Let's Talk About STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI Behind The Scenes

If you follow my social media, you may or may not have seen that I made a video essay abut Star Wars: The Last Jedi. If you haven't heard and are interested in watching it, I'll embed it right here for you:

Now that you've hopefully watched it, I'd like to share some fun factoids, sources of inspiration, and any other Behind The Scenes content that may interest you! For starters, I made this video because I love The Last Jedi and felt like I had a lot to say on it which couldn't be expressed through a blog post. Secondly, I'd been considering making the foray back into YouTube and decided this might be a good start. I made it my goal to find something about the film which I hadn't seen covered extensively online while sharing my own interpretation of the film, and I think I was successful.

I figured I'd start with a script because an unscripted ramble would probably be disastrous and go on for far too long. That took about a week, I shared it with some people via social media, took their feedback into account, and then made revisions from there. That went on for about two-three weeks before I began recording. I was honestly surprised how long I wound up recording some sections due to mispronunciations and me fumbling over my own words. 

Here's a funny example:

Hey everyone! Enjoy this out-of context minute long clip of me struggling to say “Earth’s myths.” pic.twitter.com/Ym72DdnJP5

— David Weiser (@weiser_david) October 29, 2018

On that note, an interesting tidbit is that I scrapped all my narration audio earlier this week and rerecorded the entire thing because I wasn't satisfied with the audio quality. It's honestly still not quite at the level I'd like, but I was pleased enough with it and wanted to meet the deadline of December 15th so I settled. I did this multiple times to be honest...

For those wondering, The Art of The Last Jedi was probably the best resource for me when writing the script aside from the film itself and requisite bonus features. I found a lot of information in there which helped the idea of the video take shape. If you loved The Last Jedi, I highly recommend the book as it's very insightful. It has plenty of gorgeous concept art and lots fascinating commentary from the filmmakers.

Other factoids:  

-I included many of the Star Wars trademarks such as an opening crawl and wipe transitions. The end credits are even in the style of a Star Wars film as well. In order to do that though, I knew I'd have to somehow use John Williams' main theme... Only if I used the actual audio, the video would surely get a copyright strike. I then decided to put together an a cappella arrangement as a work around by enlisting help from some vocalists at my local church. We recorded during the week of Thanksgiving break and it was the first part of the video which was finalized.

-Early on in the process I made the thumbnail and crawl. When writing the opening crawl, I looked to The Last Jedi's crawl as inspiration for the proper wording. As for the thumbnail, I made a more simplistic version, but it was recommended for me to work in a person's face because that would help the video get more views. I decided to impose Luke on top and then changed the lighting and coloring to better blend everything together. 

-If you watch Star Wars Rebels, you may have caught onto how the World Between Worlds aesthetic influenced this particular graphic. 

-The most time-consuming part of the process was probably searching for specific footage on the Internet. You would be amazed at how difficult it was to find certain clips without a watermark, and in some cases, I had to settle for standard definition because there was no HD version available. 

Otherwise, I don't have much else to share with you. I hope you enjoyed the video as well as this post, and I'll catch up on all my film reviews soon as I've seen about ten films since my last review.

Star Wars Speculation: 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' Analysis (Dividing A Fanbase)

Look to the audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes (49%) and you can see a clear indicator that audiences are mixed on The Last Jedi. However, look past the percentage aggregate and you'll see the average score is a 3/5... Smack dab in the middle! If you peruse the individual reviews, then you'll find most ratings are either incredibly low (1/2-1 star out of 5) or remarkably high (4 or 5 stars). There's scarcely anyone in the middle-ground. So why are fans so split on the film?... I think there are many reasons for the divide, but a few factors come to mind as contributing causes...

Analysis: Dividing A Fanbase 

1) The fanbase doesn't truly know what it wants
If you go back and look at the reaction to The Force Awakens or Rogue One, you'll find a vocal contingent of fans whose chief complaint about Disney's brand of Star Wars films was that they were too reliant on reincorporating elements from the Original Trilogy for the purposes of nostalgia. Regardless, they were still accepting of what was being provided to them. So, why in the world would they complain when Rian Johnson brought something fresh to the screen? It seems as though they perceive the changes as too jarring and not in-line with anything that had come before. All of a sudden, their childhood's somehow been ruined?...

