How much you enjoy “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” may hinge on how seriously you take this franchise, and that’s good news for those of us who are casual users and not religious adherents. Writer-director Rian Johnson steps into this ongoing saga with an eye seemingly more aimed at the “Flash Gordon” serials that originally inspired George Lucas than at the terminal self-seriousness that so many fans inflict upon the material.
If having pure fun at a “Star Wars” movie is wrong, I don’t want to be right. So for me, “The Last Jedi” falls right behind “The Empire Strikes Back” and maybe the original film in providing the thrills and the heartbreak, the heroism and villainy, and the romance and betrayal that makes these films such a treat even for those of us who can’t name all the planets or the alien species or even the Empire’s flunkies. (Sorry, the First Order’s flunkies.) And make no mistake: This is an entertaining chapter, but it also features loss and sacrifice and devastating consequences.
Johnson skillfully balances quite a few characters, all operating at various points of the universe, and he and editor Bob Ducsay (“San Andreas”) weave between them without losing the thread. At 150 minutes — the longest “Star Wars” movie yet — the pace never drags, but even all that real estate doesn’t allow for the inclusion of all the characters we’ve come to know by this point. (Make sure not to blink, fans of Lupita Nyong’o‘s Maz Kanata.)
We pick up where “The Force Awakens” finished, with Rey (Daisy Ridley), Chewbacca (now performed by Joonas Suotamo) and R2D2 finding Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) in self-imposed exile. Rey wants to be trained in the ways of the Jedi, but after Luke’s experiences in trying to be a master to Ben Solo, aka Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), he would prefer to leave his past behind him.
Meanwhile, the First Order, under the command of General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson), has tracked down the last remaining rebel base, but General Leia (the late Carrie Fisher) and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) aren’t giving up without a fight. Part of battling the First Order’s attack relies upon a secret mission being undertaken by reformed stormtrooper Finn (John Boyega) and maintenance worker Rose (series newcomer Kelly Marie Tran). And while Rey works to get Luke to mentor her progress, she finds herself surprisingly linked to someone else, in a mental and perhaps spiritual bond that could change the very nature of the conflict.
At one point, Kylo yells, “Forget the Jedi! Forget the Sith! Forget the First Order!” in the hopes of forging something entirely new, and while it’s tempting to think that the “Star Wars” films could ever actually do such a thing, Johnson at least succeeds at making the personal stakes matter as much as the intergalactic ones do. And while a few scenes may ring familiar — instead of Luke seeking training from Yoda, Rey seeks it from Luke; instead of a scuzzy cantina, Finn and Rose visit a swanky, Monte-Carlo-in-outer-space casino — the accusations of “The Force Awakens” being a redo of the original “Star Wars” (yes, yes, “A New Hope,” whatever) can’t be leveled here.
The cast is certainly game, from the veterans to additions like Laura Dern, but it’s very often Fisher’s show, and not merely for the sentimental baggage we can’t help bringing with us into the theater. Leia has rarely gotten this much to do in these movies, and here she’s not only capable of extraordinary feats (the Force is strong with this one) but she’s also as wry as we knew the actress to be off-camera.
If there’s a bum note here, it’s the introduction of Rose: it’s certainly praiseworthy for the Skywalker saga to include such a prominent Asian character — particularly since Kurosawa’s “The Hidden Fortress” was such a key influence — but she’s shamelessly a fan avatar. Her introductory scene involves her getting all gushy over meeting Finn for the first time (although she promptly tases him when she realizes he’s trying to hijack an escape pod), and later, the script uses her mainly as a plot convenience. If she sticks around, here’s hoping she’s given some more layers.
Visually, “The Last Jedi” is a feast. There’s a reason why the color red is so prominently featured in the posters, from the faceless Spanish Inquisition-esque guards for Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) to a planet where a layer of snow covers a surface of crimson salt, leading to a spectacular climactic ground battle. We’re also introduced to a fascinating menagerie of new creatures, including premature fan favorites, the Porgs. In his best previous films, Johnson has demonstrated an ability never to let his art get in the way of his genre pleasures, and once again he’s crafted a good-looking movie that ultimately serves both the characters and the sensations.
