Greetings Darlings!
Here's cool review from a guest writer going by the name of Captain Vimes:
I’m not a movie critic. I haven’t spent much time analyzing choices made by directors and producers. I’m just a fan of Star Wars.
Like many others, I fell in love with the stories and characters in this incredible universe that I was lucky enough to grow up with. Being born in the late 80s, my father introduced me to Star Wars years after it had become a cultural standard. He would tell me about the first time he saw A New Hope- he was so blown away that he sat through it a second time.
I was fortunate enough to see The Last Jedi before its theatrical release last week, and I felt like a little kid again, but maybe better - a kid who was allowed to stay up past his bedtime to see The Last Jedi before its theatrical release.
After experiencing the latest chapter in this trilogy of trilogies I sat in the theatre watching the credits roll and listening to some of the most iconic and feel good music of my lifetime play through the powerful theatre speakers. I felt so completely and unapologetically connected to my inner child who has spent maybe too many hours watched the original Star Wars on VHS over holidays, sick days, and random empty weekends. This will always be part of my love and appreciation for any Star Wars experience, and I bring this up because I know I’m not alone. It was undoubtedly a big factor in Disney’s purchase of Lucasfilm for $4 billion in 2012, according to Business Insider’s article published on October 30th 2012.
All of that said, the Last Jedi gave me everything I want from a Star Wars film. It took me to fantastic, faraway worlds where our heroes risk their lives for a cause greater than themselves. It captured the struggle between opposing forces in this world through spectacular space battles, light saber fights, and intense decision-making moments. It built up and tore down characters I’ve loved for years (or have recently come to know), but mostly, it was FUN.
Even though there wasn’t any one stand-out thing visually that was new and different in The Last Jedi, this movie presented everything in a way that sucked me in. I experienced tension and anxiety as if I was in that X-Wing taking on the tyranny of The First Order followed by a wave of relaxed euphoria as our heroes are saved in the nick of time. Keeping the whimsical-at-times spirit of Star Wars alive, we also get a number of well-timed jokes and cameos to undercut the fact that our beloved characters can sometimes take themselves too seriously.
I’m sure many will say it was predictable. That it’s recycling the stories and characters from the original Star Wars just because it appeals to fans, and that it’s lazy to do so. (My girlfriend has already said as much.) While I agree that there is a lot in common with the original movies, we get to experience some fantastic character arcs and a new mixture of quests. We’re introduced in the beginning to the top-level mission that stays with us throughout the movie, and most of our side quests tie into this one simple goal. This mix along with the implementation of the familiar music and well written characters make The Last Jedi its own stand-alone work of art in the larger tapestry of the Star Wars universe- one I will celebrate and enjoy for the rest of my life.
Thanks for writing in, Captain Vimes!
And thanks for reading!
