has honed his skills as an actor in the 30+ years since the original trilogy.
The special effects and CGI work in the movie was astonishing and breath-taking, the movie is a joy to look at on a visual level and the technical achievement of some of the shots featured is nothing short of incredible. There were also several moments throughout the film where I was on the edge of my seat, moments that were so cool to see unfold that I felt like a kid again watching Star Wars for the very first time.
Okay, now onto the issues I had with the movie. First off, the whole Casino planet section of the movie, you can just remove it. Ignore it, it has no bearing to the overall plot and if it wasn't included, the movie would still play out in the exact same way. The entire segment is a waste of time and the end result isn't even worth the hassle. Finn was one of my favourite character in Force Awakens, so it was good to see him get his own storyline here, but the awkward moments and lack of payoff made it such a waste of time for the audience. Rose, the new character that they introduced to be Finn's sidekick and potential love interest was god-awful. Hers was probably the single worst performance in the entire movie. The shoehorned message about animal cruelty also felt too forced and cringe-inducing and that's coming from an animal lover. The whole sequence also brought back horrible memories of the prequels, which is something that I never want to be reminded of again.
The other dumb subplot in this movie revolves around Poe and a new character played by Laura Dern called Admiral Holdo. At the start of the movie the Rebels are shocked to discover that the Empire can track them through light speed and then the slowest space chase ever ensues, with the Empire waiting until the Rebels to run out of fuel before blowing them up. In the meantime, Kylo Ren and a squad of bombers attack the rebel ship up close. During the attack, the control deck that Leia is on is blown up. Leia survives, but is incapacitated for the middle act of the movie and Admiral Holdo is put in charge. Poe asks her over and over what the plan is and she refuses to tell him, labelling him as a hothead flyboy. He eventually decides he can't just sit around and do nothing while their ship is destroyed, (this is also the catalyst for Finn and Rose going on their dumb mission to the casino planet,) and so he enacts a mutiny on Holdo. Then Leia wakes up and reveals that the plan all along was to take the escape pods to a nearby planet containing an old rebel base and attempt a last stand there. This whole mutiny could have been avoided with a simple conversation, or even a goddamn post-it note.
The other thing that bothered me was the lack of scenes showing Rey being trained by Luke. There are two brief scenes of her training and that is apparently enough to allow her to become a 'jedi.' Instead of following Finn and Rose on their pointless adventure, or Poe and his pointless mutiny, we should have spent the majority of the movie on Luke's island. I also don't know why they chose to portray Luke as such a slob. This is the guy that blew up the Death Star and spearheaded the rebellion that changed the tide of war across the entire galaxy and now he's milking weird sloth creatures for food.
I didn't hate the reveal that Rey's parents were nobodies that came from nothing, but it just makes all of the set up in Force Awakens and in the first half of this movie seem like such a waste of everyone's time. I also thought that they squandered something that could have been interesting with how they just nonchalantly killed Snoke. With the age he looked and his torn up face, this guy has clearly been around for a long time, like probably as long as Yoda or Vader, so how come we have we never seen him over the course of the previous eight films? Was he in hiding? If so, then why was he in hiding? Why did he come out of hiding after the Empire fell and why was he appointed as Supreme Leader? I guess we will never know the answer to these questions after he was unceremoniously cut in half, or maybe we will find out in a comic or a novel. Not quite the epic revelation we expected for this character.
Lastly, I want to talk about Phasma. Rian Johnson has joked that she is like this trilogy's version of Kenny from South Park at this point and frankly I think that this is a valid comparison and I don't think that it's something to joke about. Gwendoline Christie is a phenomenal actress and she is so wasted in these movies. Her Bulletproof armour was pretty cool, but even that opens a ton of plot holes: why isn't all of the Stormtrooper armour made from the same stuff? If her armour is bulletproof, then why did she go along with Finn and Han's plan to shut down the shields on Starkiller Base in The Force Awakens? Sure Finn had a blaster pointed at her head, but we know now that the bolt would have just bounced off.
Overall, there was so much wasted potential in this movie. Rey's potentially interesting heritage was wasted, Snoke's potentially interesting backstory was wasted, Phasma was wasted again. Fiin and Poe were wasted on pointless side-quests and we should have seen Rey's awesome training montage to become a master jedi. Also, with Luke's lacklustre death at the end of the film, it feels like he was wasted too. There were some great moments in the film and I feel like I have to see it again to solidify my opinions, but to be honest, I can totally see why this movie is dividing fans.
This is a year for great controversies and Star Wars is not exempt from this rule. I get that Rian Johnson was going for something different, but damn! This movie was not what I expected. In a way, this is a good thing, as fans were left surprised at the decisions made in the movie, however not all of the surprising decisions were made for the better.