(Not that there aren’t ideas to be found here — that casino is loaded with people who got rich off the arms trade, and Finn is taken aback to discover that the same merchants who sell TIE fighters to the First Order are also profiting off X-wings for the rebels. In war, no one’s hands are clean.)
This is button-pushing at its finest, the kind of manipulation so skillful that you don’t even mind being manipulated. As “Star Wars” changes hands from the old guard to the new, the series remains the gold standard of mass-market popcorn thrills.
This review originally published on Dec. 12.
34 Celebrities You Probably Didn't Know Were in 'Star Wars' Movies (Photos)
The "Star Wars" franchise -- now just about 43 years old -- is full of secret cameos, soon-to-be-famous actors in small bit parts, and well-known faces behind alien masks and makeup. Here are 34 big names hidden throughout the franchise you might not have known about, up to and including "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker."
Lucasfilm
John Ratzenberger ("The Empire Strikes Back")
Ratzenberger is best remembered as know-it-all postman Cliff Clavin from "Cheers," or maybe his numerous voice roles in Pixar movies. In "The Empire Strikes Back," Ratzenberger is one of the Rebel officers hanging around Echo Base on Hoth with Princess Leia and C-3PO (Anthony Daniels).
Lucasfilm
Treat Williams ("The Empire Strikes Back")
When you're Treat Williams, you can wander onto the set of "The Empire Strikes Back" and find yourself in the movie. Williams reportedly dropped by England's Elstree Studios set, where the movie was being filmed, to visit Carrie Fisher. Apparently one thing led to another, and now Williams plays one of the Rebel troops running around Echo Base on Hoth.
Lucasfilm
Julian Glover ("The Empire Strikes Back")
Julian Glover's General Veers is probably the most competent officer available to Darth Vader as wanders the galaxy looking for the Rebels and Luke Skywalker. He'd be decidedly less competent as Grand Maester Pycelle on "Game of Thrones," but decidedly more evil as Nazi collaborator Walter Donovan in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" (you know -- the guy who ages super fast after drinking from the wrong grail).
Lucasfilm
Tony Cox ("Return of the Jedi")
In an Ewok suit, you'd never know Tony Cox appeared in "Return of the Jedi." He wouldn't really show off his acting chops until later when he was stealing scenes all over comedies like "Bad Santa," where he was Billy Bob Thornton's much-smarter mall-robbing accomplice/Christmas elf, and "Me, Myself and Irene."
Lucasfilm
Deep Roy ("Return of the Jedi")
It's easiest to remember Deep Roy in the Johnny Depp-starring "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," since Roy played every orange oompa-loompa in that movie. In "Return of the Jedi," he was both an Ewok and the puffy alien band member Droopy McCool in Jabba's Palace. Deep Roy also worked on "The Empire Strikes Back," acting as a stand-in for the muppet Yoda.
Lucasfilm
Keira Knightley (“The Phantom Menace”)
Knightley wasn’t just any handmaiden in “The Phantom Menace” — she was the handmaiden. Serving as the decoy for the real queen, Knightley was the actress people thought was Amidala for half the movie, before Natalie Portman’s Padmé revealed her true identity.
Lucasfilm
Peter Serafinowicz ("The Phantom Menace")
Marvel Cinematic Universe fans will recognize Peter Seafinowicz for his turn as untrusting Nova Corps officer Garthan Saal in "Guardians of the Galaxy." He didn't appear in "The Phantom Menace," but provided the gravely, frightening voice of Darth Maul (the rest of whom was played by Ray Park), as well as for a gungan warrior and a battle droid.
Lucasfilm
Dominic West ("The Phantom Menace")
The prequel trilogy was filled with actors who would go on to do great things, but who were mostly filling small or background roles in the "Star Wars" universe. Dominic West's character in "The Phantom Menace" was an otherwise nondescript member of Queen Amidala's palace guard -- nothing so interesting as his later turn as Jimmy McNulty on HBO's "The Wire."
Lucasfilm
Sofia Coppola (“The Phantom Menace”)
There really were a mess of these handmaidens. Before she was a full-time director, Sofia Coppola picked up a few small acting gigs, including the handmaiden Saché in “The Phantom Menace.” Just a few years after the 1999 movie, in 2003, Coppola would pick up a Best Director Academy Award nomination for “Lost in Translation.”
