Is "Jedi" A New Direction for the Saga?

When Star Wars: The Force Awakens opened in 2015, audiences warmly embraced the film as a return to form after the disappointing “prequel trilogy” which began with 1999’s Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. Director J. J. Abrams managed to provide fans with a jumping off point for a thrilling new adventure set in the universe created by George Lucas, while also giving them some new characters and storylines. Now the second film in the post Star Wars: Return of the Jedi timeline, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, has been released, and while it’s been phenomenally successful at the box office, it’s also spawned some sharply divided opinions among fans and critics. Many have compared the film to Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (generally considered the best film in the series) while others have pointed out it’s an enjoyable, but flawed, entry in the ongoing saga.

The story picks up shortly after the end of the previous film, with the remaining rebels (led by General Leia) fighting bravely against the evil First Order. Meanwhile, Rey (Daisy Ridley) the heroine of The Force Awakens, has traveled to a distant world to find Luke Skywalker, who disappeared after trying (and failing) to train a new group of Jedi. One of those trainees, Kylo Ren, the son of Leia and Han Solo, has turned to the Dark Side, and become a leader in the First Order. He’s hunting down the rest of the rebels, and plans to obliterate them once and for all. Rey wants Luke to return to the fight, and help the rebels defeat the villains, and restore peace to the galaxy. By the way, I’m going to try to stay as spoiler free as I can for the rest of this piece.

We also catch up with several of the other characters from The Force Awakens, including former stormtrooper Finn, who’s now a part of the rebellion, and fighter pilot Poe Dameron, who clashes with Leia regarding strategy during their battles with the First Order.  Of course, the multiple storylines all converge toward the climax of the film, featuring the requisite space battle between the heroes and the villains, with the fate of our heroes (and the future of the Rebellion) at stake. The film is visually striking and features some nice performances, including Carrie Fisher as General Leia (in her final role) and Mark Hamill as an older, embittered Luke Skywalker.

The thing that has many fans buzzing is that the plot seems to ignore some major story elements established by Abrams in the first film, and the Star Wars saga as a whole.  The movie definitely subverts audience expectations more than once, and goes in some directions you don’t expect. There are some exciting sequences, as well as some nice nods to earlier films in the series. However, one subplot involving a visit to a casino slows down the middle of the film, and there’s one moment involving a major character that may give you pause. Ultimately, your own reaction to the film may vary, but the movie is well directed by Rian Johnson (Looper, Brick) who also wrote the screenplay. Johnson does take some risks with the the film, rather than playing it safe. The biggest question is: will Johnson’s take on the story be followed through when J.J. Abrams returns to co-write and direct the third chapter of this trilogy, Star Wars: Episode IX, slated for release in 2019. Only time will tell. Star Wars: The Last Jedi is currently in theaters. Here’s a link to the film's trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0CbN8sfihY.