Gonger Reviews: Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Star Wars Episode IIIV: The Last Jedi (2017)

Starring: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Laura Dern, Benicio Del Toro, Carrie Fisher and, yes, he’s back! Mark Hamill!

Synopsis: Space wizards in a star war! Haven’t you been paying attention? Fine, hot off the heels of The Force Awakens, Rey tries to enlist the help of the legendary Luke Skywalker in the fight against The First Order. Luke is reluctant to join the fray, however, as he believes the Jedi must end. He teaches her a bunch of space wizarding stuff anyway.

Special F/X: It's a Disney-backed Star Wars! So of course it's a feast for the eyes! And they once again mix the practical with the enhancement of CGI. The beasts and aliens were unique, the spacecraft looked badass, and the addition of a familiar face was done with love and care. The special F/X team win again! 2/2

Soundtrack: John Williams delivers the same old, same old. It's not a problem at all but I get the feeling it has become old hat for the legendary composer. It works, but I would like to see the innovation of, oh, I don’t know, The Phantom Menace? I know, you all wanna chop off my head for saying that but I will defend that soundtrack as being the best in the series till the day I die! 1.5/2

Directing: Oof! What am I going to say? I want people to like me! I really do! But my words must speak truth! Ok, here we go; this is Rian Johnson's worst movie! Ahhh! But he still brings the big guns! It's just, well, I wanna say it's the studio's fault but I know Johnson knows he’s making a Star Wars and it has to be a Star War(s). The film is speckled with his unique style but I was hoping for more of it. With films like Looper and Brick under his belt, it's what I come to expect! He’s cocky, though, like he can do no harm and he doesn’t! Damn it! It is missing that Johnson edge and for that... 1.5/2

Writing: Now in saying all that, Johnson pens a mean script! He gets it and reinvents the saga while keeping up with the canon. The Last Jedi full of surprises and wit which screams that Johnson style. It has that Johnson morality to it, as well, which allows for fantastic lessons in a Star War(s). This flick is made for the youth of today! It really isn’t written with nostalgia in mind and that's a bit of relief with all these remakes and Stranger Things mucking about (isn’t Steve great in the new season though?). A few too many wisecracks gives this flick a cocky sort of tone which really wasn’t that necessary. I would have kept the humour in Luke and Rey's scenes but ditched elsewhere to allow for the real pearl to take hold. I’m not a world class screen writer, though. I just pretend to be one to pick up chicks. 1.5/2

Acting: Ridley is awesome and, along with Driver, worked extremely hard to make these characters work. That light sabre battle is wicked! Boyega opposite Tran is overflowing charm and adoration - it's pretty mushy but I likes it. Everything Oscar Isaac touches is gold once again, no surprise there. Gleeson is more vulnerable in this flick which brings a new dynamic to his Hux character. That guy is a joy to watch in any role. I first thought Del Toro was a weird addition to the cast but he gives us a really fantastic character ripped straight out of a comic book! Very cool. It must be said that this is Carrie Fisher's last film (as if meant to be) and she dominates the screen, each one of her scenes is a wonder. Now that I successfully gave lip service to the cast as a whole, let me get down to the brass tax and talk about what you came here to actually read about: Mark Hamill’s return as Luke Skywalker! Luke is hands down my favourite character in the saga and Hamill embodies the character as if he’s been doing it for years. Here he plays old man Luke but he doesn’t play it that way. It's more like Luke the Wise and it doesn’t end there. There is this gravity he brings to the role as we go through this new journey with him. His scenes with Rey are playful and intense! As he walks through the the Millennium Falcon we get the sense of loss and his reunion with R2 is magic! Probably my favourite scene. Then, and yes minor spoilers, a light sabre battle that is easily one of the best the franchise has ever conceived! Truly a remarkable performance! Top grades all around! 2/2

8.5/10  Oh, heck with it. I'll give it another 0.5 for Luke's return, rounding this up to a 9/10. There, you happy all you Star Wars heads? I'm sure it's an 11/10 in your most valued opinion! But that's mathematically impossible! I don’t wanna hear it! The Gonger has spoken!

Allan Stringer @Gonger_Reviews

Allan Stringer (if that's his real name) hails from the Mutara Nebula and has travelled through space and time to check out the only thing us pathetic humans have to offer: movies. Marvel at his intelligence!