• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Film
  • DVD
  • Editorial
  • About ScreenFish

ScreenFish

where faith and film are intertwined

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • News
  • OtherFish
  • Podcast
  • Give

Captain Phasma

Star Wars The Last Jedi: Why Episode VIII is the Best Star Wars Film to Date

December 16, 2017 by Arnaldo Reyes 4 Comments

I know, I know….just the title itself sounds sacrilege or over hyped. But bear with me. For years, The Empire Strikes Back has been the staple. Most fans I’ve come in contact with would agree that Empire stands out head and shoulder above the rest. So trust me when I say that The Last Jedi is the best. I don’t say it lightly.

Ever since The Force Awakens, the fear has been that episode VIII would be a retelling of Empire. As good as The Force Awakens was, it was for all intense and purposes A New Hope all over again. It felt sort of fresh because the new characters truly did stand out, but it continued to feel like Episode IV and it brought many questions: Who is Rey? Where is she from? Who are her parents? Where’s Luke? Why is the Jedi Master in hiding when we need him to turn the tide? Droids wandering in the desert with an important message only to be found by a scavenger and said scavenger is thrust into this fight and helps the rebels (or in this case the resistance) strike a major blow to the dark enemy. Even in minor details, it was a direct parallel to Episode IV.

However, The Last Jedi seems to accomplish what Lucas tried to do with the prequels, what was completed with Rogue One, and what should have been done with The Force Awakens. It took risks and dared to change all we think we know, and frankly it is for the better.

FROM HERE ON OUT PARTS OF THE FILM MAY BE SPOILED. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

 

Let’s dispell the fanboy complaints for a second. Where The Force Awakens was a direct parallel from beginning to the end of A New Hope, The Last Jedi is not a parallel to The Empire Strikes Back. A broad stroke approach would tell you: “New Jedi leaves to train with old master hiding away, and the Empire finds the rebel base and attacks.”

That is about as close as these two movies get.

While Luke was sent by Obi Wan to find Yoda and train so that he can fight Vader, Rey had no such mission. She didn’t seek out Luke to train; she seeks him out to bring him back. The resistance needed the legendary hero, only he wasn’t so legendary (more on that later). It was her mission. It wasn’t until the Force calls her to the library that Luke asks her what it was that she wanted. You see, in The Empire Strikes Back, Luke was seeking Yoda out so that he could learn how to stop Vader. Rey wasn’t looking to stop Kylo–she just wanted someone to help her understand what was going on with her. Think of it as a teen hitting puberty and trying to find out what is going on with the changes in their body, voice, hygiene, etc. Rey is going through a change, so even though she’s looking for Luke to save the resistance, she’s also wanting him to tell her what exactly has awakened in her. Both Luke and Rey, in their young selves, may have gone to see an old teacher, but they were for very different reasons. All movie franchises are built from the same foundation, but not all are parallel. They may interconnect in a way, but that doesn’t mean one is exactly like the other.

The other broad stroke myth is the idea of the Empire finding the rebel base and attacking it. I mean, we knew going into this film that the First Order knew where the resistance base was. This is something Empire slowly builds to. Instead, here we are thrown already into the action because it is where we left off. Yeah, the resistance destroyed the Starkiller Base, but they also knew they couldn’t stay. What takes place is what happens in most films of this type. Sometimes the enemy finds your hideout and you have to fight and flee. But this was different. The battle didn’t take place on the surface, but rather in space. And for some, the idea of a slow chase seems boring and lame, but boy did it bring about a real story and real character development. For those upset or those who wanted more action, go watch a Transformers movie that is nothing but explosions. It’s like biting into a burger with all the fixings and the meat is barely there. No, The Last Jedi took the aspect of battle and war and showed us that sometimes patience is key.

But enough about that. The question you have is (while you are screaming at me and calling out blasphemies) why I believe Episode VIII is the best to date.

Simply put, it’s because it let the past die.

