A shift in the Force?

Even if The Last Jedi makes some missteps, it’s hard to complain too much about this latest installment of the Star Wars resurrection. Whereas J.J. Abrams’ relaunch worked largely because it replayed the main story arc of the very first Star Wars movie, writer/director Rian Johnson takes the franchise in fun, unexpected directions. Even when a battle ends with the expected outcome, its manner of ending is often surprising.

It would be a crime, then, to spoil a movie so anticipated by so many. So I’ll simply say that we catch up with Rey (Daisey Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), and Poe (Oscar Isaac) essentially where we left them—at the sides of the senior members of the Star Wars world. Poe and Finn both rejoin Princess-turned-General Leia Organa (poignantly, the last role of the late Carrie Fisher) ready to act on her orders on behalf of the Resistance. Rey, meanwhile, is still on a remote island cliff with Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill)—just a girl standing in front of a Jedi, asking him to train her.

I worried last year that despite being one of the most engaging new characters, Poe wouldn’t play a major role in the series going forward. I’m happy to cop to being wrong on that. Instead, Johnson wisely makes Poe and Finn equal partners in a series of missions. In a sense, though Isaac’s personality is original, his cocky commander becomes the new Han Solo to Boyega’s somewhat milquetoast leading man. The really compelling plotline, however, belongs to Rey and Luke.

If it seemed at the end of The Force Awakens that their meeting was simply a convenient way to reintroduce Skywalker to the plot, think again. Luke and Rey’s back and forth gets at the heart of why Star Wars has captured the imagination of generations, and they have more chemistry than any master-student relationship since impetuous Luke and Old Ben Kenobi first met in the wastelands of Tatooine.

It’s a joy to see Hamill reprising the role so deftly. His performance as Luke here is better than it’s ever been—we see the influence of teachers like Yoda while still seeing the essential Luke personality, grown stoic by time and experience. Johnson likewise develops something deep and unique with Rey that fits the Star Wars paradigm while also defying it. For all that she’s a sort of anti-chosen-one, she’s no less worthy to take up the Skywalker mantle.

As we would expect, the New Agey element of the Force comes in for a fair amount of discussion, but this time the Jedi Master seems a little less sure of its purpose and function. The film literally builds a bonfire of past Jedi vanities. It’s not clear yet where Johnson is going with this reassessment of George Lucas’ mythology, and it’s by no means certain his story will end up with a conclusion that reflects something true and noble. It’s simply worth noting that Johnson, who is signed on to write and direct a Star Wars spinoff franchise, proves he isn’t afraid to challenge the established “religion” of Star Wars and perhaps, as Rogue One seemed to do, redefine what the Force is.

Like The Force Awakens, beyond the Eastern mysticism, there’s little in The Last Jedi to concern parents and plenty of cute, cuddly creatures to make older kids smile. Even when the action is intense, it’s mostly bloodless, and with the exception of Luke Skywalker milking some anatomically startling beasts and a briefly shirtless Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), the film has virtually no visual stumbling blocks.

The movie’s main failing is that it tries to stuff too much plot into its over-long 2 hour and 30 minute run time. The result is an ending that feels endless and anti-climactic while several elements that could have been gob-smacking feel rushed and underdeveloped. It particularly does a disservice to Kylo Ren, as we’re never quite sure what his motivation is. Of course, it could be Johnson is leaving some things murky on purpose to set us up for the next adventure. If so, mission accomplished. Even if the stuffed-gills plot grew frustrating, I’m still looking forward to the next foray into a galaxy far, far away.

—This article has been corrected to reflect that Rian Johnson plans to direct a new Star Wars spinoff franchise.