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Also Known As: - |
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| Year of first release: 2017 | |
| Director: Rian Johnson (Looper) | |
| Actors: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega (Attack the Block), Adam Driver (J. Edgar, Lincoln), Mark Hamill (Sushi Girl), Carrie Fisher (Austin Powers), Laura Dern (Jurassic Park) | |
| Country: USA | |
| Genre: SF, Adventure, Epic | |
| Conditions of visioning: 20.12.2017, Mathäser Kino, 3D | |
| Synopsis: The First Order is closing in on the last members of the Rebellion led by Leia (Fisher), while Rey (Ridley) is trying to convince Luke Skywalker (Hamill) to join the battle or at least teach her the Jedi ways. | |
| Review: There is a lot I didn't like in this new Star Wars movie. Like the previous one The Force Awakens, it starts with a modern joke I find has nothing to do with the Star Wars Universe (this time about a bad audio connection like happens on Skype). A quite severe criticism is that I found that the story is not fluid and doesn't transport the viewer in this wonderful Universe created by George Lucas. It tries and fails with smooth transitions between the different storylines, and I found the music by John Williams to be too loud and omnipresent instead of gently underlying the drama scenes and carrying the Action ones. On top of that, if the story of The Force Awakens was a copy of A New Hope (I have just downgraded it from 7 to 6/10), this one is obviously inspired by both The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi in many not-so-small details like a foot battle against AT-AT-looking machines on a Hoth-looking planet, a chase through an asteroid field (with the same music), and last but not least the "Emperor" trying to convert a young Jedi-to-be to join him (spoiler, highlight to read) while witnessing the expected end of the Rebellion, only to be betrayed by his own apprentice that he thought he fully controlled. I would think that the next Episode, to be released end 2019, can finally start to tell a fresh story. About the characters, I found that the old and new ones I was happy to see in The Force Awakens were here pretty weak: Finn, Rey, Poe, Kylo Ren, Supreme Leader Snoke, Chewbacca (totally transparent), Leia, Luke. I was expecting a magic apparition by Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams) to save the day but it didn't come and we got Benicio del Toro instead. Directing / Editing: I found the movie 30 minutes too long while the pace was too rushed, never leaving us the extra seconds in each and every scene to let the information and feelings sink in, even during the scene between Luke and (spoiler) Yoda, reminiscing best of the original trilogy. And many other scenes that should have been emotionally strong also failed in involving me. Last bad point but that can be avoided (I had no choice): the 3D is pretty useless and when it could bring something, badly done. The 3D conversion process is pretty bad with high-contrast images like... in space, which are numerous in a Star Wars movie like they were in Gravity after which I also complained. Humpf, so is there anything good in that movie?? I would say a few awesome-looking scenes that still remind of the good old years spent watching the original trilogy over and over again. I am not looking forward to the next Episode of the main Star Wars storyline, maybe there is more hope towards the spin-off Solo: A Star Wars Story to be released next year, after the excellent surprise of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. |
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Rating: 5 /10
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More than entertainment, an Art.
Thursday, December 21, 2017
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)
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I watched the movie on 19.12.2017 in Cinemaxx. No 3D because it did not bring much in the last Episode. The story offers some scenes almost copied from the first Star Wars trilogy, like in The force awakens. There are several unexpected twists showing that every heroe of the movie is subject to ridicule, to failure, to doubts. Basically also what Rey learns in the island.
ReplyDeleteThis time the humour is omnipresent. It is not the warm, emotional and sympathetic humour of Harrison Ford, but a cold and dry humour, kind of British or Scandinavian. Turning General Hux (Gleeson) into ridicule with the fake wrong communication line; Poe's (Isaac) intrepidity stopped abruptly; the whole character of DJ (Del Toro).
The swapping from humour to fight is what showed the talent of Gleeson, Isaac and Del Toro. I found the acting of Adam Driver and John Boyega and Daisy Ridley very one-sided this time, or maybeit was the case already in The force awakens and I did not notice.
There are not many locations out from the spaceships, but the contrasts given by the white and red Salt desert, by the green Irish-like isolated island, or by the cosmopolitan Casino planet are visually impressive.
My rating would be 6/10.
After enjoying the heart-felt review by Kevin Smith on Youtube, I watched the movie again during a long flight, but unfortunately found it even more boring than the first time...
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