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Two years ago, director J. J. Abrams began a new Star Wars trilogy with Star Wars: The Force Awakens, introducing new heroes and villains while setting the stage for a new battle between good and evil. And now director Rian Johnson continues the conflict with Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
The Last Jedi follows the continuing battle between the Resistance and the First Order. As the First Order continues to track the Resistance fleet, fighter pilot Poe (Oscar Isaac) fights to have his voice heard by his commanders, while Finn (John Boyega) teams up with maintenance worker Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) to set their own plan into action. And, on a distant island, Rey (Daisy Ridley) struggles with the growing power inside her—a power that connects her to Kylo Ren (Adam Driver)—as she tries to convince Luke (Mark Hamill) that the Resistance needs him to come out of hiding and join the battle.
In his first Star Wars film (of many), Johnson certainly holds his own, picking up where Abrams left off while maintaining the style and tone that fans expect. While Abrams was tasked with launching a new trilogy with new characters, Johnson is free to build on that foundation, taking the characters that fans already love and further developing their stories.
There aren’t a whole lot of surprises in The Last Jedi—and nothing that feels out of the ordinary for the franchise. It’s action-packed and visually striking. There are lovable underdogs and reluctant heroes and menacing villains. There’s also some genuine humor, which gives the film a playfulness that’s reminiscent of the original trilogy.
Admittedly, the latest Star Wars installment doesn’t really drive the story forward. It doesn’t make any major plot points that will be critical to future installments. For the most part, the action revolves around a plan to get the Resistance fleet to safety before running out of fuel, which sends Finn and Rose on an amusing side trip to a flashy space casino.
Instead of focusing on the story, then, the film focuses more on the characters—on the growth and development of the three young heroes and on Kylo Ren’s internal battle. That’s not to say that it’s a lengthy character study. While it’s certainly longer than it needs to be, it’s still loaded with eye-popping action sequences that are sure to amazing old and new Star Wars fans alike. And, at the same time, it continues to build the next generation of interstellar freedom fighters.
The Last Jedi continues to bridge the old and the new—maintaining the style that fans know and love while gradually passing on the Star Wars torch. It isn’t especially ground-breaking, and it doesn’t really shake anything up, but it’s both entertaining and faithful to the franchise.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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