A Divisive, Deeply Flawed Masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (19 March 2019)

"This will not go how you think it will." Truer words have never been spoken- to Ray, or to the audience. Because The Last Jedi does not follow the path you would expect. The story here is not a mirror image of the past films. When you think you know where it's going, it has a way of taking another direction. And all the fan theories inspired by the trailers: they're dead wrong. So, let go of your expectations and enjoy the ride, because it is magnificent.
I won't bore you or spoil anything with a plot description. If you've seen the trailers you already know that the Resistance is in dire straits, and that Luke will train Ray despite his deepest reservations. It's the source of these reservations, together with Luke's deeply conflicted views on the Force and his place in it, that lend this movie its depth.
The idea of destiny runs very strongly through this film. Luke's destiny. Ray's. Kylo Ren's. The destiny of the Jedi and the Sith as a whole. The central players all know deep down that they have a powerful role to play in the fate of the galaxy. But none of them can be entirely sure what that will be. Luke and Kylo's powerful internal struggles and Ray's lingering questions and doubts resonate deeply, because they tap into the questions of identity and purpose shared by all humanity on an almost primal level. Just like the original trilogy tapped into the universal elements of storytelling and mythology, the themes here connect with fundamental aspects of the human psyche.
But enough philosophizing. This is a supremely entertaining movie too. The battle scenes are as good as any in the series, if a bit smaller and shorter than in some entries. The lightsaber duels are fantastic. The humor is effective without being excessive. The Porgs are unspeakably cute and quite hilarious, but their role is kept thankfully minor. And the suspense this movie generates is killer. This movie checks off every box on the list of what a good Star Wars entry should have.
All your favorite characters introduced the last film are here, along with some new ones too. I especially enjoyed Benicio Del Toro's slightly disheveled con man, and I hope we see more of him. And Leia and Luke really get the treatment they deserve. Carrie Fisher still brings all the grace, poise, and stubbornness you remember, mixed with a sense of tiredness, but also irrepressible hope. She will be sorely missed.
But Mark Hamill is even better as the older, brooding Luke Skywalker. His expression, his walk, his every word conveys a deep sadness and remorse. He is a man still mourning the past and deeply afraid of what the future may hold. But not forever. His transformation is as profound as it is moving, and in the end he shows why he is still the hero the galaxy needs.
The Last Jedi is a bit longer than it needs to be, and there are a few lines of dialog that don't belong in this, or any other movie. And I have no idea how this movie's timeline works. But this movie works, on a level that only the originals and maybe Rogue One did. It builds on the ideas and mythology of the original trilogy and takes it in extremely bold and intriguing new directions.
As much as I liked The Force Awakens, and even Rogue One, I still wasn't sure that the decision to cast aside all the rich lore of the expanded universe was justified. Now I am. Sometimes it really is best to let the past die. Here's to the future, whatever it may hold.