He pulled an Empire and is likely going to upset the fans. Much like Empire, this film is all about subversion.
Setting aside the mythos that everyone's so concerned about, I must first note that this film looks downright impressive. Fanpeople (not just fanboys, of course) of established IPs like Star Wars tend to scrutinize every minute detail in their beloved universes. A brief visit to the (in)famous Wookieepedia shows the fans' utmost attention. That makes it easy to neglect the audiovisual aspects of Star Wars. The franchise is, undoubtedly, the most cinematic franchise in film, effortlessly beating other properties such as Harry Potter, James Bond, and the MCU (incidentally, all based on books). After all, the 1977 original reinvented cinema, and the prequels did that again with digital cinematography. Thus, it is a shame that so many fans single-mindedly speculate on this-or-that character's background; it is also a delight that The Last Jedi is a cinematic triumph. The visuals are amazing. Johnson triumphs by visualizing and staging plot elements that sound cheesy on paper with stunning dramatic and even erotic tension. Intertextual references are there, but aren't just there for fan-service. Shots that stick with you due to memorable composition or color are more than there to count. The Atmos sound at my theater was used to its fullest extent, so was the absence of sound in a notable scene. It's not just technically good, but also creative, alluring, and superior to Abrams' antecedent work.
However, what everyone has been painstakingly awaiting is the story, or more precisely, the expansion of the mythos. Johnson took some wild turns that are certain to be divisive. In fact, The Last Jedi can be perfectly encapsulated in one word – subversion. Everything in its story is about being subversive. From individual plot events and reappearances of long-lost beloved characters to overarching themes of the entire film and saga, everything is first shown in one way, then unmasked, twisted, or reinterpreted in another. Johnson literally takes stuff established by Lucas and Abrams and tosses them out of the window for meta comic relief. It is "daring" and "bold", everything we desperately wanted this middle chapter to be, but one must question: at what cost does this daring and boldness come?
To defy audience expectations, especially in a franchise as established in its popular mythology as this one, is a noble and commendable move. Don't fret, this is not for cheap shock value. Many of these twists and turns are tied to Johnson's thematic ideas – subversion itself is one of the film's core themes. Yet, I see a filmmaker dangerously obsessed with subversion, pursuing it with such tenacity that creates serious ramifications for the franchise. Johnson has done it too mercilessly and relentlessly. In fact, one of the film's most orgasmic moments comes from not cutting away and following the audience's expectations. Is it really necessary to subvert everything we know and everything we expect about the Star Wars universe? How does The Last Jedi fit into the saga? To be a bold and daring film on its own is one thing; to be a bold and daring and also a second-in-a-trilogy, eighth-in-a-9-part film is another. The Last Jedi has upset the established order. It has taken away the structural congruity and classicism of its predecessors. When I put on my critic's hat, subversion is something I welcome and embrace; but when I put on my fanboy's hat, I cannot help but worry that Johnson has done something harmful and almost irreverent. In a universe so contingent on mythos and backstories, how can a saga entry exist without providing us with the answers we crave? More importantly, how can a director point at us, tell us they're not important, and confront us with our (heck, even Abrams') pointless fanboyism? This picture directly challenges its hardcore audience who might not take it up well, though the series of subversion is ultimately meaningful in its thematic and narrative purpose. Its meta humor is at least better than the superficial and inconsequential meta humor of recent self-aware flicks like Deadpool and Moana.
Other aspects of the storytelling, though flawed, are mostly enjoyable. The structure is an oddball – there are surprising traces of the elegant simplicity of Mad Max: Fury Road, but also puzzling hints of the convoluted cross-cutting of the dreaded prequels. The film seems to have four acts and there are multiple instances of "here it should end", only for it to go on longer. This is less of an issue of extraneous fat, more of an issue of poor pacing. Contrary to popular opinion, I did not hate the subplot; I found it acceptably stupid and distracting and yet another of the film's many courageous subversions. The comedic tone might, again, upset fans, but it was charming and was mostly ignored by my fellow audiences anyway. The character work will also leave the fans divided. What Johnson has done to the titular last Jedi (singular or plural, interpret it as you wish) is arguably blasphemous but profound. It gives some much needed depth to our blank-state saviors and churns out layered performances by Mark Hamill and Daisy Ridley. Powered by John Boyega and Oscar Isaac, Poe and Finn go through and learn a lot, and their homoerotic tension is at an all-time high; what a shame that the film sweeps that aside. Kylo Ren transforms from the most promising character in The Force Awakens to the most complex one in The Last Jedi, thanks to Adam Driver's gravitas. Lastly, while I do have some reservations regarding Princess Leia's arc, I don't blame the film at all, given the tragic circumstances of Carrie Fisher's untimely passing.
 |
| Porgs. They steal the show. |
In short, The Last Jedi is great, but not a crowd-pleasing instant classic. Within the franchise, it's a damaging masterpiece. It's more than just blockbuster filmmaking at the highest level. Its audaciousness flows from the mise-en-scène to the story. It's even more admirable that Johnson accomplished this in spite of the ongoing disarray at Lucasfilm. Now that Johnson's burned everything down, it's worryingly up to Abrams to rebuild what's left of the Skywalker saga, and let's hope he injects some of Johnson's audacity into the safe and classic filmmaking we all know he's so familiar with.