They went in expecting a film that abided by Star Wars' traditional story structure and were disappointed to find something that upheaved all those ideas. Personally, I'm glad Johnson took the franchise in such a bold, new direction because rejuvenation is simply necessary for a franchise's longevity. You can't just go back to the same well over and over again. That will eventually get old. Why do you think some fans ever took issue with The Force Awakens?

Anyways, the thought of hinging the plot on unexplored Force abilities and depleting fuel reserves seemed out of line for the franchise because they hadn't been previously explored in canon. Upset fans felt they were just contrived plot devices with no place in the franchise. They begged for something new in the franchise, and when they finally got it, they turned it away. I've decided that Star Wars fans are the most difficult to please because they all gravitate towards a particular trilogy or individual film for different reasons. There's no possible way to please everyone because everyone wants something different, which leads me to my next point...

2) Wild fan speculation set fans up for disappointment
J.J. Abrams is notorious for setting up grand mysteries across his work. In this case, fans left The Force Awakens with unanswered questions they felt to be of paramount importance. They desperately craved to know who Rey's parents were, who Snoke was, and why Luke Skywalker had gone into a self-imposed exile. So, they naturally developed their own theories to answer these questions in a way that was satisfactory towards them. However, I think they became so consumed with receiving the answers they wanted that they refused to accept anything else.

Therefore, people were upset when Snoke was killed before revealing much about himself or when Rey's parents were revealed to be nobodies. I think the way Johnson addressed these questions only goes to show that they weren't as imperative to the plot as fans thought they were. It ultimately didn't matter who Snoke was. Daisy Ridley's said it herself numerous times that Rey's parentage is important to Rey. Not the audience. Making her a Skywalker, Solo, Kenobi, or a Palpatine would only play into being the ultimate fan service. Sure, J.J. could retcon these answers in Episode IX .. but I think that would only cause further confusion. Plus, he's got enough to deal with as it is.

3) The depiction and death of Luke Skywalker
As for Luke, sometimes it's difficult to see your treasured hero portrayed differently than you last remember. The fact that Han and Leia were in keeping with their past selves probably had fans thinking Luke might be the same way. I think most fans were expecting his to act in line with Yoda or Obi Wan in the Original Trilogy and spout profound wisdom or at least remain as optimistic as they'd last remembered him.

So, of course, it's disconcerting for some when they learn he's determined to end the Jedi Order or that he contemplated killing his own nephew at one point. They think, "The Luke I remember would NEVER behave that way," and that's just the thing... Thirty years have passed, and Luke's life experiences have shaped him to have a different outlook on life, which is perhaps the most realistic character development of all...

The bright eyed, bushy tailed moisture farmer from Tatooine wanted nothing more than a life of adventure, but just think about all the personal trauma he experienced along the way. He unknowingly watched his father murder his mentor. He was unknowingly kissed by his own sister. He learned his father was a Sith Lord and immediately had his hand chopped off. Then in the next encounter between the two that we know of, he's forced to face his father and briefly succumbs to the Dark Side when he ballistically attacks Vader. He then sees that he's headed down a dark path and refuses to do so. He throws away his weapon and approaches the Emperor saying, "I'll never turn to the Dark Side. You failed your highness. I am a Jedi, like my father before me." The Emperor responds by electrocuting him and his father, the man he was just fighting, steps in and sacrifices himself to save him.

Imagine what must have been running through Luke's head after that. Later, he takes his own nephew, some students. and sets off in an attempt to rebuild the Jedi Order. In doing so, Luke discovers the fallacies of the Order. Luke says it himself that if "we strip away their myth and look at their deeds, their legacy is failure. Hypocrisy. Hubris... At the height of their power, they allowed Darth Sidious to rise, create the Empire, and wipe them out." He then senses conflict within Ben during training. At this point, he's not only emotionally compromised by his past, but afraid that history may repeat itself. He knows his own father was responsible for the fall of the Jedi Order and he doesn't want Ben to go down that same path. He's seen what can come from it, so in a moment of weakness, he goes to confront Ben, ignites his saber, and briefly contemplates killing him to easily prevent the worst possible outcome.

