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Movie Review- STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI
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STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI
movie review by David Blackwell

150 minutes, Rated PG-13
STUDIO: Lucasfilm/ Walt Disney Pictures
Theatrical RELEASE DATE: 12-15-2017

Picking up right after the events of THE FORCE AWAKENS, the remains of the Resistance is attacked by the First order fleet as they are evacuating the Rebel base. Loses are taken and the Rebels are able to escape, but the First Order is able to track them somehow. Meanwhile, Rey (Daisy Ridley) is trying to convince a reluctant Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) to teach her about the Force and train her. Luke wants nothing of it as he still blames himself for failing Kylo Ren/ Ben Solo (Adam Driver) and the destruction of the new Jedi school. Luke wants nothing to do with the war waging out there. General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher in her last role before her untimely passing) wants her brother Luke back and she has to somehow keep the remains of the Resistance alive and rebuild. Hotshot pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) wants the small escaped Rebel fleet to do something while Finn finally wakes up wondering how he can help (or escape the mess they’re in). Supreme Leader Snooke (Andy Serkis) manipulates his apprentice Kylo Ren in a game he is playing to bring the end of the Resistance and the final death to the last Jedi.

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI is a very enjoyable film in the Star wars saga, but it isn’t without its flaws. The time of the storyline is compressed too much like the last movie (and a problem that season 7 of Game of Thrones also suffered from). The physics of spaceships is even worse than the last movie. Still THE LAST JEDI moves along the story with plenty of action, character moments, and humor (with Luke getting some of the best moments). Some of the plot points I have guessed correctly while others left me surprised. I do wish they progressed the story over more time instead of the compressed timeline they set the story against. Some of the new characters are good like Bencio del Toro while Laura Dern seems a little out of her depth as a purple haired Vice Admiral. The Porgs are just useless comic relief. Lots of Force powers are on display in Episode VIII where the struggle between Rey and Kylo is intense as they feel a connection to each other (but I didn’t really need to see shirtless Kylo Ren). Writer/ Director Rian Johnson even slips in a little political commentary on today’s climate in the United States of America as a mission to a Trump Casino planet illustrates how some of the one percent lives above the poor and the security forces more concerned about tracking the Rebels because one rich dude complains. STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI is an improvement over THE FORCE AWAKENS in some aspects, but it still doesn’t hold a candle to the films in the original trilogy even though there are some callbacks to the original movies. It does offer some new ideas to the saga while failing to explore (and sometimes ignore) some questions brought up by the last movie. If you’re a STAR WARS fan, you will enjoy THE LAST JEDI no matter what problems you have with its flaws as some of the old characters are back and the new ones continue to grow from THE FORCE AWAKENS.

This review is ©12-16-2017 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission. Send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com

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