Sunday, January 28, 2018

Star Wars Speculation: 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' Spoiler Thoughts


Some of you are probably thinking "Isn't it a bit late for a spoiler review?" and you're probably right... It's now been well over a month since Star Wars: The Last Jedi was released in theaters, but I've held off on a spoiler review for a few reasons. One, the results of a Twitter poll suggested people were far more interested in my Ranking of The Star Wars Saga than a spoiler review. Therefore, I decided to share that first! Another factor was that I had A LOT of posts being uploaded in that timeframe of late December, so I wanted to give everything some room to breathe before uploading anything else. Last, but not least, everyone reading this has now had plenty of time to go see the film by now! So if you ended up here and have not seen the film, why don't you head over to my spoiler-free review. I've also written up an analysis over the film's divisive audience reaction that I'll be sharing on Wednesday. 

**Spoiler Warning**

'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' Spoiler Thoughts


There's a lot to address and digest with this film, so for the sake of length, I won't be addressing EVERY controversial moment in this post. I'm going to touch on my favorite moments and provide insight as to why I appreciated them. Obviously, I LOVED the film. I wouldn't have watched it five times if that weren't the case. Clearly, I liked it A LOT more than most, but I wanted to present my perspective on it all to hopefully open up some civil conversation about it all.
1) Luke's Force Projection
For me, this sequence was one of the coolest things I'd EVER witnessed onscreen. It was nothing short of EPIC. The beautiful reunion between Luke and Leia. Luke winking at C-3PO as Threepio says "Master Luke." John Williams' theme crescendoing as Luke makes his way to the base's opening gives me chills every time I witness it. Watching Luke "walk out with a laser sword and face down the entire First Order" only to be blasted to bits and simply brush it all off. The anticipation built with every waking moment. Everyone was thinking the same as Kylo Ren, " How could Luke possibly survive that?!?" Then Kylo comes down, filled with vehement rage and they each ignite their sabers... But Luke has the blue saber. How could that be?!? We saw that saber split in half not minutes earlier. Kylo charges and swings his cross saber. Luke sidesteps the blade. Kylo comes in again, and Luke ducks and dodges. The two stand at odds and converse. Luke deactivates his saber. Kylo charges and swings right through him. We see Luke again, well alive... Kylo pokes his blade through Luke one last time and then we learn... he's not ACTUALLY there...
It cuts back to Ach-To and Luke is floating and visibly struggling to mentally project the image of himself with the force. He lets go and falls. he climbs back up on the rock, and as he's pulling himself back up, he gazes to the horizon. There we see one sun... until he gets back up on the rock. Then a second sun appears... and Williams' brilliant "Binary Sunset" theme begins to play. Luke looks to the pair of setting suns one last time before fading into the Force. His cloak is carried away by the wind. A spectacular sequence. A peaceful and purposeful end to my favorite Jedi.
Now, there's quite a bit alluding to the fact he wasn't physically there. Luke doesn't leave any imprint on the surface of Crait like everyone else and the falling salt (snow?) doesn't flicker off Luke's lightsaber. Not to mention the fact he's using the blue saber that we saw destroyed minutes earlier. Really quickly, I'm going to now address the questions I've heard many ask regarding this twist with my own perspective of why things happened the way they did. 
First of all, I believe Luke died because the feat was simply too astounding. Yes, he's a Jedi Master and very powerful to the Force. However, we learned earlier that he had severed his connection to the Force for who knows how long, and then one of his first acts is to project himself ALL the way across the galaxy. It seems to me that an act like that would be extraordinary and be physically and mentally exhausting. The film suggests as much when it cuts back to Luke and we can clearly see him struggling. This isn't some everyday ability that the Jedi commonly used... On that subject, some were outraged that Rian Johnson dare introduce a force ability that hadn't previously been showcased in canon or even thought to have existed.... He responded with the following thread of tweets on Twitter.

