A Bad Good Movie

Rating: 6/10 (7 June 2020)

I'd describe The Last Jedi as a bad good movie. On the base level, I feel like it could be a breath of new life in the franchise that could save it from becoming another stale and repetitive entry. However, if you look into the film and its story, it starts to show some major holes that create an inconsistent and incoherent film. Don't get me wrong, The Last Jedi is no Episode 2. There are some redeeming and good parts of this film, some of the most interesting and unique concepts we've seen from a galaxy far far away.
In an act of weakness and fear, Luke let hope die. He created the plague that's tearing the galaxy apart, Kylo Ren. After spending his whole life fighting against tyranny, it was his own actions that doomed the whole galaxy. He banished himself so he could reap no more harm to the galaxy. He gave into fear. Fear of making another mistake. Fear of creating another Kylo Ren. Over the course of the film, he learns from his mistakes, that you cannot be swallowed up or defined by one mistake. He learns he can make a difference. Luke's reason for going to Krait isn't to kill Kylo or take down the whole first order, he goes there to right one wrong. To right his biggest wrong, giving up on Ben Solo. He realises he can save the galaxy by helping the good guys, or trying to make the bad guys a little less bad. He dies a man not redeemed of his actions, but a man who learned from them and became more.
In The Last Jedi, Rey became one of the most unique Star Wars characters we have seen on screen. She became a nobody. Audiences are so used to hearing that every character is related , the "I am your father" trope, but making Rey just a naturally gifted force user defies conventional Star Wars tropes and breathes new life into this story. It helps it stand on its own, not relying on past films to support it. There is nothing special about her that makes the force favour her, nor has she a family tree or lineage to help her fight the urges of the darkside, ultimately, she is alone. She feels the pull of darkside from Kylo and the pit on Ahch-To, but knows she must not give in, she cannot give herself to the darkness however tempting it may be. Having such a pure of heart character that is good just because it's the right thing to do is surprisingly new for Star Wars, and it's so refreshing to see.

With the good, must, unfortunately, come the bad. I wanted to like this film, a lot, but as I watched I became more and more frustrated and disappointed at missed opportunities and bad writing.
In my opinion, Finn's story in this film is the most egregious act of character assassination. Finn makes no sense in this film. When we leave Finn in Episode 7, he has deserted the First Order, the only thing he ever knew to fight for what's right, the rebellion. When we pick up with Finn in Episode 8, he's trying to desert the rebellion, basically throwing his whole arc from Episode 7 out the window. He's trying to find the girl he loves, Rey. This would be a cliche and predictable plot point, leaving his whole world behind to save the girl he loves, if he actually had any of this motivation for the rest of the film. Finn never once mentions wanting to be with Rey for the rest of the film, the girl he was literally willing to commit mutiny over, never once mentioned again in relation to his arc. He just switches immediately after that scene, not ever expressing interest to be with her, even in throwaway dialogue. To make it that much better, he gets a new love interest by the end of the film in Rose, so what was the point in leaving the loose hanging thread of the romantic tension from Episode 7, if it will be completely forgotten in Episode 8. It makes no sense. Speaking of Rose, Finn and Rose should not be in Kanto Bite together. Finn, the character who was abducted by the First Order as a child, should'nt have to learn that child slavery, fighting, and war is bad. However, there is one character that could have done with that lesson. The brash, hot-headed X-Wing pilot who sees war more as a game than life and death, Poe.
Coming out of Episode 7, Poe was more of a side character to Finn and Rey than one of the main characters leading our story. This gave Episode 8 the opportunity to flesh out Poe and give him an arc to build his character. In episode 8, Poe learns how to be a leader in the rebellion, that's his arc. I feel like this is too soon, like he's learning to run before he can walk. He should be learning that war and conflict get people killed, that hopping into an x-wing to blow things up won't solve everything. Sometimes, you need to retreat, to fight another day. Before he can learn to lead the rebellion, he must first be learning about the value of life. This is exactly why he belongs in Kanto Bite. Replacing Finn with Poe in Kanto Bite would be the perfect way to show Poe the value of life in the galaxy and that fighting isn't always the right option. There is so much potential there for a compelling and emotional arc, for Poe to mature his character, before becoming a strong and suitable leader of the rebellion in Episode 9.
Films are all about suspending your disbelief and becoming one with the made-up, extraordinary universe on screen. That's why jokes and humour can make or break a film for me. Do it right and the audience is entertained and feels connected to the characters on screen. Do it wrong, and it can drag the audience right out of the film and kill the pacing or tone of the scene you're trying to set. The Last Jedi falls in the latter for me. Too many times in the film I found myself groaning at cringey jokes and dialogue that completely missed the mark for me, pulling me straight out of the film and reminding myself everything I'm watching is ultimately fake and meaningless. The missed jokes weren't egregious acts that spun me into a fit of blind rage, it was just disappointing the number of times it pulled me out of the film. Humor and jokes have their place in every script, and there are a few times where it worked for me, but the majority left me sighing. However, there was one 'humourous' point that stood out amongst the rest. Luke receiving his lightsaber from Rey. The act of Luke throwing his saber over his shoulder is played for laughs in the film, but could've carried such emotional weight in the film, while still putting across the same plot point, that Luke is not the man the stories depict him as anymore. In my opinion, on receiving his Lightsaber back from Rey, a metaphorical and literal call to arms from the Rebellion, Luke should've simply dropped it on the ground. No dialogue, no music. Luke looks down to his lightsaber, his hand starts to tremble. He's reminded of Ben and his mistake as a master and mentor, as a friend. He lets go. A dull thud of the cold metallic lightsaber hitting the Ahch-To soil, Luke puts his hood back up, and leaves, barely even acknowledging Rey's existence. A simple scene but powerful enough to perfectly communicate what the audience needs to know, that the legend Luke Skywalker is no more, he is merely a ghost of his former self.
I know there is so much more to say in regard to this film. From the beautiful cinematography rivaling Rogue One as the best looking Star Wars film, to Rose Tico's character, or lack thereof, I could talk about this film for a year. It feels like I will always be finding new things to say about The Last Jedi, whether that be love or hate.