Wow, what a movie! This certainly deserves to be watched unspoiled. Do not read this review unless you've already seen the movie.
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I've already gushed before about how Star Wars has a big hold on me because of nostalgia--Here, Here, Here, and Here. So no need to go through all that again.
Other than to maybe make one quick distinction, which perhaps I didn't make clear in all my previous posts. It's more than just simple nostalgia. I'm nostalgic for a lot of things from my childhood, in the way that I have pleasant associations with anything from that time--Disney cartoons, and Dr Seuss books, and Transformers, et cetera, will all get a smile and a warm feeling out of me.
But Star Wars is more than just a pleasant reminder of childhood. In my brain, I still associate Star Wars with all the excitement the movies gave me as a child. It's not so much a warm-fuzzy nostalgia (although it's partly that as well) but it's a shiver of excitement that goes down my spine.
In this way, when the John Williams music starts, or when I hear the laser gun sound effects, I get that same shiver of excitement.
In this way, when the John Williams music starts, or when I hear the laser gun sound effects, I get that same shiver of excitement.
If the Internet is any indication, most people my age feel this way. We are easy targets for the Star Wars franchise, and probably tend to give it higher praise than it really objectively deserves.
But so what? All of our primitive emotions are irrational, and most movies appeal to our primitive emotions. Whether we like a movie because it's got good action, or romance, or sex appeal, or slapstick comedy, it's still the primitive animal part of our brain that is reacting to these raw emotions. Nostalgia is just one of many irrational emotions that color our perception of movies. So if you like a movie because of nostalgia, that's as good a reason as any.
That caveat out of the way...
Wow, did this movie thrill me.
And sure, a lot of that thrill was the nostalgic thrill of seeing the Star Wars cast again. But there were also plenty of dramatic points, plenty of intense emotions. Some great action scenes. Some wonderful character moments. Some really unexpected plot developments.
Right from the beginning, that scene with the attack on the dreadnought let you know that this was going to be an amazing movie. You had all that drama, all that great suspense--would the pilot be able to open the bomber doors in time or not--and it was only the first 10 minutes of the movie.
From that point on, you knew you were going to be in for a great ride.
I was also caught by surprise a number of times.
Those scenes with Kylo Ren and Rey were really great. I legitimately didn't know whether Rey was going to save Kylo Ren, or be seduced by him. I was shocked when Kylo Ren killed Snoke, and the movie actually had me believing for a second that he was going to redeem himself. Only for the next plot twist to kick in, and once again catch me out.
And sure, a lot of that thrill was the nostalgic thrill of seeing the Star Wars cast again. But there were also plenty of dramatic points, plenty of intense emotions. Some great action scenes. Some wonderful character moments. Some really unexpected plot developments.
Right from the beginning, that scene with the attack on the dreadnought let you know that this was going to be an amazing movie. You had all that drama, all that great suspense--would the pilot be able to open the bomber doors in time or not--and it was only the first 10 minutes of the movie.
From that point on, you knew you were going to be in for a great ride.
I was also caught by surprise a number of times.
Those scenes with Kylo Ren and Rey were really great. I legitimately didn't know whether Rey was going to save Kylo Ren, or be seduced by him. I was shocked when Kylo Ren killed Snoke, and the movie actually had me believing for a second that he was going to redeem himself. Only for the next plot twist to kick in, and once again catch me out.
It also had the perfect balance between the old Star Wars characters, and the new ones. Lots of great moments for Luke, Leia, Chewbacca, Yoda, C3PO, and R2D2. But also lots of great moments for the new cast to shine.
I'm almost tempted to say it is the best Star Wars film yet.
My only concern is I don't know how well it's going to hold up under repeat viewing. (You need to think about the repeat viewings, after all. This is Star Wars. We're going to watch this film again and again and again until we're sick of it.) A lot of the film's dramatic punches worked so well because of the element of surprise, or suspense.
That climatic showdown between Luke and Kylo Ren, for example. The action choreography in that scene wasn't anything spectacular. What made it a great scene was all the suspense that they built up, plus that final reveal at the end. But when we re-watch this film, once the suspense and the surprise are all gone from it, will it become a bit of a bore?
Or what about the argument between Poe Dameron and Admiral Holdo? It was definitely great drama the first time around, but now that we all know how it will end, how exciting will it be to watch for the 5th time?
Check back in 10 years, I guess, to see how well the film has aged. But for now, my feelings on just coming out of the movie theater is that it is, quite possibly, the best Star Wars film yet.
That climatic showdown between Luke and Kylo Ren, for example. The action choreography in that scene wasn't anything spectacular. What made it a great scene was all the suspense that they built up, plus that final reveal at the end. But when we re-watch this film, once the suspense and the surprise are all gone from it, will it become a bit of a bore?
Or what about the argument between Poe Dameron and Admiral Holdo? It was definitely great drama the first time around, but now that we all know how it will end, how exciting will it be to watch for the 5th time?
Check back in 10 years, I guess, to see how well the film has aged. But for now, my feelings on just coming out of the movie theater is that it is, quite possibly, the best Star Wars film yet.
