I can never remember what it is like to watch a Star Wars movie. I don’t usually watch them more than once, and I don’t really remember them after I watch them. Star Wars has never been as big of a phenomenon to me as say, Marvel or Harry Potter. I watched Force Awakens once, just barely watched Rogue One a month ago on Netflix, saw Episodes 1-3 when they released and never need to see them again, and haven’t even seen the original trilogy. Yet with The Last Jedi, there was an air around the movie that just felt like it was a different event that I couldn’t miss. This was probably my most anticipated Star Wars movie since Episode 1 (let’s not even talk about how that turned out).
The Last Jedi leaves off where Force Awakens ended. Rey (Daisy Ridley) has found Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and wants him to leave his self-imposed exile to teach her the ways of the Jedi. Yet, he is unhinged by the untapped strength of her powers. Meanwhile, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and the First Order are deep in their war with Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) and the Resistance.
The trailer was pretty damn epic. It is what created that feeling that this Star Wars movie was going to have a darker and more serious tone. It left me pretty excited about what was going to happen, and even a bit nervous about who was going to make it out of this one. Then I watched the movie, and in the first ten minutes, Bill Weasley (aka General Hux played by Domhnall Gleeson) was made the brunt of a very silly joke that put a huge smile on my face.
I had forgotten how inherently silly Star Wars is supposed to be, and that reminder made the movie even more enjoyable. The gravitas was still there, but every actor was able to balance serious and silly to a tee. Ridley and Hamill’s scenes together are humorous, thought-provoking, and magical all at once. The same goes with the relationship between Fisher and Isaac’s characters. The movie's balance (haha, like what i did there?) is fully demonstrated by John Boyega (Finn) and Adam Driver's performances. Boyega represented everything that is light about the force. He carries a child-like giddiness even when he is in the most dangerous of situations. Driver offsets that with his conflicted dark side. You can see the malice in his soul, even within the glimpses of remorse in his eyes (that seen when he is about to blow up his mom in the Rebel Cruiser… mayne!).
Every time the audience is sucked into a gasp-inducing moment, the creatures and scenery took us deeper into the magic that enthralled millions and millions of fans for the last four decades. I may not want a Porg (Chewy’s exasperation with them throughout the movie sums up how much more of a nuisance they are than a cute pet), but those ice, direwolf puppies… I want one and I want one NOW! The combination of mystery, fantasticalness (wow that is a word), and child-like not-taking-itself-too seriousness creates an amazing theater experience. I’m gonna end this here so as to not mistakenly spoil something and invoke the wrath of Star Wars fans everywhere. This is definitely my favorite Star Wars movie, so I am giving Star Wars: The Last Jedi 8/10 Porg cries (cuz I swear they use the same one like 50 times throughout the movie).