It's understandable that some would not like this. The idea that their idolized hero would ever find himself in such a low spot is concerning. If anything though, I think Luke's actions in Return Of The Jedi support the account we hear from Luke regarding his greatest failure, the attempted assassination of Ben Solo. So, let's briefly go back to the Throne Room scene from Return of the Jedi. In a moment of weakness, Luke savagely attacks his father and cuts off his right hand due to Vader's taunts. He stops. Looks down at his fallen father. He begins to realize what he's done and what he will become if he kills him. He experiences internal conflict. On one hand he can strike his father down and rid the galaxy of an ultimate evil or he can choose what he believes to be the righteous path of the Jedi and turn away from it. It's the same choice Anakin faced in Revenge Of The Sith. He's even being encouraged by the same evildoer to strike another defenseless man down just like his father was many years ago. So what does he do? He rejects the evil influence and throws his saber away to symbolically deny the Dark Side and align with the Light Side of the Force.

Just because Luke resisted the call to the Dark Side once though doesn't mean that the temptation would never resurface. It does resurface. Again, in a moment of weakness, he considers killing a defenseless being to hopefully prevent atrocity-upon-atrocity. For a brief moment, Luke gives into his fear, anger, and aggression by igniting his blade. He looks down at his nephew, a young boy sleeping, and realizes how wrong his course of action is. He knows this is wrong and that he shouldn't succumb to his dark thoughts. Ben wakes up. Ben perceives it as what it initially was. He grabs his saber and ignites it to defend himself. Luke screams "Ben! No!" as a means of trying to stop him from what he's about to do and explain it all... Only there is no possible way to explain this away. Ben uses the force to bring the building down, and when Luke wakes up, everything he'd worked so hard to rebuild is gone. The temple is burnt down. His students have either been slaughtered or left with Ben. Luke failed.

And that is what I believe to be the crucial tipping point of fan consensus. You're either accepting of the idea that Luke majorly messed up or you're completely against it because you believe Luke should have no faults. To me, it's really the only possible explanation. Why else would Luke have gone into exile and refused to come back? He'd now seen firsthand that the traditional Jedi Order is setup for failure. Luke Skywalker, hero of the Rebellion and Jedi Knight, had failed. He failed his sister. He failed his friend. He failed the galaxy. I can only imagine that leaving everything behind would present itself as a promising alternative. To me, this failure speaks to Luke's humanity. He's not a perfect hero. He has flaws and makes mistakes just like we do. As human beings, we can empathize with failure. We all mess up at one point in our lives, and that's where one of Johnson's major themes comes into play.

Yoda appears to Luke as a Force ghost and tells him "Pass on what you have learned. Strength, mastery. But weakness, folly, failure also. Yes, failure most of all. The greatest teacher failure is." I think it's fitting that Yoda appeared... Yoda is the wisest Jedi, so it's is particularly resonate to hear him say that we learn from our failures. In fact, every character in The Last Jedi fails at something and learns from it. Luke's failures have already been discussed. Leia's call for help fails. Holdo's plan fails because of Poe. Poe fails to recognize the bigger picture. Finn and Rose fail to find the codebreaker, deactivate the hyperspace tracker, and then Finn's attempt at sacrifice fails. Snoke fails to recognize his apprentice's coming betrayal. Hux fails to apprehend the Resistance. Captain Phasma fails to kill Finn and Rose. Rey and Kylo Ren fail to convince one another to join the other side. Rey additionally fails to convince Luke to join her as she leaves. Kylo Ren also fails to see past Luke's deception so the Resistance gets away. Chewie even fails to eat a Porg! I could go on, but you get the point by now...

