Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)

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Almost three years ago, I was so excited to see the seventh part of the Star Wars saga: The Force Awakens. The audience I watched the movie with were also enthusiastic and looked forward to see the eighth episode. But for some strange reason, I wasn't able to watch Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Episode VIII) with everyone else. I think I first saw it on Netflix, well after all the avid fans finished watching it.

The opening scene of a pilot (Poe Dameron) gunning down a spaceship was reminiscent of Luke Skywalker successfully gunning down the Death Star through a weakness in its exhaust system in A New Hope. Poe and his team were actually distracting the evacuation of the Rebellion in one of the planets. Alas, the escape wasn't successful because Kylo Ren was able to track them and destroy the Resistance's ship, thereby also injuring Leia. But The Force was strong in her so she was able to pull herself together.

Speaking of Leia, she certainly had grown wise; it was evident as she took centre stage as the Resistance's leader. She was mentoring Poe on the difference between heroism and leadership. She was expectedly tough because they were constantly being chased by the antagonist forces... even at lightspeed. I didn't see a princess anymore; I saw a general.

On the other hand, Rey's story arc picked up where it was left off in The Force Awakens. She was trying to recruit Luke to be part of the Resistance. However, he was not willing to become part of it; preferring to stay in his isolated island. He was in self-imposed exile primarily because he wasn't able to train Kylo properly as a Jedi; probably he was disillusioned by the Force... a far cry from his enthusiastic younger self. He, however, finally agreed to teach Rey the ways of the Jedi. Yoda's ghost appeared, imparting wisdom, as always.

In the end, Kylo Ren took over as the Supreme Leader. Luke died a hero. Rey was able to save many lives. Leia continued being the Resistance's leader. 

Luke's number one lesson was the most important of all: The Force was not exclusively accessible to the Jedi. Anyone could feel the balance between dark and light; cold and warmth; peace and violence. Even Rey and Kylo were connected by this same Force. This effectively destroyed how I understood the Jedi teachings. But then again, it's all about the concentration of midichlorians in the blood, right? The higher, the more sensitive to the Force?

For some reason, the story was less compelling than The Empire Strikes Back. The enemy in The Last Jedi, the Supreme Leader, did not ooze as much evil as Emperor Palpatine. Kylo Ren also did not have the same intimidating persona as Darth Vader. Luke, on the other hand, was convincing as the tortured Jedi remnant. I guess living in isolation was something that Jedi masters had to go through in their lives. Look at Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi. The were both hermits when they first appeared in the movies.

What happens next? How will Rey redeem Kylo Ren? Will Yoda show the Jedi ways to Rey? The wait is still long for the final movie in the current Star Wars trilogy. I wish that the next movie comes out soon to bring some closure to the current story.

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