It is never smart to go into a movie with high expectations. Even if you are positive that the movie is sure to be a hit, there is always that possibility that it is a dud. Moreover, if you go in with high expectations, the littlest of things can ruin those lofty ambitions.
Sadly, this is the case for “Star Wars Episode 8: The Last Jedi.” Make no mistake, the “Last Jedi” was a good movie. However, the problem lies in the fact that the movie generated an absurd amount of hype and excitement before its release date. It did not wow viewers as much as it should have, and this is a problem for a film in a franchise as important as Star Wars.
“The Last Jedi,” in one phrase, just did not feel like a Star Wars movie. What makes the series so special is the mythos involved; Star Wars is an epic space opera that is anchored by harrowing performances and heart-stopping stories.
“The Last Jedi” had a good story and good acting, but not good enough to bear the title of a Star Wars movie. The film was a wonderful sci-fi adventure that had ups, downs, and everything in between, but it simply was not Star Wars Material.
“The Last Jedi” opened exactly where the last film, “The Force Awakens”, left off, and it wasted no time getting into the thick of things. Right away, I knew there was going to be a problem, because some of the jokes and story beats simply fell flat.
It felt like they belonged in an episode of Star Trek as opposed to the epic galaxy of Star Wars. Furthermore, it felt like there were whole sections of the story that felt out of place, such as the inclusion of the Casino Planet and the portion about animal cruelty. However, the movie would partially redeem itself later on by returning to its wonderfully epic battles filled with emotion and wonder that is inescapable.
For the most part, the acting was respectable in “The Last Jedi.” Leading Lady Daisy Ridley as Rey was perfect as usual, and her film foil Adam Driver was excellent as Kylo Ren as well. The last performance of Carrie Fisher’s storied career was nothing short of magical, and the film did a great job of sending her off in a beautiful way.
Where the acting faltered was in the usage of John Boyega’s Finn and Oscar Issac’s Poe, among others; they just did not feel fully involved in the story, and I found myself being confused as to what they were doing and unconcerned about their character arcs.
“The Last Jedi”, for most of the movie, had a strong script that was packed with feeling and bookended with powerful moments that carry the movie into stardom. But the story suffers the same problem as the acting; a lot of it felt out of place in a Star Wars movie, and I could not get myself to care about what happened next.
The movie did however have very strong battle scenes and incredible plot twists that I would never have seen coming.
My high expectations clouded my vision for the movie, and my overall experience suffered because of it. “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” is not a bad movie by any means; it is simply a bad Star Wars movie. The most recent star wars movies, “The Force Awakens” and “Rogue One” did a much better job of adding to the overall mythology of the galaxy far, far away, and the “Last Jedi” really seemed to derail the trajectory of the Star Wars franchise as of late.
“The Last Jedi” was a good science-fiction film, but it should not have been a Star Wars film. My hope for the franchise is that the next two movies, “Solo” and “Episode 9”, create a major course correction and bring Star Wars back to its former glory. Until then, the famous space saga leaves a lot to be desired.
Movie Review: New ‘Star Wars’ movie isn’t fit for franchise