Let's go through what I did like. First off, the performances all around were brilliant, with the stand outs being Adam Driver and Mark Hamill. Adam driver plays a conflicted and tortured, yet exceedingly powerful Kylo Ren. His performance is electric throughout the movie and as an actor, his range is extremely impressive. Although this is probably my least favourite portrayal of Luke Skywalker in a Star Wars movie, it is probably my favourite performance of Mark Hamill playing the iconic character. He commits to the odd decisions that Johnson makes with integrity and grit and it is clear that he has honed his skills as an actor in the 30+ years since the original trilogy.
The special effects and CGI work in the movie was astonishing and breath-taking, the movie is a joy to look at on a visual level and the technical achievement of some of the shots featured is nothing short of incredible. There were also several moments throughout the film where I was on the edge of my seat, moments that were so cool to see unfold that I felt like a kid again watching Star Wars for the very first time.
Okay, now onto the issues I had with the movie. First off, the whole Casino planet section of the movie, you can just remove it. Ignore it, it has no bearing to the overall plot and if it wasn't included, the movie would still play out in the exact same way. The entire segment is a waste of time and the end result isn't even worth the hassle. Finn was one of my favourite character in Force Awakens, so it was good to see him get his own storyline here, but the awkward moments and lack of payoff made it such a waste of time for the audience. Rose, the new character that they introduced to be Finn's sidekick and potential love interest was god-awful. Hers was probably the single worst performance in the entire movie. The shoehorned message about animal cruelty also felt too forced and cringe-inducing and that's coming from an animal lover. The whole sequence also brought back horrible memories of the prequels, which is something that I never want to be reminded of again.
The other dumb subplot in this movie revolves around Poe and a new character played by Laura Dern called Admiral Holdo. At the start of the movie the Rebels are shocked to discover that the Empire can track them through light speed and then the slowest space chase ever ensues, with the Empire waiting until the Rebels to run out of fuel before blowing them up. In the meantime, Kylo Ren and a squad of bombers attack the rebel ship up close. During the attack, the control deck that Leia is on is blown up. Leia survives, but is incapacitated for the middle act of the movie and Admiral Holdo is put in charge. Poe asks her over and over what the plan is and she refuses to tell him, labelling him as a hothead flyboy. He eventually decides he can't just sit around and do nothing while their ship is destroyed, (this is also the catalyst for Finn and Rose going on their dumb mission to the casino planet,) and so he enacts a mutiny on Holdo. Then Leia wakes up and reveals that the plan all along was to take the escape pods to a nearby planet containing an old rebel base and attempt a last stand there. This whole mutiny could have been avoided with a simple conversation, or even a goddamn post-it note.
The other thing that bothered me was the lack of scenes showing Rey being trained by Luke. There are two brief scenes of her training and that is apparently enough to allow her to become a 'jedi.' Instead of following Finn and Rose on their pointless adventure, or Poe and his pointless mutiny, we should have spent the majority of the movie on Luke's island. I also don't know why they chose to portray Luke as such a slob. This is the guy that blew up the Death Star and spearheaded the rebellion that changed the tide of war across the entire galaxy and now he's milking weird sloth creatures for food.
I didn't hate the reveal that Rey's parents were nobodies that came from nothing, but it just makes all of the set up in Force Awakens and in the first half of this movie seem like such a waste of everyone's time. I also thought that they squandered something that could have been interesting with how they just nonchalantly killed Snoke. With the age he looked and his torn up face, this guy has clearly been around for a long time, like probably as long as Yoda or Vader, so how come we have we never seen him over the course of the previous eight films? Was he in hiding? If so, then why was he in hiding? Why did he come out of hiding after the Empire fell and why was he appointed as Supreme Leader? I guess we will never know the answer to these questions after he was unceremoniously cut in half, or maybe we will find out in a comic or a novel. Not quite the epic revelation we expected for this character.
Lastly, I want to talk about Phasma. Rian Johnson has joked that she is like this trilogy's version of Kenny from South Park at this point and frankly I think that this is a valid comparison and I don't think that it's something to joke about. Gwendoline Christie is a phenomenal actress and she is so wasted in these movies. Her Bulletproof armour was pretty cool, but even that opens a ton of plot holes: why isn't all of the Stormtrooper armour made from the same stuff? If her armour is bulletproof, then why did she go along with Finn and Han's plan to shut down the shields on Starkiller Base in The Force Awakens? Sure Finn had a blaster pointed at her head, but we know now that the bolt would have just bounced off.
Overall, there was so much wasted potential in this movie. Rey's potentially interesting heritage was wasted, Snoke's potentially interesting backstory was wasted, Phasma was wasted again. Fiin and Poe were wasted on pointless side-quests and we should have seen Rey's awesome training montage to become a master jedi. Also, with Luke's lacklustre death at the end of the film, it feels like he was wasted too. There were some great moments in the film and I feel like I have to see it again to solidify my opinions, but to be honest, I can totally see why this movie is dividing fans.