Some may then ask, "Why didn't he show up in person?" and I believe the film offers an answer. We saw what would have happened had Luke actually appeared... He would have been blown to smithereens. His statement earlier on which foreshadows this moment suggests how impractical the idea would be. I believe he projected himself for many reasons. One, I think he knew he intended to be a source of inspiration for the Resistance... "The spark that will light the fire that will burn the First Order down." He could only succeed at that by demonstrating his exceptional ability with the Force in such an unconventional way. Clearly, it worked because the story already spread to stables of Canto Bight.
Two, I don't think he could bear to physically face Leia. He knows that he failed her son. He was the reason Ben Solo became Kylo Ren. He was the reason that Ben killed his own father and one of Luke's best friends, Han Solo. He was the reason that the First Order rose. He's guilty and remorseful about his failure and the tragedy it's caused. Why do you think he went into hiding?! It only makes sense that he wouldn't want to truly look into his sister's eyes face-to-face and let her see him looking so disheveled. I believe this is also why he alters his appearance. 
On top of all that, this is the same reason he projected the blue saber over his green one. Sure, it would have angered Kylo more to see the weapon Luke almost slaughtered him with... However, it only makes sense that Luke would choose not to wield that blade if Luke's to be a bright beacon of hope to the galaxy. Not because the Resistance would know what he'd used it for (because they wouldn't), but for his own conscience. The green saber's only a reminder of his monumental screw-up. I doubt he'd feel like a righteous hero wielding it. Force projection or not.
Three, I think he genuinely meant it when he told Rey, Chewbacca, and R2D2 nothing would change his mind. He was determined to die there on his own terms. Frankly, I'm kinda glad I didn't have to witness Luke be blown to bits or impaled with a lightsaber... I'm totally onboard with the idea of him demonstrating his strength in the Force in such a unique, never-before seen way. For me, it seems like the most in-character decision he could have made.

2) Throne Room Sequence
This sequence was simply amazing. It featured some of the best fight choreography in the entire Saga and a riveting, refreshing twist with the death of Supreme Leader Snoke. I especially appreciated how that propelled Kylo Ren to become the First Order's head honcho. I loved how Kylo Ren overcame his Vader Inferiority Complex and seized his destiny to become a fierce and formidable foe intent on destroying his past. Kylo Ren's truly the most compelling and complex antagonist the franchise has ever seen (that's not to say he's better than Vader though). And then there was the reveal that Rey's parents were nobodies. I know this, along with Snoke's death, upset some fans... but I loved how it emphasizes that heroes aren't born into this story. You don't need to be a Skywalker, a Kenobi, a Solo, or a Palpatine to have a place in the story. Anyone can be a hero. I feel that this is the primary point of the broom boy at the very end, seeing as he grabbed the broom with the Force. He and Rey are symbols that great potential can come from nothing.

3) Vice Admiral Holdo's Silent Light Speed Sacrifice
Wow. Just wow. I distinctly remember audibly gasping the first time I saw this scene because it was so awesome to behold. I especially loved how the sound cut out completely, leaving us to look at the beautiful destruction in awe and wonder. Such a chilling and moving sacrifice beautiful played by Laura Dern. I know some fans have suggested that Admiral Ackbar should have had her role, but I genuinely don't think it would have worked as well that way. For one, the dynamic between Poe and Holdo is entirely dependent on her anonymity. We're meant to not like her the first time because she's telling the hero no. Holdo's not giving him the answers because he's proven himself to be reckless and incapable of seeing the big picture. She had no reason to divulge her plan with him seeing as he had just been demoted for such. If Holdo had told him everything, I'm sure he would have acted out in the same manner he did upon learning the news and become an obstacle to the Resistance's last hope. It'd be difficult to lead the audience into being apprehensive about Admiral Ackbar's plans because the audience is familiar with him as a beloved character.

I could have gone on to tackle the controversial moments, but I didn't for the sake of length. I'll address many of those in my audience reaction analysis going up Wednesday and I'll save the others for their own respective posts later on.

For now, May the Force be with you!
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