The Perils of a Franchise Film

Rating: 5/10 (23 December 2017)

Certainly, the most polarizing Star Wars film yet.
I'm not even sure where to begin, really. The Last Jedi is a technically proficient spectacle and a lot of what it does well it does infinitely better than it's immediate predecessor. I cannot argue that visually this is a film that goes leagues beyond what I anticipated in this new brand of Star Wars films. The excellent visual direction from Rian Johnson and Steve Yedlin is breathtaking. But unfortunately for The Last Jedi, being technically proficient doesn't excuse all of the other issues that are prominent throughout the much-debated addition to the series canon. In fact, the other issues in The Last Jedi are too far in number for me to be comfortable with what the film says and wants to achieve.
I don't say this lightly, but The Last Jedi made me feel an emotion I never thought I would feel when watching a Star Wars film. This is not a good thing. For the first time in experiencing an addition to the Space Opera spectacle, I feel dejected, disappointed, and unmoved. I'm not even sure I can say "it's an okay film" without doubting myself. The Last Jedi with all of its visual excellence and technical qualities is not entertaining or frankly, good. Perhaps this is the risk of developing a franchise film, but how can I have such a strong feeling of discontent with The Last Jedi when I didn't with Revenge of the Sith? Perhaps it is due to the mere fact that Revenge of the Sith didn't betray the very foundation it stood on for the sake of defining its own destiny, burning the bridge it had crossed; stabbing themselves to spite their face. Betraying the heart of the series, the very core of the characters within it and their journey. That will be the legacy of The Last Jedi. For some, this may be liberating, ingenious, and smart. For others, it is the exact opposite. I fall in the latter camp.
I wanted to like this film. I really wanted to like it. But nothing connected on a positive level when it came to the content provided from the script written by Rian Johnson. The character development that The Force Awakens laid the groundwork for seems to be intentionally ignored, offering little depth nor organic growth. Perhaps if this was not a franchise film this would be less of a glaring issue, but even taking The Last Jedi as a standalone film what is pretty obvious is that the film is fighting itself in its identity and what it wants to achieve.
There is no consistency to the tone of the film, often shifting between a Star Wars film and a Guardians of the Galaxy film, which to me is an intolerable offense. Star Wars does not need to follow the Marvel Cinematic Universe's design; Star Wars has been defined for over four decades at this point and it should need to cater and deviate from the spirit that makes the series in the first place. Beyond that, it repeats the errors of its immediate predecessor with no sense of foresight. My biggest criticism of The Force Awakens was that it was founded on nostalgic callbacks and derivative concepts and when I went into my viewing of The Last Jedi I expected it to build upon those things and amend any doubt or anxiety I had in my mind. It did not. Characters are given impractical and contrived achievements in situations that make little sense, an entire side story is shown to us that has no immediate bearing on the plot, jokes are unnatural and unfitting during certain sequences, character development is voided in favor of committing to a very narrow conclusion, and ultimately there is no payoff.
With that said, I will concede that the film's ensemble of actors do their very best to make it work; to make the characterization choices feel organic, to assert likeable portrayals, and create an experience that cannot be described as mediocre in terms of performance. Mark Hamill is absolutely excellent, showing us that the long-awaited return of Luke Skywalker was more than worth it. In fact, it might be one of Hamill's best performances in his career as a film and voice actor. The rest of the cast, especially the younger and newer additions, are exceptional and I would say that the returning actors from The Force Awakens have found their momentum in these roles. It almost makes the whole experience despite the mishaps and fumbles ignorable.
Almost.
Ultimately, The Last Jedi has made its bed and it will now have to lay in it. Fans of the franchise have three options: accept it, tolerate it, or reject it. Those with a true passion for Star Wars will never be able to reject the franchise, but they will be sorrowful and remember December 15th as the day Star Wars died. The shape Star Wars takes following its death and subsequent resurrection will hopefully be inspiring and interesting; perhaps it will open new doors to stories that fans of the franchise can take away from as enjoyable to their tastes. If not, the novels and original films will remain as a testament to what once was and will always be cherished.
I give Star Wars my sincere faith going forward that it will be resurrected into something greater, though perhaps I am too optimistic and forgiving.