And if you look at each arc, they each glean something from their failures. Luke is inspired by Rey and Yoda to help the Resistance in the only way he knows he can help... by projecting himself across the galaxy as a shining symbol of hope. Leia realizes the Resistance has all it needs. Holdo takes accountability of her failed plan by sacrificing herself to ensure the remaining Resistance fighters made it to the surface of Crait. Poe sees the bigger picture and realizes it's more important to stay alive than win a battle if they're ever going to win the war. Finn fully embraces the Rebel monicker and realizes the true importance of the cause. Rose recognizes that love is the way to win. Snoke and Phasma see their mistakes as they die. Hux recognizes that the Resistance shouldn't be underestimated. Rey begins to believe in herself and recognize she has a place in the story. Kylo Ren realizes his anger blinded him and that he will carry the burden of his atrocities with him. Last, but not least, Chewbacca makes a companion of one of the Porgs!

Really, the film's poignant truths speak to the values of failure. In the end, I know not everyone particularly liked that and I'm aware there are other reasons people disliked the film. I was just pointing out some of the reasons that I've noticed across all those unhappy with The Last Jedi, but I hope that any who disliked the film felt this was an informative read... I know that was a very long post, but I had A LOT to say and I'm grateful for anyone who's taken the time to read my thoughts on this. You probably won't see another Star Wars Speculation post from me till the first Solo: A Star Wars Story trailer is released. I'm thinking it will come with the Super Bowl, but we'll have to wait and see.

-As always, May the Force be with you!

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.

pic.twitter.com/3IvzVcIBji

— Rian Johnson (@rianjohnson) January 19, 2018

pic.twitter.com/IEe2wdLp4l

— Rian Johnson (@rianjohnson) January 19, 2018

pic.twitter.com/cxJ6y1i8nu

— Rian Johnson (@rianjohnson) January 19, 2018

pic.twitter.com/L3Ngau6bxH

— Rian Johnson (@rianjohnson) January 19, 2018

pic.twitter.com/ErfkfHmWNq

— Rian Johnson (@rianjohnson) January 19, 2018

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!

Top 10 Films of 2017

It's that time of year again where I reflect on all the films I've watched and reviewed to tell you my ten favorites. I made an effort to see a majority of the films released this year, but naturally I missed out on some for various reasons. This year I saw and reviewed 71 films in total, but I'll still publish my thoughts on anything I missed once I see it. In my ranking, I'll have a couple sentences to sum up my thoughts on each film and why I feel it earned a spot on my list. I have reviews uploaded for each one, so if you're interested and haven't done so already, you can read my more in-depth thoughts by clicking the blue title once you're done perusing my list. 

I'd also like to preface my list with a few things for you to consider as you read. First of all, this is my subjective list. Not an objective one. That list would probably look a lot more like the list of Best Picture nominees coming next month, and quite frankly, I don't think any of you are interested in seeing those same exact films appear here. These are the ten films that stuck with me most when the year was all over for an abundance of reasons I'll get around to explaining in a second. Another thing regarding my list is that this is MY list. You're likely and liable to disagree with some of my picks, but that's because film is subjective and speaks differently to everyone. Also, it's a high distinction to be an Honorable Mention. Those films are the ones I struggled leaving off the list, but feel deserve some sort of shot-out, so don't think that I disliked a film because I put it in there. The final thing I'd like to say is that just because something is left off my list doesn't necessarily mean I hated it... I just liked these other films even more when all was said and done. 

Top 10 Films of 2017

Honorable Mentions (Alphabetical order): The Big Sick, The Disaster Artist, Dunkirk, Get Out, I, Tonya, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Lady Bird, The LEGO Batman Movie, and Spider-Man: Homecoming.

10. Wonder Woman

In spite of a lackluster villain, a third act that's not quite on par with the rest of the film, and the baggage of being part of the larger DCEU, Wonder Woman defied all odds to emerge as one of the year's most entertaining blockbusters! Gal Gadot shines here by imbuing all of Diana's best qualities, Chris Pine stands out as a charming love interest, Patty Jenkins did an exceptional job directing her first big budget project, and Rupert Gregson-Williams' score is absolutely electrifying. I know there's been some backlash from a vocal contingent, but I genuinely feel it featured some of the year's most exciting action scenes and took huge strides forward in properly depicting a female superhero. 

9. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is one of the year's strongest films for so many reasons, but it stood out to me because of how well it balanced the extremes of dark comedy and drama while discussing the adverse effects of anger. It also didn't hurt that it was well-written, well-directed, and features plenty of powerhouse performances.

8. Wind River

Of all the films released this year, Wind River was probably the biggest surprise for me. I was hoping it'd be good of course, but I had no idea Taylor Sheridan would leave such a harrowing impression. Like the icy Wyoming landscape presented to the viewer, Wind River is cold and unforgiving with a message audiences will have a hard time forgetting.

7. Coco

Pixar never ceases to amaze me with their ability to tell such emotionally-driven stories through the visual medium of animation. Coco stands as an exemplary reminder of everything the studio is capable of whenever they set their hearts and minds to it. Coco's not only one of the best of the year, but one of their best original films to date thanks to all it had to say on the importance of family and culture while also ensuring audiences enjoyed themselves.

6. War for the Planet of the Apes

Trilogies don't always land on solid ground with their third installments, but War for the Planet of the Apes cemented the Ceasar trilogy as one of the greatest cinematic trilogies ever made. It was epic, emotional, and never lost sight of the series' values. Andy Serkis delivers one of his best motion-capture performances yet while the WETA visual effects team presented some of their best work ever. After it was over, I couldn't fight the desire to bow down and hail Caesar.  

5. The Shape of Water

The Shape of Water is such a beautiful film in so many ways. It's got an attractive aesthetic, important messages to impart, and most impressively, it tells a surprisingly deep love story without either of the two love interests uttering a word. It's simply one of those films that reminded me why I ever fell in love with cinema.

4. Logan

I grew up watching Hugh Jackman's Wolverine for seventeen years. He's genuinely one of the best cast comic book movie characters ever... Knowing he was leaving the role for good was saddening in and of itself. However, Logan was everything Hugh Jackman's sentimental send-off needed to be. It was raw, emotional, and character driven all the way through. It upended the comic book genre by going the way of the Western and it worked extraordinarily well. I'm not even a huge fan of the character of Wolverine, but I consider it to be the greatest comic book movie ever made, and the only one aside from The Dark Knight to truly be deserving of major awards contention.

3. Baby Driver

In a year filled with sequels, reboots, and comic book adaptations, Baby Driver was something entirely original from the brilliant mind of Edgar Wright. It had a tank full of heart, humor, and unpredictability that made it stand out as something truly special amongst the hub-bub of summer blockbusters. I can't say it enough, but this film floored me. Wright's determination to meticulously match the diverse soundtrack full of rockin' tunes with all the insanity occurring onscreen is commendable alone. The fact he managed to pull that off while telling an engaging story about such charming characters only goes to show he's not a creative force to be reckoned with.

2. Blade Runner 2049

Few directors can consistently deliver intellectually and emotionally stirring work, but Denis Villeneuve kept up his streak with Blade Runner 2049. Blade Runner 2049 is simply a masterwork in more ways than one. It's one of the most beautiful films I think I've EVER laid eyes on thanks to Roger Deakins, it features my favorite film score of the entire year from Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch, and it expands its world in organic ways while telling a fascinating story. I'm absolutely positive Blade Runner 2049 will become an influential source for many up-and-coming filmmakers.

1. Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Star Wars: The Last Jedi split the fanbase right down the middle, and surprisingly wound up being one of the year's most divisive films. You all know where I stand by now, but I was completely taken aback by the rift between fans. It's weird because I watched something that was utterly astounding on so many levels, while others talk about it like they saw something straight out of a trash compactor. Writer and director Rian Johnson dared do to be different and deconstruct Star Wars like no one ever had, and I think it paid off in spades.

'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' Review

Well, well, well... The time has finally arrived for me to share my thoughts on my most anticipated film of the year... Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle... Wait a second, that's not right... Of course, I mean Star Wars: The Last Jedi, a film I've been eagerly awaiting since December of 2015. The two year wait has been long to say the least, but it's over with, and we now have a two year wait to eagerly anticipate the arrival of Episode IX, so without further ado, I proudly present my NON-SPOILER review of Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' Review

Nominated For: Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Original Score.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi begins where Star Wars: The Force Awakens ended. The Resistance are evacuating their base as they flee from the formidable First Order, while Rey seeks Luke Skywalker to teach her the ways of the Force, so that she may use her extraordinary power to aid the Resistance in their struggle against the First Order.

