Star Wars: The Last Jedi Review

The way things have been going lately, I've been feeling like the fates have been conspiring to keep me from watching this movie: on one day it was a website wrongly listing their showing as 2D (when it was in fact 3D), which messed things up; on 2 other occasions, there was just mad traffic on Ngong Road - and surprisingly slow drivers - that kept frustrating me. Well anyway, finally got to watch it today, so now I can add my 2 cents to the mix.

This is one grand chase of a movie; I don't think Princess Leia Organa has been pursued this much by the Supreme Leader since Episode IV (A New Hope). It helps that she has Poe Dameron on her side to bring the fight to the First Order; fleeting victories aside, the First Order is making most gains this time around, and bringing the rebels to their knees (pretty much the way they did in The Empire Strikes Back). Since his previous loss, Kylo Ren isn't having the best of times and Supreme Leader Snoke is ever so eager to play his own mind games, kicking his apprentice while he's down. This is pretty much Snoke's mentorship style, and you get the feeling that Kylo Ren's not the only one facing this cruel and unusual punishment.

This episode then picks up where the last one ended: with Rey encountering Jedi Master Luke Skywalker. That last shot might have hinted that Luke was ready to get into the fray, and to take up a new apprentice that could undo what his very last one had seemingly irreparably damaged (a la Obi Wan). Turns out Luke is tired of all the things he's seen, and probably just waiting out his time on that distant island so that he can pass into memory, taking the Jedi ways with him.

The movie is a really tight knit story blending these two overarching arcs, and we have one separate side mission sprinkled in which is a sort of "Hail Mary"move to save the resistance.

I was deeply engrossed in this movie from start to finish and I fail to see why it was polarizing at all. I'd dare say that this is a better movie overall than The Force Awakens. There's a myriad of characters here, and I feel like this time everyone has something to do. This movie is beautifully shot: Luke's island getaway is a scenic craggy outcrop that you feel might be a little more sinister than it looks; and there is nothing more beautiful than the salty barren wasteland of Crait, with its white salt surface, which is gently raked to reveal the fiery red salts below.

With the exception of Capt. Phasma, every character feels really well fleshed out. Kylo Ren benefits the most from an added storyline. I don't know if it was Adam Driver's or J.J. Abrams' decision to make him seem like a spoilt child, but seeing him trash a console in The Force Awakens made him seem more like a tantrum-prone child than an adult seeking to emulate his grandfather (Lord Vader); we have less tantrums at play here, but more of measured outbursts. He is still conflicted, but even when he's being evil, you never get the feeling that he's the consummate baddie.

The relationship between Luke and Rey mirrors his own short lived time training under Master Yoda. Luke is jaded, but also very guilt-ridden, hoping to play out life in a familiar routine until he meets his demise. It is the lost-yet-seeking Rey who prods him, forcing him to re-examine his values and come to terms with the role he can still play in the resistance. It helps that his doubt helps bring forth a mythical character whose screen presence lights up and serves one of the best dramatic moments onscreen. For her part, Rey is still seemingly innocent and lost in her thoughts; but her hold on good is concrete, and stands in stark contrast to Luke's loss of faith, and ends up being his saving grace.

There's also a beautiful dynamic between Princess Leia and Poe Dameron; this time around, we see more of Poe and his heroics; however, his heroics are more in the line of "be-triumphant-or-die-trying," or as he would put it, "Jump in an X-Wing and blow something up." To paraphrase one lesson that Leia gave him, "that's how dead people end up being heroes, but not leaders." Leia, reflecting the wisdom of age, and the reluctance to willingly sacrifice her troops (a trait notable in those battle-hardened warriors who've experienced many a loss in war), is a steady anchor in this fight, and pulls some surprises on us...one of which includes her up until now minimal use of the force. Poe ultimately helps orchestrate the splinter arc that sees Finn and Rose sneak off undercover to another beautiful setting that seemed like Tuscany under moonlight (Canto Bight).

Rose is a new addition, but her stake in this fight is clearly elucidated from early on in this movie. The trip to Canto Bight is a further glance into her history. Having Finn along for the ride is something that organically develops, with him being initially thwarted from following an earlier plan, but ends up being used in a scheme that may or may not save the Rebels. His motivation is clear: all he does is meant to safeguard Rey and to give her a chance at survival.

A Star Wars movie wouldn't be complete without a roster of  special animal friends and machines. Chewie, R2D2, BB-8 and C-3PO deliver their usual cinematic flair, with all of them providing some levity in this drama heavy affair. The Millenium Falcon is also in full force here, providing yet more grief for a new generation of First Order fighters. Rey and Chewie as co-pilots provide that wonderful Han Solo/Chewie dynamic that's a throwback to the previous trilogy, and the hunk of junk still flies like a beauty.

