Review: Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Image courtesy of Walt Disney Studios.

The previous entry in this new "Star Wars" trilogy - "The Force Awakens" - introduced a series of new characters and reconnected us with some old ones, and the film ended up making my top 20 of that year. But as some have pointed out, not incorrectly, that picture leaned heavily on nostalgia, whereas Rian Johnson's second entry in the series, "The Last Jedi," takes the franchise in a new direction. That's not to say that there aren't some walks down memory lane - there are more than a few, including a surprise cameo by one of the old series' most noteworthy figures - but Johnson's entry can be seen as the point at which this new trilogy takes its own route.

The film opens very shortly after the events of "The Force Awakens" and much of the picture revolves around The Resistance's retreat from the First Order, led by Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis, plus some CGI). Leia (Carrie Fisher) and the rebels - which include the hotshot pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), Finn (John Boyega) and newcomer Vice Admiral Holdo (a welcome addition of Laura Dern) - are stuck in space and running out of fuel as the First Order closes in.

Meanwhile, Rey (Daisy Ridley) has tracked down Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), who is living on an island populated by adorable fuzzy birds known as Porgs and some other odd creatures, in an attempt to enlist his help. She's shocked to find Skywalker a bitter shell of his former self, living in self-imposed exile after he has blamed himself for Kylo Ren's transformation. Not only does Rey have to twist his arm to train her, but Luke appears to want the Jedi order to die out.

In "The Force Awakens," Harrison Ford gracefully stepped back into his iconic role as Han Solo and Fisher once again embodied Leia - and she does so again here in a particularly poignant final role. In "The Last Jedi," it's Hamill's turn to shine and he brings more gravitas to the role than I recall from the original "Star Wars" trilogy. Johnson makes a wise decision to shoot Hamill in close-up, focusing on his weathered face.

There's a lot that cannot be discussed in this review without giving away crucial plot points. But suffice it to say that a fair amount goes down in this second entry in the trilogy. The film ends on a note somewhat similar to "The Empire Strikes Back," in that the rebel alliance is in a tough spot - that's not a spoiler, trust me - but the finale also paves the way for the final chapter, which is obviously going to focus on the hero's journeys of Rey, Finn and Poe.

Aside from Luke and Leia, a number of characters from the original series get their moments here. Anthony Daniels' C-P30 gets in a few of his traditional fusspot moments, while R2-D2 is utilized for a humorous sequence during which the droid plays upon Luke's emotions and Chewbacca is the center of a funny ongoing joke involving the Porgs. Overall, "The Last Jedi" is funnier than your typical "Star Wars" entry - especially a scene in which Poe pretends to be stuck on hold while speaking with a villain on a star destroyer - but also melancholic. The series has never shied away from the theme of loss, and that is certainly true in this latest entry.

All in all, "The Last Jedi" is a strong second chapter in this trilogy and a better example of blockbuster filmmaking than any other tentpole picture from this year. It's filled with beautiful imagery - especially a final battle sequence on a planet composed of salt - and features performances and characters with more depth than your typical crowd pleasing spectacle film. And the choice of putting Johnson - whose strongest previous work included an indie crime drama ("Brick") and TV episodes ("Breaking Bad") - in the director's chair was an inspired one.

For reasons somewhat unclear to me, "The Last Jedi" has seemingly split fans of the series, and the conclusion would seem to be that it doesn't just deliver more of the same-old, same-old. No, Johnson's film takes the "Star Wars" series into uncharted waters - and, for me, it proved to be intriguing.