The wait is finally over. Going into this movie, Star Wars fans around the globe had high expectations. The second film in the new trilogy was expected to be shocking and original, unlike “The Force Awakens”. “The Last Jedi” is under the direction of Rian Johnson, who is new to Star Wars. He has previously directed several episodes in the “Breaking Bad” series and the 2012 film, “Looper”.
He did not disappoint.
The first third of the movie, I could’ve fallen asleep. Besides the opening scroll, nothing else excited me. I was thinking the Star Wars franchise should’ve stopped after “Return of the Jedi”, because this movie was going to fall flat again. I had such high hopes for Johnson and I let out a sigh of disappointment. I was not a fan of “The Force Awakens”, and again, this film was not taking any risks. It was too “Disney” and had too many comedic relief moments just as the plot was getting serious. I felt let down.
Then, Benicio Del Toro happened.
After the entrance of Academy Award winner, Benicio Del Toro as a codebreaker, the movie took an electric turn. The battle scenes were violent and realistic. It reminded me of the great duel scenes from the original and prequel trilogy. Characters turned in ways nobody would’ve expected. I felt my heart rate skyrocket with every scene. We learned more about Luke Skywalker and Kylo Ren and the origins of their individual stories. The connections between previous films were spot on and characters and moments from the original trilogy returned. Adam Driver’s portrayal of Ben Solo / Kylo Ren was mesmerizing in every scene. There were definitely flaws, but overall, it was daring and fearless.
Saying all of this, I could completely understand how people could’ve walked out hating the movie instead of loving it. I could’ve gone either way. A few characters who had huge expectations, flopped. The way Luke Skywalker’s character developed could have made people angry or happy. Obviously, there’s no way to please everybody.
The audience applauded during the credits. I can’t remember the last time this had happened in a Star Wars film.
“Obviously I hope you like The Last Jedi. But man I REALLY hope you like The Last Jedi,” Johnson tweeted before the films release. I feel exactly the same way.