If your biggest issue with The Force Awakens was that it played things too safe, then you'll be pleased to hear that writer-director Rian Johnson defies convention at every turn. I absolutely adore Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but even I can admit that film stuck to the safe side of things. Johnson, however, takes bountiful bold risks in his middle entry to this Star Wars sequel trilogy. Johnson implements ideas and style completely foreign to the franchise, yet manages to present them with enough assuredness that you'll quickly become convinced it was all meant to be. 

The new characters, creatures, and planets are incredibly abstract and unlike almost anything else that has ever existed in the Star Wars canon. It's difficult to express exactly how unique everything is while avoiding spoilers, but it reminded me of George Lucas' own original universe-building, and I loved that. It's no wonder Lucasfilm had the confidence to sign him on to oversee an entirely new Star Wars trilogy before The Last Jedi was even released.

If I were asked to choose one line of dialogue from the film to encapsulate the experience of watching The Last Jedi, I would certainly choose Luke's warning that "This is not going to go the way you think!" Johnson continuously took me by surprise with every ballsy decision made. The story flows naturally, but Johnson brilliantly subverted my expectations time-and-time again over the film's two and a half hour runtime. 

It's worth noting that The Last Jedi echoes certain elements from The Empire Strikes Back, but Johnson never rehashes the quintessential sequel in any way, shape, or form. In fact, I'd go as far to saying Johnson distances his film a great deal from the structure of The Empire Strikes Back. The closest The Last Jedi gets would be that the First Order bounces back triumphant after a critical loss of a super-weapon similarly to the Empire after the first Death Star's destruction and the plot centers on the training of a Jedi who's only just discovered their extraordinary abilities. Other than that, I can't think of any other startling similarities... Even the Force training narrative drastically differs from what has come before. I won't go into too much story or character detail though since this is a spoiler-free review, but I can assure concerned fans that there will not be an outpouring of fans claiming The Last Jedi ripped off The Empire Strikes Back like what happened to The Force Awakens in relation to A New Hope. 

In the technical area, the departments responsible for the film's visual effects, sound editing/mixing, production design, and costuming prove to once again be remarkable, as we've come to expect from Lucasfilm. However, it's Johnson's cinematographer, Steve Yedlin, and editor, Bob Ducsay, who interject a frenetic energy and style to the action sequences that truly make The Last Jedi stand out among its franchise family members. This is just as much a Rian Johnson film as it is a Star Wars sequel, and Yedlin and Ducsay ensure that his stylized sensibilities shine through this installment. And, of course, I cannot go without applauding John Williams on another spellbinding score. Williams is a legend, so what else could you possibly expect the man to compose other than another musical masterpiece?

Among the exceptional ensemble of performers, there are many notable characters worth discussing. However, seeing as this is a non-spoiler review, there will likely be many I'm either purposely vague in describing or leave out all together. Daisy Ridley delivers another show-stopping performance front-and-center as Rey, further fleshing out her character while traversing the tricky path between the Light and Dark sides of the Force. 

Mark Hamill's long-awaited return as Luke Skywalker is just as amazing as you could have possibly imagined. Luke Skywalker has always been one of my favorite Star Wars characters, so seeing him onscreen actually speaking this time around was a real treat. Johnson's interpretation of the character at this point is quite different than the Luke fans are accustomed to seeing. Hamill himself has mentioned in interviews he didn't at first agree with the take on the character. However, the Luke we know and love is still in there... He's simply been reshaped by experiences that took place in the thirty year gap between Return Of The Jedi and The Force Awakens. What Hamill's able to accomplish through this is simply astounding. It's not only his best performance as Luke, but I believe it to be the best of his entire career. If there's any justice, he'll get an Oscar nomination at the very least. 

