Movie Review: “Star Wars: The Last Jedi”, Starring Domhnall Gleeson

by · December 15, 2017

THIS REVIEW WILL BE SPOILER FREE

Before we dive in, the toggle below contains a brief crash course on the general plotline and the characters in this article. If you aren’t as familiar with the Star Wars world, click that plus sign! If you are a Jedi Master, read on!

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The First Order is an extremely powerful military dictatorship that is dead set on destroying the Resistance, and the free will and hope of the galaxy along with it. General Leia Organa, along with hundreds of other members of the Resistance, is the only thing standing in the way of total dominance by the First Order. The Resistance needs the help of Luke Skywalker to help fight against the First Order's vicious General Hux and unstable leader, Kylo Ren, so they send Rey to find Skywalker. The story then follows many different characters as they battle each other for control of the galaxy.

  • Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill): A very powerful Jedi Master who has since gone into exile. The Resistance is seeking his help to take down Kylo Ren and the First Order.
  • General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher): Luke's twin sister who is also very powerful with the Force, but she is not a Jedi. Leader of the Resistance against the First Order.
  • Kylo Ren (Adam Driver): The son of Leia and Han Solo (Harrison Ford). Born Ben Solo, Ren was being trained in the Jedi arts by his uncle, Luke Skywalker, before turning to the dark side. He is a leader in the First Order.
  • Rey (Daisy Ridley): A girl from the planet Jakku who is seemingly no one, but little did she know, she is extremely powerful with the Force. She has since joined the Resistance and is seeking help in training from Luke Skywalker.
  • General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson): A General with the First Order. He is in charge of overseeing operations within the Order. Technically, he is a level under Kylo Ren, but he doesn't seem too happy about that.
  • Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo (Laura Dern): Next-in-command after General Leia Organa. She helps the Resistance in its fight against the First Order.
  • Lieutenant Connix (Billie Lourd): A junior controller in the Resistance who helps fight against the First Order.
  • Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran): A member of the Resistance who works in maintenance but demonstrates bravery when it comes down to battle.
  • Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie): The leader of the Stormtrooper army.

Phew, now that that's out of the way.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…

Star Wars: The Last Jedi takes you on a nonstop action-packed ride that’s both funny and dramatic. Personally, I was most excited to see Domhnall Gleeson as General Hux. I felt like we didn’t get to see enough of him in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and knowing what a fantastic actor Domhnall is, I couldn’t wait to see more.

Let me just say, he did not disappoint! Domhnall brings an element of terror and hilarity, somehow at the same time. How he does it, I don’t know! His #stinkface is on fleek, and I enjoyed every second he was on screen. Hux tends to have a bit of an issue with authority, especially when it comes to taking orders from Kylo Ren. I loved seeing the power struggle between him and the First Order’s own resident emo teenager, and… Well, you’ll just have to watch the film to see how that turns out!

The introduction of so many new characters and creatures could have been overwhelming, but it was executed perfectly. Speaking of which, I just have two words to say. GIRL. POWER. Rey, Rose, Phasma, Vice Admiral Holdo, Lieutenant Connix, and of course, the one and only General Leia Organa are all such powerful and strong leading females, each inspirational in her own way. It was a pleasure to see them all kick butt on the big screen.

Not every review can be 100% positive, however, and one thing I did find just a tad annoying was the underlying romantic subplots. It seemed like every character in the movie had a “will they, won’t they?” moment, and I thought it was a little distracting to the full picture.

The battle that it seems every character fights in this movie is dark vs. light, good vs. evil, whether it’s actually battling a physical war against each other or fighting a mental battle with themselves. It brings to mind a favorite quote from a certain Marauder.

We’ve all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That’s who we really are.

It’s very interesting to see each character battle with their own darkness, and it really shows the capabilities of each actor.

I think this is a film that will not only help continue to bring new audiences to the franchise but will also please long-time fans. The cute little Easter eggs and homages to the original trilogy bring about feelings of nostalgia and will just bring a smile to your face.

Have you seen The Last Jedi? What did you think of it?