The Last Jedi: One Of The Best Star Wars Films Yet
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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – There's no doubt that The Last Jedi is one epic Star Wars movie, but I couldn't help but feel moved every time Carrie Fisher was on the screen.
The film is dedicated to Carrie Fisher, and during the credits the words: "In loving memory of our princess, Carrie Fisher" appear.
That's literally the only spoiler you will get out of this review.
It's difficult to write a movie review giving literally nothing away, so this is going to be different than any other movie review I've posted.
The film picks up right where The Force Awakens left off. It's the First Order vs The Resistance. Good vs Evil. Heroes vs Villains.
Let me first go over the things I really liked about episode VIII in the Star Wars trilogy.
Incredible action and fight scenes: From start to finish The Last Jedi delivers action sequences like no other Star Wars movie. From epic battles featuring new and improved ships, to incredibly vivid special effects on new planets. Not to mention a fight sequence that will leave you seeing red, literally.
Great directing: You feel like those directing the latest Star Wars episodes have one mission in life, don't screw them up. Director Rian Johnson fulfilled that mission. You can tell he put his touches on the film, but wasn't allowed to go too far with the iconic franchise.
Girl power: Once again, the women of The Last Jedi steal the show. Whether it's General Leia Organa played by Carrie Fisher, Daisy Ridley's Rey, or newcomers Laura Dern as Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo, and Kelly Marie Tran as Rose Tico. Ridley shines in her role as Rey, and if she didn't in The Force Awakens, she's definitely established herself as the future of the Star Wars franchise.
Mark Hamill's best Luke Skywalker yet? Could this seriously be Mark Hamill's best performance of Luke Skywalker yet? If it's not the best, it's definitely got to be one of the best. Hamill delivers an incredible performance. He's funnier than he's ever been, and his mood swings are tempered by the incredible cinematography of the island he's on. Let's not forget the Porgs either, they are hilarious, and I'm happy to say there were just enough of them. I was actually worried about that.
Adam Driver is brilliant: Driver's portrayal of Kylo Ren is ratcheted up not one or two notches, but several in The Last Jedi. He's following closely in the footsteps of his grandfather Darth Vader. His performance was mesmerizing as he struggles with his inner conflict.
A surrounding cast of characters: One thing I really enjoyed about the movie, was that it felt like each character got equal screen time. There weren't just a few characters who stole the show. Whether it was John Boyega as Finn, or Oscar Isaac as Poe. You felt as if each character was well represented in the film. Andy Serkis plays Supreme Leader Snoke, and does a masterful job. Of course it wouldn't be a Star Wars film without the usual cast of characters of R2D2, C-3PO and Chewbacca, not to mention BB8.
There weren't many things that I didn't like in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, but I thought there were things that could have been cut out.
The 152-minute film at times felt like it could have been compressed. A story plot having to deal with a code-craker (Benicio Del Toro), really slowed the film down.
Is Star Wars: The Last Jedi the best of the franchise? I've seen some reviews that say it is, I've seen others that say it's not even close.
In my opinion it's a great movie, but I really enjoyed Rogue One.
Let me just say this: There is one scene towards the end of the movie. It's an epic stare down of good vs evil. That scene will be forever ingrained in my mind as one of the best Star Wars scenes I have ever seen. Watch for the AT-M6's, you'll see what I mean.
There's one thing that is clear though; the real winners are Star Wars fans. Whether you love them or hate them, we get to see new Star Wars films every year.
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