Star Wars: The Last Jedi is the eighth instalment in the Star Wars saga and the second of the new sequel trilogy. It is written and directed by Rian Johnson and stars Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega and Oscar Isaac. It continues the story set up by The Force Awakens as it follows Rey beginning her Jedi training and the Resistance's struggling fight against the First Order. Firstly, I loved The Force Awakens, despite its simplistic plot that many felt was too similar to A New Hope (however I quite liked this as it helped to remind fans of Star Wars whilst also helping to introduce new fans to the franchise), as I felt it really helped to manage the essence of Star Wars while simultaneously providing audiences with a fresh and exciting story with interesting and likeable characters. The Last Jedi, however, manages to improve upon its predecessor in almost every single aspect. This film, of course, marks the full return of Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, who is on top form and gives a fantastic performance and easily his best portrayal of the character to date. Carrie Fisher marks her final ever acting performance with her return as Leia, and is also great in this film, considerably better than her somewhat minor role in The Force Awakens, as she helps to deliver some truly emotional moments, especially given her recent passing. Daisy Ridley is also fantastic once again as Rey, much like she was in the first of this brand new trilogy, and is definitely solidifying herself as a very prominent young talent. Adam Driver undoubtedly gives the best performance of the film as the villainous Kylo Ren, perfectly capturing his conflicting morals and the levels of depth that the character has, giving a really emotionally brutal portrayal. John Boyega and Oscar Isaac also give great performances once again as Finn and Poe. The Last Jedi also provides probably some of the greatest action sequences of the franchise to date, with them being very stylistic and a true spectacle to witness, and will definitely leave you in awe, and each one is made even more entertaining due to the fact that they mean something to the characters, and so you connect with them and it also means more to you, as you care more about the outcome . The visual effects are also superb, and provide some realistic and creative imagery, and producing some truly wondrous visuals that help to bring you into the Star Wars universe and make you feel like you are experiencing the same things that the characters are. Among this, The Last Jedi is also very well written. The film doesn't rely on heavy amounts of fan service (*cough* Rogue One *cough*), but any nods to the franchise that do appear, albeit very few, help to serve the story and progress it further, without halting or detracting from the main plot that we are following. Each line of dialogue is well written and none of it feels too cheesy or something no one would say, instead it helps to feel the film somewhat grounded in reality despite its setting. The character of Kylo Ren is also fantastically written, and is definitely one of the most interesting characters of the saga so far, due to him having so many different emotional layers. The film also features the introduction of the Porgs, which are small, furry creatures which many feared would turn into the new minions, however they are very rarely featured and are also one of the highlights of the film as they help to provide some of the much more comical moments of the film. Rian Johnson also does a stellar job as the director, helping to capture some exquisite pieces of cinematography, and you can get a real sense of his love for Star Wars through what he has created with the film. There are also many surprises and twists in store, and so these help the audience to keep guessing what is going to happen next, and really causes you to feel incredibly tense and on the edge of your seat at all times, whilst still having a great time and a real blast due to the joyous atmosphere provided by the film. While I don't have too many issues with the film, I do still have some. First of all, the sub-plot involving Finn and new character Rose, played by Kelly Marie Tran, isn't as interesting as the main plot involving Rey and Luke. And so constantly the film cuts back to this sub-plot just as things are being set into motion in the other one, and so it can become somewhat frustrating and tiresome, even though it is still a fun experience to follow Finn and Rose's adventure. There are also one or two characters that don't really seem to serve much of a purpose in the grander scheme of things, as their traits could've been easily assigned to another character. Other problems with characters include the fact that certain ones make questionable decisions which would've benefited others had they performed a specific action. As well as all this, there are also too many jokes in the film. While many of the jokes are relatively funny, the problem is where they are placed, as many are added during very serious or dramatic scenes, and so it just detracts from whats happening and creates a very jarring unbalance of tone as there is a constant shift. In conclusion, while there are some side stories that don't provide an awful lot of interest and also some awkward shifts in the film's tone, The Last Jedi is an excellent instalment in the Star Wars saga and is definitely one of the best of the franchise, leaving you unable to wait to return to the galaxy far, far away.
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11/13/2018 04:35:53 am
Hey, thanks for the interest in my new movie 'Aquaman'. I hope to see your support at the rally next week. All the best, TFG.
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December 2017
My Favourite Films:
The Breakfast Club (1989) Drive (2011) The Social Network (2010) The Dark Knight (2008) Empire Strikes Back (1980) 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) Taxi Driver (1976) Dr Strangelove (1964) Trainspotting (1996) |