Different For The Sake Of Being Different

Rating: Null/10 (17 March 2018)

Star Wars: The Force Awakens was a cinematic event unlike anything. The buzz it created from the moment its first teaser went live resulted in a blockbuster release that shattered many box-office records during its theatrical run and gave the fans & newcomers their money's worth of big-budget extravaganza. It was also the first Star Wars film that I actually enjoyed watching.
The onus was now on Rian Johnson who was entrusted with the next episode in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. There's no denying that the middle chapter is always the hardest but where many detractors complained that The Force Awakens didn't do anything different from the norm, what Johnson does here is only gonna make them wish they could take it all back.
Set in a galaxy far, far away, Star Wars: The Last Jedi (also known as Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi) follows two simultaneously unfolding storylines. One concerns Rey who has finally found Luke Skywalker who helps her develop her newly discovered abilities. The other segment follows The First Order that has the Resistance on its last legs.
Written & directed by Rian Johnson (best known for Looper), The Last Jedi deviates a tad too far from the course in its attempt to do something different. Full of pacing & tonal issues, Episode VIII is a convoluted mess from start to finish but what sucks about it is that most of its shortcomings were easily rectifiable, all it needed was more refined script & tighter editing.
Another issue is that it fails to integrate new characters into its universe. Add to that, there is an entire subplot that it could have done without. The humour is jarring & falls flat most times. There is no consistency between its flow of events. And some decisions make no sense whatsoever. There is nothing wrong in taking a different route as long as it all adds up and in this film's case, it doesn't.
Coming to the acting department, the best performance comes from Mark Hamill who plays Luke Skywalker better than he ever did before. Daisy Ridley builds on her last act to deliver another strong performance as Rey, Adam Driver embraces the dark side as Kylo Ren, and the chemistry between him & Rey carries a spark. Amongst the new additions, Kelly Marie Tran as Rose is absolutely cringeworthy.
On an overall scale, Star Wars: The Last Jedi fails to make the most of the strong foundation that was provided to it by The Force Awakens, and is a disappointing episode that suffers from Rian Johnson's unfocused direction & unrefined script. Somewhere within this film lies a highly gripping & endlessly riveting adventure fantasy that would've satisfied most. Biting off more than it can chew, Star Wars: The Last Jedi is different for the sake of being different.