Solomon Lam

This is my least favourite Star Wars movie (I have watched all 9), ranking below even the Phantom Menance in my opinion. While the behind the scenes clips make me think that Rian Johnson is a genuinely nice guy, it certainly doesn't seem that way in the plot. The film literally begins with Luke's lightsaber being tossed off a cliff, and I think that is pretty reflective of how well the film goes for me. Luke Skywalker, the classic character representing the motifs of light, hope and resilience, would most certainly not hide away from his problems in a cage. In my opinion, this isn't so much 'subverting expectations' as it is disrespecting and destroying the beloved icon, to the point that Mark Hamill himself cried. While having different directors and no complete plan before even beginning the new trilogy was never going to go well, the fact that Rian undermined everything J.J. Abrams did in the previous movie doesn't sit well with me. There is a place for subverting expectations, just as there is one for going with the flow. Some people obnoxiously critique Star Wars fans for being fickle-complaining about the Force Awakens for being to much of the same and then lambasting the Last Jedi for supposedly being 'different', but this is without the full context. Had audience expectation been subverted in episode seven, sure fans might not be happy, but from a story telling perspective at least it would have made sense to differentiate the new trilogy from George's originals and prequels. But in middle of a trilogy is probably the worst place to attempt to majorly subvert expectations. The second installment of trilogies is a bridge between the beginning and the end, the rising tension in the plot. Instead, Johnson completely bashes the plot threads established in the Force Awakens while leaving little if anything to work with in episode 9. I do appreciate the attempt to incorporate more mature themes into the movie-war profiteering, slavery and animal abuse, yet these are explored in such a generic and one dimensional way that the movie would have been better served taking the original hopeful tone that episode 7 had.

(There will be spoilers) The film is nothing amazing, working with the formula of episode 1 and 4, but in my opinion that is not a bad thing. While I feel that a third iteration of the Death Star may have been a bit much, it didn't affect my enjoyment of the movie too much. What did was the complete lack of fear or threat from the antagonists. The movie started off strong, with a massacure of innocent villagers by first order stormtroopers. Yet as the movie progresses, we see Kylo Ren devolve into becoming the equivalent of an emo, insecure teenager, general Hux being a cartoonishly incompotent, pompous and bumbling insect, and Phasma being...incompotent, let's leave it at that. The most impactful moment in my opinion was definitely when Kylo Ren killed his father, I feel that certainly subverted my expectations in a good way and established his character. But to have him then immediately shot by Chewbacca? That was anti climactic and took away from the umph of the fact he killed his father HAN SOLO!

As a young child when I first watched the movie, the dark and depressing end to the movie was quite a shock and left me disillusioned with Star Wars, given that I had only watched the Phantom Menance and A New Hope at that point. Yet having grown older I find that the darker theme and the idea of struggle is something that helps the story resonate with real life and me. The idea of betrayal, uncertainty of loyalties and loss really make this film memorable in ways most others have tried to replicate and fail. Luke's complete and utter defeat when he faces Darth Vader and loses his hand, only to learn that Vader, perhaps the most feared and hated man in the galaxy, is his father. It adds so much to the character of Luke, and I would be hard pressed to find anything to critique the film of in terms of story telling or plot.

It's a fun story that reveals the back story of Han Solo. What more can be said? *shrugs* Perhaps the use of Maul as a background villain was a bit underwhelming as a reveal given before the release of the film we all knew Maul would die at the hands of Kenobi in Star Wars Rebels, but the film manages to be a light hearted and enjoyable watch.