But of course, there are a few negatives I want to get off my chest...
Negatives
(The list of negatives will often exceed the list of positives, because negatives are easier to quantify. My over-all impression of this film was good, but it's difficult to really put into words the feeling of excitement it gave me. My nitpicks about the plot, however, can easily be put into words. So here are my nitpicks.)
* As much as I love Star Wars, a big problem has always been that the Star Wars universe only has one story to tell--the brave Rebels fighting against the evil Empire. It's incapable of doing anything else.
This narrative framework is so integral into the Star Wars mythology that even after the Rebels defeated the Empire in Return of the Jedi, they had to completely re-set history, and create a new evil Empire and a new rebellion in order to bring Star Wars back.
Granted, this is a problem that this movie inherited from its predecessors. But I still thought this movie laid things on a bit too thick. All that dialogue about how the Rebellion brought hope to the downtrodden of the galaxy was a bit too much for me. We've already seen the Rebellion put down one evil Empire, and how much good did that do the Galaxy? None, apparently. Given that the Galaxy seems to be stuck in a never-ending cycle of rebellion, and the empire's rising and then rebellion again, this whole cycle is beginning to look more like Orwell's Animal Farm and a lot less like a story of hope and promise.
* Another problem that this movie inherited from the greater Star Wars franchise is that The Force has always been way too inconsistent, and because of this can be overused as a Deus Ex Machina by the writers. There were a few times in this movie when The Force granted characters powers and abilities that were a bit too convenient, and which we've never had any indication of before. Princess Leia getting the ability to survive in, and fly through, space. And Luke projecting his hologram over millions of light years.
This narrative framework is so integral into the Star Wars mythology that even after the Rebels defeated the Empire in Return of the Jedi, they had to completely re-set history, and create a new evil Empire and a new rebellion in order to bring Star Wars back.
Granted, this is a problem that this movie inherited from its predecessors. But I still thought this movie laid things on a bit too thick. All that dialogue about how the Rebellion brought hope to the downtrodden of the galaxy was a bit too much for me. We've already seen the Rebellion put down one evil Empire, and how much good did that do the Galaxy? None, apparently. Given that the Galaxy seems to be stuck in a never-ending cycle of rebellion, and the empire's rising and then rebellion again, this whole cycle is beginning to look more like Orwell's Animal Farm and a lot less like a story of hope and promise.
* Another problem that this movie inherited from the greater Star Wars franchise is that The Force has always been way too inconsistent, and because of this can be overused as a Deus Ex Machina by the writers. There were a few times in this movie when The Force granted characters powers and abilities that were a bit too convenient, and which we've never had any indication of before. Princess Leia getting the ability to survive in, and fly through, space. And Luke projecting his hologram over millions of light years.
* As much as I loved this movie, the last 20 minutes did not live up to the rest of the movie, in my opinion.
This was partly just because I was suffering emotional exhaustion at this point. I had already been on such a roller-coaster--so many highs, and so many lows--that I was losing my ability to care. The dramatic reveals just couldn't carry the same punch anymore.
But also, Luke's death was really lame.
It was never really explained to the audience. Why did he choose that moment to let go of his corporeal form? (It will probably be explained in some future movie, but it left the ending of this movie feeling flat).
And in my opinion, it kind of undermined his victory against Kylo Ren. Kylo Ren was so upset when he realized he had been fighting against a hologram, and he couldn't kill Luke. It was a great moment.
...But then, Luke dies anyway? I mean, I know that it was different, because Luke chose to leave his corporeal form of his own volition, and on his own terms. But it still kind of seemed like he was giving Kylo Ren what he wanted anyways.
* This movie and The Force Awakens have both done a really good job of balancing the old generation of Star Wars with the new. But now with Luke and Han's onscreen deaths (and Carrie Fisher's off-screen death) they have burned through all the original trio.
Episode 9 is not going to have the same nostalgic appeal.
I'm sure Luke will come back as a Force ghost, but it won't be the same, and will likely just be a cameo-appearance.
But also, Luke's death was really lame.
It was never really explained to the audience. Why did he choose that moment to let go of his corporeal form? (It will probably be explained in some future movie, but it left the ending of this movie feeling flat).
And in my opinion, it kind of undermined his victory against Kylo Ren. Kylo Ren was so upset when he realized he had been fighting against a hologram, and he couldn't kill Luke. It was a great moment.
...But then, Luke dies anyway? I mean, I know that it was different, because Luke chose to leave his corporeal form of his own volition, and on his own terms. But it still kind of seemed like he was giving Kylo Ren what he wanted anyways.
* This movie and The Force Awakens have both done a really good job of balancing the old generation of Star Wars with the new. But now with Luke and Han's onscreen deaths (and Carrie Fisher's off-screen death) they have burned through all the original trio.
Episode 9 is not going to have the same nostalgic appeal.
I'm sure Luke will come back as a Force ghost, but it won't be the same, and will likely just be a cameo-appearance.
