A Look Back ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’
Despite the excitement leading up to Episode VIII. The Last Jedi quickly became the most divisive Star Wars film to date. With the un-Star Wars like comedy and the lack of direction in regards to the overall story. Things were not as well received as many had hoped.
To get caught up and get the full effects of our journey towards Episode IX check out our other look backs
A Look Back ‘Star Wars The Force Awakens’
A Look Back ‘ Star Wars Return of the Jedi’
A Look Back ‘Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back’
A Look Back ‘Star Wars A New Hope’
A Look Back ‘ Rogue One A Star Wars Story’
A Look Back ‘ Solo A Star Wars Story’
A Look Back ‘Star Wars Revenge of the Sith’
A Look Back ‘Star Wars Attack of the Clones’
A Look Back ‘Star Wars The Phantom Menace’
Summary
Escape
Shortly after the destruction of Starkiller Base, General Leia Organa leads the evacuation of Resistance forces from D’Qar, when a First Order fleet arrives. Against Leia’s orders, Poe Dameron leads counterattack that destroys a First Order dreadnought. Although at a large cost and loss of many resistance ships.
The Chase
The remaining Resistance escapes into going into hyperspace. However, the First Order is able to track them using new technology and is able to attack them again. During this battle Kylo Ren has a chance to fire on the lead Resistance Ship but hesitates after sensing his mother Leia’s presence. His wingmen take the shot destroying the bridge and killing most of the Resistance’s leaders. Leia is dragged into space, but survives when she uses the Force to pull herself back into the ship.
While Leia recovers, Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo assumes command of the Resistance.
Running low on fuel all the ships can do is out run the First Order as long as they can.
Ach-To
Rey, having traveled to Ahch-To with Chewbacca and R2-D2 aboard the Millennium Falcon at the end of The Force Awakens attempts to recruit Luke Skywalker to the Resistance. It is established that he has put himself under self-imposed exile and refuses to help. He believes that the Jedi should end.
R2 and Luke reconvene and Skywalker is encouraged by R2-D2 to which he eventually begins to show Rey they ways of Force.
Force Bond
During this time Rey and Kylo begin communicating through the Force which confuses them both.
After Kylo tells Rey what happened between him and Luke that caused him to choose the dark side, Luke confesses that he momentarily contemplated killing Kylo upon sensing that Snoke was corrupting him. This is what caused Kylo to destroy Luke’s new Jedi Order.
Believing that Kylo can be redeemed, Rey leaves Ahch-To while Luke prepares to burn the sacred Jedi text but at the last moment hesitates.
Learn From Failure
Luke’s teacher Yoda appears as a spirit and actually destroys the the tree which housed the texts by summoning a bolt of lightning. Yoda uses this opportunity to encourage Luke to learn from his failure.
Canto-Bight
Meanwhile, Poe entrusts Finn, mechanic Rose Tico, and BB-8 with a secret mission to find someone who can deactivate the First Order’s tracking device, whom Maz Kanata says they can find in the casino town of Canto Bight. They meet the hacker DJ, and escape the city with the help of some stable hand children and riding animals they set free. Finn, Rose, and DJ infiltrate Snoke’s ship, arriving at the same time as Rey, but are captured by Captain Phasma. Meanwhile, Kylo brings Rey to Snoke, who says that he facilitated the connection between her and Kylo as part of a plan to defeat Luke.
Retreat
Holdo plans to evacuate the remaining Resistance members using small transport vessels. Believing her plan to be cowardly and futile, Poe leads a mutiny. Leia recovers and shoots Poe with a blaster, rendering him unconscious and allowing the evacuation to begin. Holdo remains on the ship as a decoy to mislead Snoke’s fleet as the others flee to an abandoned base on Crait. On the First Order flagship, DJ buys his freedom by revealing the Resistance’s plan to General Hux, and the First Order fleet begins firing on the evacuation transports, destroying many of them.
Supreme Leader
Ordered to kill Rey, Kylo instead kills Snoke and defeats his guards alongside Rey. Rey hopes that Kylo has abandoned the dark side, but he instead asks her to rule the galaxy with him. Refusing, she and Kylo battle using the Force to obtain the Skywalker lightsaber, bisecting the weapon.
Holdo sacrifices herself by ramming into Snoke’s flagship at light speed, crippling it. Meanwhile, Rey escapes while Kylo declares himself Supreme Leader. BB-8 frees Finn and Rose; they defeat Phasma and join the survivors on Crait.
Crait
When the First Order arrives, Poe, Finn, and Rose attack with old speeders. Rey and Chewbacca draw TIE fighters away in the Falcon, while Rose prevents Finn from sacrificing himself to destroy the enemy siege cannon, which subsequently penetrates the Resistance fortress.
Luke appears and confronts the First Order to allow the surviving Resistance to escape. Kylo orders the First Order’s forces to fire on Luke, but they fail to harm him. He then engages Luke in a lightsaber duel; upon striking Luke, Kylo realizes that his enemy is not physically present but merely appearing through a projection of the Force.
Rey helps the remaining Resistance escape on the Falcon. Luke, exhausted, dies peacefully on Ahch-To, becoming one with the Force. Rey and Leia sense his death, and Leia tells her that the Resistance can rise again.
Story Impact
The movie pushed the story along ever so slightly. Establishing Kylo Ren as the new Supreme Leader while Rey realizes she must learn more about the Force. Other than that there is very little that progresses this new trilogy towards any direction. Yea we have the Resistance/Rebellion hanging on by a Thread. But the First Order isn’t in much better shape after the loss they took with the destruction of Starkiller base during The Force Awakens.
What it Meant to Me
Honestly not too much. I do enjoy the take on Luke that we got. But overall this film is one of the most divisive Star Wars films for good reason. There are moments I enjoy, but absolutely there are moments that I could live without ever seeing again.