"Star Wars: The Last Jedi" Is the Defining Chapter of the Saga

We are knee-deep in the new age of Star Wars. The Last Jedi is the eighth episode, the ninth live-action theatrical film, and the third film without creator George Lucas (though he served as a consultant on Episode VII, most of his ideas were ignored). After The Force Awakens revisited the Hero's Journey arc of the original film and Rogue One dramatized the prelude to the original film, it was time for the Disney era to show us what the new age of Star Wars would offer. In a perhaps controversial opinion, I believe Rian Johnson has given us the answer with Episode VIII as the defining chapter of the Star Wars saga.

Rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action and violence

Star Wars: The Last Jedi, easily the most divisive film in the franchise, takes place almost immediately after Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The Resistance, led by General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher, in her penultimate film role), is pursued throughout the galaxy by the First Order after a disastrous mistake, making their escape a last stand for survival. Lightyears away, the Force-sensitive Rey (Daisy Ridley, Murder on the Orient Express) struggles to convince the once-legendary hero Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) to come out of exile to save the Resistance and help her find her place in the galaxy, while Kylo Ren (Adam Driver, Paterson) resolves to sever his ties to the light forever.

Ever since I saw The Last Jedi opening weekend, I've been wrestling with it. I can tell you I definitely liked it, but I'm not sure how much so. The movie is dense, especially for a Star Wars film, and there are many things I have yet to unpack to come up with a conclusive opinion on it. I've watched multiple videos, read many articles, and had a few conversations and debates with friends on it since seeing it as I try to decipher how much I liked this new chapter in the saga. And I am certain about a few things.

For one, The Last Jedi is visually-stunning. The film has some of the best shots in the entire franchise, especially during a showdown at the end. There were times the frames on the screen were so beautiful--not merely exciting or awesome, but beautiful--I was speechless. When I think of this movie, these shots are burned in my brain, and they make me want to go back to a theater to see them on the big screen again.

While not much time passes over the course of The Last Jedi and its predecessor, Rian Johnson packs a lot into his installment. However, this "a lot" doesn't equate to events in the way it did in The Force Awakens, a planet-hopping adventure. Rather, Johnson chooses to focus on critical points in these characters' lives. Rey and Kylo Ren have to decide what roles they will play in the fate of the galaxy--the dark, the light, or the grey areas. Finn (John Boyega, Detroit) must decide whether he will continue to run from conflict or go all in with the Resistance. Leia's Resistance must make critical decisions to ensure their survival after the First Order makes moves to fill the power vacuum left after the destruction of the New Republic. Luke must confront his philosophy of the Jedi when Rey arrives with dangerously untapped power. In showing the characters' decisions at these critical moments and the immediate consequences, the film is not content to merely be Act 2 in the trilogy's story, so much so that some have wondered what's left for the trilogy. That is to say the film is probably the most complete-feeling Star Wars film since the original. This isn't necessarily a good or bad thing, though The Last Jedi is not perfect.

The Kylo and Rey "A"-plots are always invigorating, and I could watched them develop more or at least see longer chunks in the film. Yet the Canto Bight scenes Johnson cuts to in the meantime, while in theory are important for the plight of the Resistance and the development of Finn's character, feel off. Most of this, I feel, was due to overt messages regarding the aristocrats that run the planet's metropolis. Yes, animal cruelty is bad and the subject is used to give us some insight into Rose (Kelly Marie Tran, CollegeHumor)--but it seemed the overemphasized of Canto Bight's sins, which include child slavery. (The sequence did introduce a new favorite John Williams theme, though!) I was fine with it while watching the film, but it is the weakest part in retrospect. Still, during the movie, I just wanted to get back to anything having to do with Kylo and Rey. Also worth noting is that Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie, Game of Thrones) is still the worst character in the trilogy, maybe even in the franchise, and shows that Lucasfilm should never have tried to manufacture the popularity of Boba Fett. However, there is no overwhelming fault in the film, that I could tell anyway, in the way one can call out a script or acting or direction. As my friend said, the film is slightly bogged down by little things. For him, those little things added up. For me, I'm not sure how much they add up, but they are still there.

I loved Grumpy Luke's arc, and it paved the way for surprising story moments.

As this overlong review comes to an end, I should revisit my claim that this is the defining chapter of the entire saga. This film explores the thematic concepts of power, hope, and balance and orients them around everything that has come before this story. We see Kylo Ren corrupted by hate and his lust for power, and Supreme Leader Snoke (the scene-sealing Andy Serkis, The Lord of the Rings) blinded by the pride of power. Luke mentions that one of the reasons the Jedi need to end is because, despite their seemingly good intentions during their association with the Republic, they too were blinded by power and allowed Darth Sidious to conquer the galaxy. This was further developed in The Clone Wars series. Leia fights to save the Resistance to keep hope alive in the galaxy in spite of the darkness of the First Order, a theme emphasized in last year's Rogue One. Luke, the Resistance believes, will be the beacon of hope that will light the spark of rebellion. Will he accept his role as a legend or let his cynical philosophy rule? Finally, the saga always has dealt with the idea of bringing balance to the Force, but this is the first installment that acknowledges that Star Wars's balance means there can't be only light or only dark but an eternal coexistence of the two, the continuing star wars, the duality of the yin and yang.

