A Review of Star Wars: the Last Jedi
As with other releases that have gone before, I was able to watch Star Wars: The Last Jedi earlier than people in the Western hemisphere, and I’m here to give a few thoughts on this heavily anticipated release of 2017.
Now, I’m coming from the point of view of someone whom you may say is a casual fan of the series. By casual, I mean I’ve played some games; read some of the comics; and read up on various aspects of the mythology, like lightsaber forms, The Rule of Two, and such. But you won’t see me running around in robes reenacting scenes from the movie the way thousands of others do. Now, before all you acne-riddled, sweaty nerds start readying up your fingers for some butthurt comments on this post, you all should know that this perspective has – and there’s no way to put this lightly – more value than yours. After all, it’s obvious that hardcore Star Wars fans would enter the theater with rose-colored glasses for almost everything that will appear onscreen when they see The Last Jedi (not to mention shit-colored ones whenever they see Jar-jar). I, on the other hand, went into the theater with a level head to see what the movie really has to offer, so it’s easier for me to look at it with less bias. But, enough about that: let’s go on with this little review of ours.
Suffice it to say that Star Wars: The Last Jedi kept the momentum that the Force Awakens started going; it’s a worthy sequel that manages to tie up all the plot threads left hanging by the first installment of this new trilogy. Now, I’ve heard from another viewer just a while ago – after getting back home from the theaters, to be exact – that they thought the movie’s runtime was overly protracted. To that, I say good: more movie for your money. Hell, I’d still feel thankful for additional minutes in a movie even if it meant just watching Luke Skywalker pluck his eyebrows or some other crap. Seriously, though, I believe that this runtime, though unusually long for a Star Wars movie (I even think it’s the longest one in the whole franchise, but I might be mistaken), is justified. After all, you can’t tell a proper epic by cutting corners. Come on, it’s an EPIC; they’re supposed to be long.
Yes, long as it may be, The Last Jedi had no shortage of action, drama, and exciting moments. In fact, I’d even go so far as to say that whereas The Force Awakens simply left me a bit puzzled as to how people think it’s the greatest thing since Capt. America punched Hitler’s face, The Last Jedi finally made me understand that. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed The Force Awakens, but this year’s installment in the continuing saga of the Light and Dark side of the Force truly sank its hooks on me. Still, don’t expect me to run around the streets shouting, “You were the chosen one!” ugh.