STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI

Daisy Ridley     Domhnall Gleeson     Adam Driver     Oscar Isaac

Mark Hamill     Carrie Fisher     John Boyega     Kelly Marie Tran      

Benecio Del Toro     Andy Serkis     Laura Dern     Justin Theroux

     Not many films and filmmakers can keep up the momentum that the two space fantasies Star Wars and Star Trek have, and in this eighth sequence of Star Wars, writer/director Rion Johnson proves that this franchise is still good to go.  He does a good job in preserving and renewing beloved themes and images while introducing new ones that point toward the future.  We see two of the original characters, Luke Skywalker (Hamill) and Princess Leia (Fisher); and new interactions between Rey (Ridley) and Kylo Ren (Driver)—both introduced in the last episode, The Force Awakens—set up so that we know they will meet again.

   The Last Jedi opens with an attack on the Jedi resistance forces, which now consist of only 400 fighters on three ships.  The story will shift back and forth between attacks from the Jedi’s arch enemy, the First Order, commanded by General Hux (Gleason) and their own attacks, commanded by General Leia Organa, upon the First Order.  General Hux must answer to the supreme leader, Snoke (Serkis), who initially denigrates him for his failure to stop the destruction of some major artillery.

   Meanwhile, Rey, who finally located Luke Skywalker on the planet Ahch-To in the last picture, revisits him with the message that his presence in the battle is critical for the survival of the Jedi.  He has been coming to the philosophical conclusion that the survival of the Jedi is not that important, so her job will involve many hurdles, meditations, and encounters.  Will she convince him to go? 

   There are additional scenarios and encounters to keep the story intriguing, like the relationship between Finn (Boyega), Rey’s missing co-pilot, and Rose (Tran) a mechanic with impressive knowledge and skills; Poe (Isaac) and whoever is in charge of the Jedi at the time; and the triangle of Snoke (Serkis), General Hux, and Kylo Ren. 

     It’s not all drama; there are many scenes that make the audience laugh out loud, like that with Chewbaca and the bird-like creatures, the Porgs; the trip through the casino planet and recruitment of the code-breaker DJ (Del Toro); and Poe’s hacking into the First Order’s communication system.  

    This episode in the Star Wars saga boasts a huge cast of talented, actors already famous for other roles and for previous Star Wars productions:  Mark Hamill (still packing a punch of the rebel Luke Skywalker; Adam Driver (writhing under the struggle within himself about identifying with the dark side); Domhnall Gleeson [reveling in his shaky command of the First Order, which is threatened by Kylo Ren (Driver) and, ultimately by Snoke himself (Serkis)]; Oscar Isaac, the “trigger-happy” Poe trying to influence the Jedi leadership of General Leia and Vice Admiral Holdo (Dern); Benecio Del Toro emerging in the casino to volunteer his hacking skills as DJ; and, finally, the funny, flirting, techno skilled interactions between Finn (Boyega) and Rose (Tran). 

     The star, Daisy Ridley, has held onto her success in capturing the previous role of Luke Skywalker in the Jedi forces as Rey, a fearless, persistent, cheeky young woman who is relentless in pursuing her goals.  This involves her own personal exploration (who she is, where she came from) as well as perfecting the art of The Force. 

     Star Wars fans are likely to be jubilant over this production that seems to have preserved much of the character of the previous films and ventured into new territory, all while keeping the elements of surprise and humor.

Rion Johnson’s production appears to cover all the bases for fans in its preservation of the beloved, surprising twists and turns, and comedic bursts.

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS

Daisy Ridley   John Boyega   Carrie Fisher   Harrison Ford   Oscar Isaac   Adam Driver   Domhnall Gleeson   Simon Pegg   Lupita Nyong’o   Andy Serkis   Max von Sydow

          The Force comes on strong in this seventh episode of Star Wars directed by J. J. Abrams.  Expectations are high among hard-core fans, and they’re not likely to be disappointed.  Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher reprise their roles (with Leia now a general), grieving for their son who may have gone to the Dark Side.    Also reappearing are Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew), and, briefly, R2-D2 and C-3PO.  The special effects are just as spectacular as always, and although bits of story are inserted here and there, the battle scenes constitute most of the picture. 

          New characters include Rey (Ridley) and Finn (Boyega) who meet for the first time when he rescues her from a dire situation.  She is a scavenger with powers she is unaware of so far and he is a former First Order Stormtrooper who abandons his post out of conscience; he regards the First Order (Dark Side) as immoral.  Another new character is Poe (Isaac) who works for the resistance and has been trusted with part of the map that will lead to the missing Luke Skywalker.  Captain Phasma (Christie) is a female on the dark side.  This version of Star Wars has tried to incorporate more strong female roles, e.g., Rey and Phasma, and these two show their strengths appealingly.  Dombnall Gleeson as General Hux (for the dark side) is appropriately unlikeable and efficient. Andy Serkis as the Supreme Leader Snoke is appropriately terrifying and ominous.  A refreshing new robot, BB-8, originally sketched out by Abrams, is a light-humored, tender addition to the cast.

      The spirit and excitement hearkening back to the previous Star Wars has been preserved by Abrams with his writer Lawrence Kasden and composer John Williams; and just enough new material and characters have been added to sustain interest in the series.  So it appeals to both ends of the spectrum, nostalgia for the past and suspense for what will come next in the continuing saga.  This is the first of a concluding trilogy. 

          The intriguing ending is enough to keep viewers engaged for the next episode.

         Disney Pictures, which bought LucasFilms, has achieved production values equal to the original series.  The technical and visual effects are as breathtaking as we would expect in terms of production and art design, set, and costumes. 

Rely on The Force.

Grade:  A                                                By Donna R. Copeland