Lucasfilm
Sally Hawkins ("The Phantom Menace")
Before she was an Academy Award-nominated actress for her role in "Blue Jasmine," Sally Hawkins was an extra in the giant celebration scene in "The Phantom Menace." She admitted in an interview with Conan O'Brien that she'd never actually seen the movie, despite being in it.
Team Coco/Lucasfilm
Richard Armitage ("The Phantom Menace")
Blink and you'd miss Richard Armitage's small background role (second from the right in the background) among the guards on Naboo. Although, it's tough to recognize him without the lustrous locks Armitage sported in "The Hobbit" as Thorin Oakenshield, or the creepy teeth from his turn as killer Francis Dolarhyde in "Hannibal" Season 3 on NBC.
Lucasfilm
Rose Byrne (“Attack of the Clones”)
Before she was a mainstay of the “Insidious” movies alongside Patrick Wilson or had joined the “X-Men” franchise as CIA Agent Moira MacTaggert, Rose Byrne was one of the handmaidens serving Queen Amidala (Natalie Portman) in the “Star Wars” prequels. Specifically, she was Dormé, who accompanied Padmé to Coruscant to do government things.
Lucasfilm
Martin Csokas ("Attack of the Clones")
The "Star Wars" movies have slipped a few notable actors into the voice roles of aliens. Martin Csokas is one -- he provided the voice of the Geonosian alien Poggle the Lesser in "Attack of the Clones." Fantasy fans probably know him better as the elf Celeborn, husband to Cate Blanchett's Galadriel in "The Lord of the Rings."
For more features and deep dives into the world of "Star Wars" and the culture surrounding it, be sure to check out IMDb's "Star Wars" hub.
Lucasfilm
Joel Edgerton (“Attack of the Clones,” “Revenge of the Sith”)
Luke’s moisture-farming, humorless uncle Owen Lars was young once, but he was never not a guy who stood around a crappy homestead on Tatooine. In the prequel movies, the role was picked up by Joel Edgerton of “Loving” and “The Great Gatsby.”
Lucasfilm
Bai Ling ("Revenge of the Sith")
Bai Ling actually doesn't appear in "Revenge of the Sith," but she was supposed to. Her scene as Senator Bana Breemu was cut from the film. But there are things you definitely have seen her in, including "Crank: High Voltage," "The Crow" and "Entourage."
Lucasfilm
Keisha Castle-Hughes ("Revenge of the Sith")
Sometime after Padmé's term as queen had ended by "Revenge of the Sith," the wise people of Naboo apparently elected another teenager queen: Queen Apailana, played by Keisha Castle-Hughes. Apailana is seen at Padmé's funeral, and Castle-Hughes is known for "The Whale Rider" and appearing on "The Walking Dead."
Lucasfilm
Simon Pegg (“The Force Awakens”)
Another secret cameo, Pegg is covered in alien costume work as the junk dealer Unkar Plutt on Jakku. He’s the guy who gives Rei less than what her salvage is probably worth.
Lucasfilm
Bill Hader and Ben Schwartz (“The Force Awakens”)
You’d think the last thing a droid like BB-8 would require is a voice, given that he’s a robot and speaks in bleeps and bloops. But to get the sound and personality just right, director J.J. Abrams enlisted comedians Bill Hader (formerly of “SNL”) and Ben Schwartz (well-known for playing Jean-Ralphio on “Parks and Rec”).
Lucasfilm
Thomas Brodie-Sangster (“The Force Awakens”)
“Game of Thrones” might have noticed a familiar First Order officer during shots of the bridge of the Starkiller Base. It was Jojen Reed, Bran Stark’s loyal friend, who also plays Newt in the “Maze Runner” franchise.
Lucasfilm
Daniel Craig (“The Force Awakens”)
It was something of a news item at the time, but James Bond slipped in a secret cameo in the first “Star Wars” film in a decade — as a stormtrooper. He’s the guard that Rei manages to Jedi mind trick into releasing her.
Lucasfilm
Billie Lourd (“The Force Awakens”)
Billie Lourd sneaked into Lucasfilm’s revival of “Star Wars” as Lt. Connix, one of the Resistance fighters running tactical machinery in the base of General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher). Known for her hilarious turn as Chanel No. 3 on the horror-comedy series “Scream Queens,” she’s also Fisher’s daughter.