Oscar Isaac's Poe Dameron flies straight back into the mix with the charming, cocky attitude that won audiences over in the opening minutes of The Force Awakens and his trusty droid, BB-8. Isaac has a substantially larger role this time around as Dameron in comparison to The Force Awakens, so those who wanted more from him and BB-8 will be overly exuberant. On that front, BB-8 rolls in right alongside his suave master, and is intent to bestow audiences with as much joy as a droid can possibly provide. People made a big deal out of his First Order counterpart, BB-9E, but I'll outright let you know the First Order droid is insignificant in the grand scheme of things as I suspected. 

Now for the tough part... Carrie Fisher's tragic passing last year probably affected me more than any other recent celebrity death because she was just as integral to this franchise as Hamill and Ford. While I won't quite go as far to saying Leia has a "substantially larger" role, she certainly feels more important this time around and some scenes were very emotional for me because of what had happened (if you sit through the first portion of credits, there's an especially sweet dedication to her). Fisher once again imbues Leia with the traits that had audiences fall for a Alderaanian Princess in the first place. She's strong, insightful, and most importantly of all, she inspires hope. 

Elsewhere among the Resistance, John Boyega's back as Finn, and his pleasant personality is very much the same. Alongside him, Kelly Marie Tran enters the fray as we're introduced to Rose, and I'll say she really impressed me as what I can only assume will be the break-out performance of the film. While she won't be the character everyone talks about upon leaving the theater, she won't be easily forgotten either. Laura Dern and Benicio Del Toro are two especially accomplished actors who join the franchise in the intriguing roles of Vice Admiral Holdo and DJ respectively, but I won't say anything else about them for fear of unintentionally spoiling something.

On the Dark side of things, Adam Driver continues to extrapolate plenty from the rich character of Kylo Ren. Kylo Ren goes through a lot in this film, and Driver portrays it perfectly. I doubt he'll win over those who vehemently hate him because of what he did in the last film, but he was a magnificent malevolent presence and I think they might at least agree with that sentiment. Alongside him, Domhnall Gleeson reemerges as General Hux to reignite their bitter rivalry, and he's quick to remind audiences that he's a Nazi-esque First Order leader.

As for Snoke, I think those who wildly speculated about his identity and backstory will be extremely disappointed with him, but we do finally see the Supreme Leader in the flesh quite a bit and he's certainly powerful. Andy Serkis offers as incredible of a motion-capture performance as you'd expect from the man, but I wouldn't go as far to saying Snoke holds a candle to Caesar or Gollum among Serkis' magnificent motion-capture career.

Gwendoline Christie returns to desperately redeem Captain Phasma, and while she plays a part in the story, her character's role is minute once again. To me, this doesn't really matter because she was cool when onscreen and had enough of an authoritative presence to satisfy me. However, if you're eagerly awaiting a tremendous return for the chrome-plated captain, you may be dreadfully disappointed. Her battle with Finn is awesome though. For that matter, this film has some of the greatest action sequences in the entire saga, and that's really saying something... 

Last, but certainly not least, I've left space to briefly discuss droids and creatures. C3PO and R2D2 are both in the film, and there are some especially satisfying moments for both droids that will delight fans. The mighty Chewbacca roars his way onscreen again, and is strong and lovable as you remember. Meanwhile, the Porgs are as adorable as you'd expect them to be, and never in an obnoxiously overbearing sense, so no problems there.

If you know me at all, you'll know that I don't say this lightly... Star Wars: The Last Jedi is perhaps the first Star Wars film to truly be in contention for besting The Empire Strikes Back as my favorite Star Wars film, and the implications of that statement are huge for those of you who have know My Fifty Favorite Films... I'm sure there will be those who disagree with me, and this sentiment could certainly change over time, but that's my current stance fresh out of the theater. Regardless, the Force is indeed strong with The Last Jedi as it intrepidly ventures outside the traditional Star Wars story structure while maintaining the essential identity of Star Wars. I laughed. I cried. I was genuinely surprised. I have no idea how J.J. Abrams is going to follow up this masterpiece.

Film Assessment: A+