I really loved this movie, and consider it a worthy addition to the franchise. After the turns made in this movie, as well as an inescapable real life event as Carrie Fisher's death, the final part of this trilogy promises to be something wholly new. However, if it's left in the hands of Rian Johnson, it'll still turn out great.

I give this movie a solid A, and would recommend that you check it out in all its cinematic glory on the big screen.

God Bless

BRIGHT Spoiler-Free Movie Review

I was definitely riding the hype train for this movie from the time it started gaining traction. It seemed like the fusion of two diverse genres would make for an interesting take; in their words, "Lord of the Rings" meets "Training Day". From the beginning you get the whole Training Day feel - gritty portions of LA, with members of the LAPD trying to hold fort against all the lawlessness; then the stratification of the different races - Elves, Humans and Orcs - is of course a nod to The Lord of the Rings. They have of course flipped the typical white vs minority dynamic with the Orcs being the lowest rung of the ladder this time around; however, they haven't changed things completely: you still find the black and latino gangsters sprinkled in aplenty.

This movie is like a "Flashpoint Paradox" moment: something happened 2000 years ago, which is what brought all the current events into play; this set of events shifted the course of history, giving us the current world as it stands now. However, you get the feeling that this is not a complete departure from what the world would previously have been...with the exception of the few additional races.

Our view into this eclectic world comes through the life of Officer Ward (Will Smith), a down on his luck, grumpy individual who has the bad luck of being partnered with the department's latest diversity offering: Orc officer Jakoby. As can be expected, tensions are high all around. Jakoby really has the worst of it all because he's ostracized by all races alike: the Orcs think he's a traitor and humans and elves alike can't stomach his presence, and question his loyalty. Ward has to weather everything thrown his way (even though none of it is of his own doing), and find some way to cope, whilst also showing the rookie Jakoby the ropes, and hoping that Jakoby will be vigilant enough to cover his back.

This maelstrom of events only gets worse when a magic wand is thrown into the mix.

This movie has polarized quite a few people: the critics seem to despise it to no end, but audiences are more positive about it. I liked the concept of "Bright", this wonderful eclectic fusion; but this movie reminds me of "John Wick" in one regard: the most interesting character in the movie remains hidden, as if it's an afterthought. In the case of John Wick, it was "The Continental", the mysterious domicile with all its traditions and trimmings; in this movie's case, it's the lore which stands out as the mysterious hidden character. Characters give minor exposition of a war fought in times past with different sides chosen by the warring parties; there's mention of the Dark Lord; and by the time the wand pops up, you're given the impression that everyone knows about magic, specifically what a powerful instrument like a wand can do, but you have no idea whatsoever how they know it.

What ails this movie most is balance. It has great ambitions, but in the end it provides us more of a gritty drama than it does a Sci-Fi fantasy.

Despite coming short on fulfilling all its promises, the movie is still a great watch. Will Smith is always a pleasure to watch, even when he's being a presumptuous and disrespectfully uncouth lad; his performance has the perfect foil in the form of Joel Edgerton. Now, I gotta say, when most actors undergo extensive makeup and prosthetics for a role, in most cases you can still recognize them; even when they're CG'd up via Motion capture (like the Hulk), you can still see nuances of the actor in the CG creation. Joel Edgerton's Jakoby is totally unrecognizable; even his mannerisms are different. It definitely helps sell the fish-out-of-water dynamic.

Noomi Rapace is menacing as Leilah, one of the inferni (rogue elves). Her menace comes more from her physicality than from her words. Her polar opposite is Tikka, a timid young elf whose past is also tied to Leilah's. We only get one small flashback that alludes to this past, but not much else to inform us of the inferni's motivations. After watching this movie, you'd be excused for thinking that all inferni are lethal assassins because once Leilah and her two henchmen show up, they settle scores with anyone in their paths immediately.

Edgar Ramirez's Kandomere is an elf federal agent whom the trailers would've had us believe plays a big role in the plot; I feel like most of his role is elucidated through exposition (mostly his own), and he plays up quite a big game...unfortunately, maybe his truly juicy scenes might have been sacrificed on the cutting room floor.

Perhaps Bright was always planned to be a trilogy from the start. It feels like there's a larger story to tell, and we've only scraped the surface. I'm honestly waiting for the 2nd part of the chapter, but hoping that it's diametrically different from this movie; hoping that the lore of this world gets a full fleshing out and a satisfying end.

All in all, I'd give Bright a B+, but would be open to bumping it up higher if I could watch it juxtaposed against a lore-heavy part II.

Till then, God Bless