Lucasfilm
Harriet Walter ("The Force Awakens")
Playing a Resistance medic who helps out Chewbacca, "Downton Abbey" alumna Harriet Walter gets a short but sweet cameo in "The Force Awakens." She actually has one of the movie's funnier moments as she talks to Chewie about how scary his ordeal must have been.
Lucasfilm
Rian Johnson ("Rogue One")
The director of 2017's "The Last Jedi" actually made a cameo in 2016's "Rogue One" along with producer Ram Bergman as members of the gunner crew of the Death Star.
Lucasfilm
Justin Theroux ("The Last Jedi")
Casting "The Leftovers" star Justin Theroux as the unnamed super-great slicer Finn and Rose are looking for is a fun cameo that winds up being a misdirection and a fun joke. Instead, the pair find Benicio del Toro's DJ to take over the job.
Lucasfilm
Joseph Gordon-Levitt ("The Last Jedi")
Director Rian Johnson and Joseph Gordon-Levitt collaborated on the 2005 movie "Brick," the director's first feature-length movie. JGL makes the most of their friendship by voicing an alien in the "Star Wars" universe called Slowen Lo, a riff on the Beastie Boys song "Slow & Low." He's the guy who's really upset about Finn and Rose's bad parking job.
Tom Hardy ("The Last Jedi")
Taking a page from Daniel Craig's cameo in "The Force Awakens," Tom Hardy grabbed a stormtrooper uniform to appear in "The Last Jedi." His scene (which also featured Princes William and Harry) was deleted, unfortunately, but it finds him in an elevator with an incognito Finn, Rose and DJ as they sneak around the First Order ship midway through the movie. Hardy's trooper recognizes Finn and congratulates him on the promotion his uniform suggests, even giving him a supportive smack on the butt.
Ralph Ineson ("The Last Jedi")
Another famous face appearing in the deleted sequence aboard the First Order ship is Ralph Ineson, star of "The Witch." He plays an officer who immediately recognizes that Finn and Rose don't belong. He pops up later with a detachment of stormtroopers to catch the impostors for real.
Lucasfilm
Gareth Edwards ("The Last Jedi")
Edwards gave Rian Johnson a cameo in "Rogue One," so the director repaid the favor by making Edwards one of the Resistance troopers standing their ground on Crait. He's the guy who looks incredulously at the trooper who decided to taste the ground.
Lucasfilm
Clint Howard ("Solo")
Director Ron Howard's brother Clint is a well-known actor whose career goes all the back to the original "Star Trek" series. He pops up in a cameo role, as seen in this photo from his Twitter account, as a particularly mean guy in "Solo" who runs a droid fighting pit -- and gets a rough talking to by Lando's droid companion, L3.
Twitter
Jon Favreau ("Solo")
The "Iron Man" director (who also plays Happy Hogan in the Marvel Cinematic Universe) and star of "Swingers" doesn't fully appear in "Solo," but his voice does -- he plays Rio Durant, the multi-armed member of Tobias Beckett's crew. Favreau gets to be the jokey member of the heist crew in the movie and acts as pilot, despite Han complaining that he wants the job.
Lucasfilm
Jodie Comer ("The Rise of Skywalker")
Comer, of "Killing Eve" fame, made a very surprising appearance in flashbacks as Rey's mom.
John Williams ("The Rise of Skywalker")
Williams has provided the score for every main series "Star Wars" film, but he'd never done a cameo in any of them until he popped up in the bar on Kijimi where our heroes meet Babu Frik.
Lin-Manuel Miranda ("The Rise of Skywalker")
The "Hamilton" and "In the Heights" creator wrote a song for "The Force Awakens," but this time around he got to actually appear on screen for a very brief moment during the Resistance's celebration at the end of the film
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The ”Star Wars“ franchise is full of famous people you had no idea were there
The "Star Wars" franchise -- now just about 43 years old -- is full of secret cameos, soon-to-be-famous actors in small bit parts, and well-known faces behind alien masks and makeup. Here are 34 big names hidden throughout the franchise you might not have known about, up to and including "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker."