Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017)

I saw a lot of great films in 2017: Spider-Man Homecoming is astounding, the Disaster Artist is heartwarming and Baby Driver is easily one of the best films I've seen. However, Hollywood has cranked out some disappointing films in 2017, like Kingsman: The Golden Circle and, worst of all, Justice League. Unfortunately, The Last Jedi is one of those slightly disappointing films.

The story of The Last Jedi is extremely bland. The whole flick's story boils down to one long chase scene between two slow ships through space. There is no real tension in the story, no sense of urgency. This is mostly down to the poor writing, but it's ultimately the film's 152 minutes long runtime that really kills the tension.

However, as always, composer John Williams perfectly communicates the sense of adventure, passion, and heart of the Star Wars universe. This is accomplished through Williams' stunning orchestral pieces.

The additional new planets we visit also save this film from being a bore. Each planet has been meticulously crafted. Although Crait bears far too many similarities to Hoth (from the Empire Strikes Back), it also has its unique touches like the crystal foxes and the salt covered ground which really add some awesome visuals to the film's final battle. Furthermore, Ahch-To, (bless me), the rocky island that Luke's been hiding out at, is a gorgeous small island with a lush vegetation and houses the Porgs, possibly the greatest Star Wars creatures.

The characters and the acting throughout the Last Jedi are good, but there are two particular standout stars, Daisy Ridley as Rey and Adam Driver as Kylo Ren. These two are my favourite aspect of the film. Their relationship in the film is amazingly well acted and their inner conflicts are driven and brought to life through the young actors' skills.

The Last Jedi does have many shortcomings: the Resistance never really seem to have much at stake in the "race against time" scenario, which lasts too long. In addition, most of the deaths are completely weightless due to the poor development of characters which no one was invested in or had little to no character development.

However, I really loved the revelation that Rey's parents were nobodies in the Last Jedi. It's perfect because Episode I-VI bears a lot of similarities to a sprawling family drama. This new addition of a nobody really mixes up the formula and I am excited to see the end result.

In conclusion, despite all of its shortcomings, the film is an amazing send off to Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), despite her having a few strange scenes, like her flying through space like Superman. I am not sure if it was the film or me seeing the movie through rose-tinted glasses, but Fisher is most certainly at her finest in the Last Jedi.