Good but not Great. One last chance to get it right

Rating: 7/10 (15 April 2018)

As with the Star Trek films JJ. Abrams has a few blind spots amidst all that storytelling genius. And it seems that Rian Johnson shares a couple of them. Result? Action heavy, depth light. They both operate on a formula that says, offer action first, then explain who the characters are later, or at best try to explain them in snappy one-liners. It doesn't always work. It's much better to care about the characters before putting them into danger. It makes the danger real and draws the viewer into the action. But when filmmakers just show you spectacular action before you know you know, connect with, or care about the characters, then it's just CGI spectacle, never real. And not impactful. The latter happens too often here
In the original Star Wars we take time to learn who Luke is, and this puts him front and center, and grounded as the lead while the rest of the film's characters and stories revolve around him.
Abrams took a similar approach with Rey in the first film successfully. We had a chance to learn about her in several non-action moments that came early enough in the film to nail the whole story together.
Now, after so many decades, we return to Luke. Luke has been the underpinning for ALL Star Wars films. He is the running lead. The Prequels, while ostensibly about Darth Vader, are really about Luke's father. Every Star Wars film is a reference to Luke Skywalker.
Every swing of a light Saber by every character in every Star Wars film is a reference to Luke's first swing in the presence of his masterm: hope and joy, his, the model of good vs evil for the entire series. Every light Saber battle has Luke, George and Mark's signature on it. Not only those in the films, but every imaginary light Saber battle played out by every child and young adult for the last forty years.
Regardless of Luke, George and Mark's own shortcomings, this spirit rang through. And still rings through despite many flawed but well intended efforts to capture lightening in a bottle once more.
It is appropriate that the entire first film of this latest trilogy would base its plot on finding Luke. We have waited thirty years for this. It was right.
And while the Last Jedi returns the character of Luke embittered, ultimately, he is restored, with Spirit intact, and revived by the end, the martyr he was always destined to be.
They got the general idea right. But we needed more exposition. Not the story around Luke's failure to train an ambitious and emotional Kylo, which was serviceable, if stretching credibility.
We needed the story before that. And in a sequence of shots lasting more than three minutes.
Luke is more powerful as a spirit, and if the film makers are right, they will emphasize this.
Just as Mark Hamill became a fine actor able to handle the full weight of his task in Return of the Jedi, he has only gotten better, more layered, deeper. His character needs more time and interaction with several of the film's characters moving forward.
Afterall, what did his success in Return of the Jedi accomplish? That is entirely absent. We need to see that all that fighting led to at least something like peace for a little while. Otherwise hope is just a commercial commodity of politicians without basis.
Star Wars is fundamentally, and in its strongest telling, Luke's story.
JJ., please remember this.
As for the films best moments, they are at the end. When Luke kisses Leia, we also see Mark kissing Carrie, and all four know it is for the last time. It is heart wrenching . Carrie's failing health is evident in both of these last films, and her portrayal, her crowning achievement.
I'm surprised they did not let her pass in the scene her ship is destroyed. But with so many battles the authors will find a way.
You could see her visibly struggling to maintain herself on film and this added perfect dynamic tension to the role. She sacrifices herself for the sake of the story, the fans, and message. That deserves memorializing in the next film.