It is one of the sagas with more publicity, more experience and surely between those with the greatest number of followers congregate around it.
How does each moviegoer experience their relationship with Star Wars? They are movies that they don't leave many in the middle; or there are big fans or movie users who don't feel the slightest interest.
There is everything, from those who think that the first three (from episode IV to VI) were really unique and everything else is being added artificially. There are also those who think that each of the new installments is a movie show, in every sense. Personally, I am between the seconds.
The last installment that was released on Friday 15 had generated many and very high expectations. It often happens that, when you wait so long and we go to our favorite movie theater to stay "nailed" in the seat, it is possible that you leave with some feeling of frustration. In many cases the film itself is not entirely to blame, but rather a mental matter of the viewer.
Its duration
Two and a half hours, more specifically 2h 32 minutes. A footage that might seem too long, but in this case it is not. In many other titles, the plot, the action, the credibility of the characters, the dialogue ... make the viewer feel the need for it to come to an end, when 90 minutes have passed.
In “Star Wars, Episode VIII: The Last Jedi,” the two and a half hours tick by. A combination of action, a few major surprises, ending intrigue, and the rich Star Wars universe, produce the effect that the film does not become heavy at any time.
Predictability of the end
Many moviegoers ask one important thing of today's Hollywood cinema: that the end is not predictable. Not only the end, but also what is happening. In a large number of films, in little more than half of the film it is quite easy to know what is going to happen, and in very few cases it is failure to appreciate.
In Episode VIII of Star Wars not everything is predictable. From characters that are the complete opposite of what one might think of them (for example, the excellent role, as almost always, of Benicio del Toro), the uncertainty about the direction that Kylo Ren (played by a fantastic Adam Driver) will choose, and an enigmatic Luke SkyWalker, in whom it is not clear until the last moment what will decide.
A frenetic action, as always happens with the titles of the saga, joins the expectation of not knowing or intuiting easily what will happen.
Hints of humor
One of the criticisms that are being made with the greatest insistence on the film is the incorporation of some humor points at key moments.
An example of this is the solution to Rey's ceremonial handover to Luke from the Jedi lightsaber, at the end of the previous film (Episode VII). The first thing we see when this scene is taken up in the now recently released film is that Luke throws the saber into the sea from the cliffs, behind him, with a certain gesture of insignificance for the object.
Really the irony has always been present within the universe Star Wars (mostly thanks to Han Solo), although it is possible that the humor of The Last Jedi more closely resembles the style imposed on the films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Action and feelings
'The last Jedi' introduces us a good number of chases, space fights and lightsaber duels, and the power of the Force is increased even compared to other previous titles in the saga.
In the human aspect, the movie is especially poignant, because of the way it transmits to us the pain caused by the loss of friends, colleagues, illusions, and betrayed trust. But in all this a rebirth, a new illusion, a new hope is being sensed.
As we go through the vision of the film, we discover that a key sensation that we are feeling more and more is that of nostalgia. There are many references to previous films in the saga, many small details. Surely in subsequent viewings of this film, we will discover more and more nostalgic memories. An example of this are the references to Han Solo's death.
Some important characters
- Luke Skywalker. It was not easy at all to put a face to a character of such dimension in the saga. Luke is the central character, in one way or another, in each and every one of the films in the saga. Either because their contribution is essential for the Republic, because their birth as a savior is planned, etc. His appearance is announced to us, as we have seen, at the end of Episode VII and is the key in VIII. Mark Hamill is one of the great attractions of this new installment. In each scene, only her face is a channel of expressiveness, in which we perceive intense pain for the past, surprise for the new Jedi and her power, nostalgia, exhaustion, and much more. Seeing Hamill playing Skywalker is a real treat.
- Kylo Ren. Adam Driver has not been chosen at random to play the great leader (and predictably new supreme leader) of the First Order. The features of his face, his coldness and boundless ambition, put him on a par with Darth Vader himself. And possibly it scares us even more.
- Rey, the "new hope" of the galaxyShe is an intelligent, brave woman, and with a rebirth of strength in her, which leaves Luke stunned. The claw and courage that he shows in the fight scenes gives us, those of us who love the saga, the feeling that we have happily discovered a great successor, taking over from the great Jedi.
- Yoda. Somehow, as the movie progresses, he is missed. AND We welcome your appearance with great joy, even for a few moments, and calling a Luke "young Skywalker" at the near end of his life. The great Jedi Master throughout the history of the Galaxy has been a fundamental piece in the saga, and including him in this installment can only be a great success.
Not to be missed
Despite some criticism that "Star Wars, episode VIII: the last Jedi" is receiving, in the sense of abusing the touches of humor, of disappointment by the expectations generated, that it does not contribute anything new, etc., there is no than miss it.
Again they have succeeded. A torrent of illusion, of galactic action, of fantasy, of spectacular special effects, of magic, of great actors, are questions that lead us to a single conclusion: will we really be able to wait two years for episode IX?
Image sources: Zonared / BioBioCHile / YouTube