(To be fair, of course they had no way of knowing that Carrie Fisher would die after the film finished filming.)
* The Force Awakens really ended on a great note. I mean, it was frustrating, because it was a cliff-hanger, but it was such a great cliff-hanger (with the dramatic Star Wars music coming in just at the right moment).
The ending of this movie, however, was a bit flat and disappointing. Some kid we don't even know staring off into space, and then the movie ends.
* Benicio Del Toro is a great character actor, and I love his acting in this movie. That being said... what the heck was his character arc? Is it just me, or does it feel like there must be a scene missing somewhere?
* Remember 2 years ago when we were so obsessed with the mystery of who Snoke was, or who Rey's parents were?
It seemed like J.J. Abrams had some big surprise waiting for us. But now we get the answers in this movie, and it turns out there was no big reveal, and J.J. Abrams was just creating mystery for the sake of creating mystery. Snoke is just some dude who is evil. Rey is just some orphan. (Actually I'm not sure whether to credit this as a positive or a negative. You almost have to admire the showmanship of J.J. Abrams to create such mystery out of nothing.)
The ending of this movie, however, was a bit flat and disappointing. Some kid we don't even know staring off into space, and then the movie ends.
* Benicio Del Toro is a great character actor, and I love his acting in this movie. That being said... what the heck was his character arc? Is it just me, or does it feel like there must be a scene missing somewhere?
* Remember 2 years ago when we were so obsessed with the mystery of who Snoke was, or who Rey's parents were?
It seemed like J.J. Abrams had some big surprise waiting for us. But now we get the answers in this movie, and it turns out there was no big reveal, and J.J. Abrams was just creating mystery for the sake of creating mystery. Snoke is just some dude who is evil. Rey is just some orphan. (Actually I'm not sure whether to credit this as a positive or a negative. You almost have to admire the showmanship of J.J. Abrams to create such mystery out of nothing.)
Okay, now that I've gotten all those negatives out of my system--it's a solid 10 out of 10 for me. Minor complaints aside, all the drama, spectacle, and action that a Star Wars movie should be. Possibly the best Star Wars movie yet.
Links
For my previous Star Wars reviews:
Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith ,
Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens ,
Star Wars: Rogue One ,
Video Review
Video Review HERE and embedded below:
Link of the Day
Noam Chomsky on Net Neutrality
7 comments:
I took the younger to this last night, and will take her sister to it tomorrow. I enjoyed the first go-round, but by now my expectations re: SWU story-telling are so severely diminished I give stuff a pass that would have enraged me in my youth. I think Locke Peterseim (why the heck did he stop blogging? Come back, Locke. You're our only hope!) called-out JJ Abrams for white-board story-craft, but that's really how all of Star Wars plays after Marcia was kicked to the curb. The "wow!" scenes are there, but the connective tissue that holds them together is weak-to-non-existent-to-cancerously-flawed. Which is all to say, if I give this movie even the slightest bit of rational thought, it crumbles like shortbread in a vice.
But the "wow!" scenes were pretty "wow!" To my eyes, the movie's natural climax occurs when Rey and Ren squares off against the Royal Guard. After that the movie starts to feel needlessly long.
Maybe I'll have more to say after the second go-round tomorrow.
There were certainly plenty of plot holes in this movie.
I'm willing to forgive a lot of that however, because I've come to the conclusion that for these fantasy/magic stories, it's almost impossible to keep consistent. (The Harry Potter franchise has the same problem. If you wanted to drive yourself crazy, you could constantly be thinking to yourself, "But, wait, if magic can do this in this particular scene, why couldn't it do that same thing in another scene.")
Emotionally, however, this movie hit all the notes with me. I felt the tension between Luke and Rey. I felt the conflict between Rey and Kylo Ren. I felt the drama in that last confrontation between Luke and Kylo Ren.
Given how much hate this movie has gotten the past week, I'm now beginning to re-think some of my positions. But I was legitimately thrilled the first time I saw it.
I find the fan vitriol absolutely baffling -- you'd think it was The Return of Jar-Jar Binks. But the younger disliked it, and slagged it as soon as the credits started rolling. We'll see how the elder reacts to it in a few hours.
Oh yeah, the fan vitriol completely caught me off-guard.
My youtube feed is just filled with tons of videos complaining about how this movie has permanently ruined Star Wars forever for every one.
I was not expecting this when I wrote up my review last week.
I'm almost thinking of re-visiting it, and writing an update defending The Last Jedi.
And I may do that yet.
Except, I don't really have anything intelligent to say. My commentary would only be "It really thrilled me", and that would be about it.
Besides, most of the plot points that everyone else is complaining about, I complained about as well. (I listed them in my negatives section). So I wouldn't be able to rebut any of these points. I'd just have to say that in my opinion they didn't completely ruin the whole movie for me.
Back from the second viewing. I like it more than I did the first go-round (and I liked it well enough then). The elder LOVES it. The younger HATES it. More anon.
Review coming soon?
Done! Add a comment or two and we can roll from there.
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