EDITOR’S NOTE: Out of respect to the fans, this review hopes to be as spoiler-free as possible, discussing themes, trends and directing techniques without revealing too many plot details.
WASHINGTON — No film franchise has sparked a cultural phenomenon like “Star Wars.”
Just this week, folks in the nation’s capital saw a Beltway traffic sign reading, “Speeding takes you to the Dark Side,” and a church sign reading, “A long time ago in a Galilee far, far away.”
So after a groundbreaking original trilogy and a disappointing prequel series, it was with great joy that we all watched George Lucas’ saga return with a bang in “The Force Awakens” (2015).
Now, after last year’s impressive “Rogue One” interlude, the saga continues with “Episode VIII: “The Last Jedi,” a blockbuster that’s a tad overlong but mostly lives up to its hot anticipation.
Picking up where we left off, young chosen one Rey (Daisy Ridley) returns her light saber back to reluctant Jedi legend Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), who’s now a recluse on a remote island. While she urges him to share the powers of The Force, General Leia (Carrie Fisher) leads the Rebel Alliance to battle Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver).
Like last time, Oscar Issac is charming as Rebel pilot Poe Dameron, the BB-8 droid is a scream (literally), Joonas Suotamo offers Wookie howls as Chewbacca and Lupita Nyong’o makes a fun cameo as Maz Kanata. Also back are the villainous trio of Andy Serkis, Adam Driver and Domhnall Gleeson, each suitably sinister as the axis of evil: Snoke, Kylo Ren and General Hux.
Unlike last time, John Boyega’s Storm Trooper defector Finn finds a love interest in Rose (Kelly Marie Tran), while Laura Dern, Justin Theroux and Benicio del Toro join Lucas’ world as Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo, Master Codebreaker and DJ to varying degrees of success (more later).
Still, the best scenes belong to Hamill, who makes a triumphant return as an aging Obi-Wan version of Skywalker, and the late Fisher, who gives Leia a bittersweet send-off after her 2016 death (or does she?). As she jokes with Luke, “I know what you’re thinking: I changed my hair.”
As winning as the performances are, we can all agree that “Star Wars” is rarely about the acting. So how does the directing, world building and Joseph Campbell mythology hold up?
It’s hard to match J.J. Abrams, who revived the franchise with “The Force Awakens” (2015), and Gareth Edwards, who delivered a stellar one-off in “Rogue One” (2016), but director Rian Johnson is up to the task. After showing promise in “Brick” (2005) and “Looper” (2012), Johnson now cements “Star Wars” as a surprising proving ground for rising filmmakers.
In “The Last Jedi,” Johnson shows his directorial chops in two specific ways. Academics will adore a scene where Rey explores her heritage, as Johnson paints a trippy mise-en-abyme image that recalls Orson Welles’ Xanadu reflections in “Citizen Kane” (1941). Meanwhile, popcorn audiences will adore his portrayal of light speed. Rather than show the launch, Johnson shows each ship’s abrupt arrival as it slams on the brakes to a killer sound effect.
These whooshing ship arrivals make for a badass opening space battle, peppered with levity by Poe, who spits some comic relief over the intercom. This humor is a product of Johnson’s lighthearted script that doesn’t take itself too seriously — until it does. The pathos sometimes works (at least two scenes made me tear up). Other times, it feels forced and manipulative.
The dialogue doesn’t always help in this regard, eliciting an occasional eye roll. Don’t worry, there are plenty of callbacks to famous quotes. Sometimes it’s clever, referencing “The Wild Bunch” (1969) by saying, “If they move, stun them.” Other times, it’s a little too on-the-nose, referencing “Titanic” (1997) as Finn runs to his lover shouting, “Rose! Why did you do that?”
Much of this is forgivable for a blockbuster action/fantasy. What’s not as forgivable are a series of unanswered questions that are teased for the first two-thirds of the movie but never quite answered in the final act. Fans have argued the entire “off season” about Rey’s potential lineage, so Johnson builds anticipation as Luke offers to teach her three important lessons.
The first lesson wets our appetite that a major reveal might be coming. The second lesson ramps up the suspense in this direction. But by the time the movie ends, we’re never quite sure of the third lesson. While the filmmakers may be saving this for the next installment, it feels anti-climatic, especially since we’re asked to wait so long for a reveal that never comes.
As the late Tom Petty might have said to the late Fisher — the waiting is the hardest part.
Frustratingly, “Last Jedi” is the longest “Star Wars” yet at 152 minutes, compared to “A New Hope” (121 minutes), “Empire Strikes Back” (124 minutes), “Return of the Jedi” (131 minutes), “The Phantom Menace” (136 minutes), “Attack of the Clones” (142 minutes), “Revenge of the Sith” (140 minutes), “The Force Awakens” (136 minutes) and “Rogue One” (133 minutes).
You’ll notice that the films have gotten increasingly longer with an average of 125 minutes in the original trilogy, 139 minutes in the prequel trilogy and 140 minutes in the latest trio — all while attention spans have shrunk. While great films have run three hours (“The Godfather”) or four hours (“Lawrence of Arabia”), it only works if each scene moves the story forward.
In this case, there’s a sagging middle with an unnecessary visit to a planet filled with a casino, racetrack and Benicio del Toro in a forced commentary on the military industrial complex. Editor Bob Ducsay could have chopped 30-40 minutes out of “Last Jedi” and not lost a thing. It’s never good when you look around and think, “Man, we’ve been in this theater for a while.”
If you’re a die-hard fan who can’t get enough of Lucas’ universe, you might not care about the film’s length. But if you’re a more casual fan, you might want to stick with the popcorn and hold off on the large soda. In other words, may the Force — and your bladder — be with you.