Perhaps controversially, Star Wars has defined itself for the future. The Last Jedi brings together themes that have been building across the saga while also showing what other thrills and twists the franchise can bring. Some things work, some things don't, and some things make me think. Its worldview is front and center now and challenges the idea that one side can and should prevail. Hopefully, these ideas will be discussed and further challenged by fans and audiences. If not, Star Wars will still be celebrated and enjoyed as a consistent source of stories and entertainment from a galaxy--and a mouse--far, far away. But should that be all that Star Wars is?

Ridley Scott Is a Freakin' Beast: "All the Money in the World" Review

All the Money in the World was not even on my radar before Kevin Spacey was removed from the finished film in the wake of numerous worrisome sexual harassment allegations. Shortly after the Spacey allegations came out, though, director Ridley Scott (The Martian, Alien) announced that all of Spacey's scenes would be reshot with Christopher Plummer (The Sound of Music, Beginners) assuming the role--one month before the film's release, which it still met. Did the film's quality get lost in the shuffle?

Rated R for language, some violence, disturbing images, and brief drug content

In short, no. All the Money in the World tells the true story (with some embellishments) of the kidnapping of John Paul Getty III (Charlie Plummer, Boardwalk Empire), grandson to legendary billionaire Mr. John Paul Getty, Sr. (Christopher Plummer; no relation) When the young Paul's kidnappers put him up for a $17 million ransom, it seems obvious to his mother Abigail (Michelle Williams, Manchester by the Sea) that the extravagantly wealthy Mr. Getty should take it upon himself to pay the expensive ransom--to him, it's chump change. But Mr. Getty refuses, and stubbornly stays so, even as the stakes get higher and the young Paul's life is on the line. With the help of Italian police and Mr. Getty's security advisor, former CIA op Fletcher Chase (Mark Whalberg, Patriots Day), Abigail resolves to save her son at whatever lengths possible.

This is a story of greed--money as the root of all evil. Mr. Getty's love of his money masks any semblance of love he may have for Paul. He refuses to pay the ransom yet spends extravagant millions on pieces of art and land development projects. He justifies his decision by saying that paying the terrorists' ransom would endanger the other grandchildren with similar schemes. In this, we can hate him and empathize with him, but as the film continues, it becomes disgustingly clear his top priority is preserving his billions. On the other side of the coin, Paul's kidnapper Cinquanta (Romain Duris, The New Girlfriend) appears to start to care for the boy as the film progresses, giving him chances to escape and stressing that he leave Rome as soon as possible. Yet the ransom never disappears, and he shows no regret for allowing Paul to be tortured mentally and physically in graphically disturbing ways.

The film, the crew, Ridley Scott, and the cast have to be commended. To reshoot a good chunk of the film and reedit it within a month was considered an impossible task, yet they pulled it off without a hitch. If someone was unaware of Spacey's previous involvement in the film, they would have no idea that this was not the original version. Christopher Plummer devilishly commands the screen as Mr. Getty. It is crazy to think he only looked at the script a month ago and produced this masterclass villain performance. Though he is unbelievably despicable, Plummer shows that there is a logic and sincerity to every word Getty speaks and every action Getty performs. For the past several months, I have been crossing my fingers that Sir Patrick Stewart would get a Best Supporting Actor nod for Logan, but seeing this film last night makes me believe this is Plummer's award to lose. The rest of the cast is also great. Whalberg is unusually understated as Chase, and Williams brings a quiet power and firm resolve to Abigail that makes us care for her desperation.

All the Money is not flawless. While there are incredibly tense moments, such as the torture scene, there are moments where the film waddles in a place where Paul's survival is not immediately at stake and his family has nothing to go off of to find him. The film introduces a wrinkle that questions the authenticity of the kidnapping, but I was not enough convinced of it, partially because the film does not show enough of the line of thinking that leads to this conclusion and because we are given the dramatic irony that the kidnapping is genuine. Dramatic irony can work for suspense, but the other storytelling elements at this point are not strong enough to make it work alone. The film understandably takes liberties with the real story, but I am disappointed that they do not focus on the psychological impact these events had on the real Paul. Doing so would have added more complexity to the sins of Mr. John Paul Getty and how an evil lust for money can destroy someone else's life in irreparable, nonphysical ways. Still, the film is gorgeously shot, marvelously performed, and captivating enough that the flaws, while not ignorable, do not detract from the strengths.

While time will tell what he will win, Plummer rightfully earned his Golden Globe nomination.

As it turns out, All the Money in the World is another flag of victory for the Weinstein effect. The film is unafraid to objectively call terrible men of power out on their wrongs; it simply shows them for who they are without overstating it through angles or lighting. By replacing one of those men despite the odds, it shows we do not need them and we will not tolerate them. Darn good pictures can and will be made without them. And Ridley Scott, at the ripe age of 80, is a freakin' beast for leading the charge with as much skill as he does.

All the Money in the World opens nationwide Christmas Day.