The Last Jedi is the best film in the saga because it dared to show that heroes such as Luke, no matter how legendary, can fail. I’m sorry fanboys: that this isn’t the legendary hero you love. Luke is a failure and didn’t know how to deal with it. And that is totally logical and rational. Luke wasn’t in hiding because he was waiting for the next great Jedi to train. He was in hiding because he wanted to die alone and ashamed. He couldn’t confront his guilt or his failure. He allowed the ‘legendary’ title to lead him to his biggest failure. He (like fans) needed to let the past die. Luke had to find self redemption and, with that, we get another great moment in the Skywalker saga. When Luke arrives to the final battle–the last stand of resistance and what was left of it–we see what self sacrifice and leadership means. Fans are outraged that the legendary Luke didn’t go have an epic battle and go down in some great fashion.  This misses the entire point. What Luke showed was much more powerful than simply wielding a lightsaber in some great fashion. He projected himself from lightyears away and with all his self will and the power of the Force, found forgiveness from his sister. He then outwitted Kylo by showing him that even when he felt he was winning, he was really losing. Luke gave a performance that should make us all cheer and accept the truth and change. The past needed to die so that the future could live. Hope was dying and the end of the resistance was at hand. It was either Hope or the past, and rightfully so, the past sacrificed itself so that Hope can live. His death was beautiful and symbolic.

We all call out for the films to be new and take risks, yet when they do, some people get mad. You can’t have both. The Last Jedi is great because it finally felt like a changing of the guard. It was all about the new characters and their ‘purpose in all this.’ Rian Johnson took risks with this film, which spans a period of probably 48-72 hours in their time. It was kept grounded (so to speak) in that with so little happening on the outside, it was what was happening on the inside that mattered. Heroes learned to be leaders, nobodies learned to be heroes, and nothing was as it seemed. The film allowed itself to be lighthearted at times, serious and dark in others, yet blended it well with story and enough action scenes that made it come together in a well put together package. Everyone was finding their purpose in all of it, and when hope seemed lost, the past gave us one last moment to believe again before fading into the sunset(s).

I will agree with some of the naysayers. Captain Phasma is a huge letdown through two films. But she’s no different than fan favorite Boba Fett, who really didn’t do much. It’s his history and background that is more intriguing than anything he did in the films. A great character that didn’t do much–that was Phasma . . . and I’m okay with that because it wasn’t needed.

Vulptex > Porgs.  Enough said.

With all that, here’s the real reason why I loved the big risk taken . . . because everything we expected and hoped and wanted did not happen. The film dared to make the Force so much different than what we knew. It isn’t something that is inherited from a strong bloodline. It is around us, in us, between us. It binds all. And when great darkness arises, the Force brings forth a great light, but it is the Force that chooses the person, but also provides the person a choice to accept the light or the dark. We all wanted Rey to be from a great bloodline of Jedi, but she isn’t. She’s a nobody who was cast off. Her parents were scavengers, just like her, who sold her to pay off debts. Yet, the Force chose her. It’s just like when God chose David, a shepherd boy, to be Israel’s next great king. It wasn’t about his bloodline or how great his father or mother was; it was all about what was inside him. The Force chose Rey because when confronted with the darkness, no matter how big the pull was, she chose the light. It showed us that you don’t need to be a Skywalker to be great.

The connection the force made between Kylo and Rey was a big risk filled with twists as well. Was Kylo’s conflict real or just manipulated? But what I liked about it is that Rey, without knowing much about him, still felt empowered to try to redeem him. I don’t view this as she fell in love with him, but it was the Force and the light she chose to accept. She didn’t just accept that Kylo was bad.  To her, he had everything she ever wanted, and he gave it up. She needed to understand why. In the midst of it all, she became stronger within the Force (no thanks to Luke). I believe Kylo’s conflict was real, but he’s not strong enough to reject the pull of the Dark Side like Rey is. That is what makes her special. But to give the audience this dynamic between the dark and the light interacting and not just fighting, it changed the game on how the Force can work.

Then there is Snoke. Snoke, as powerful and menacing as he was, didn’t last. And I’m okay with that. To me, that was one of the most dramatic scenes ever in a Star Wars film. I was watching the scene, expecting Luke to drop in and save the day, but it was Kylo. You think that wow, she really did manage to reach him because he took Snoke out. He used Snoke’s manipulative move against him. And then seeing Rey and Kylo work together to fight the Praetorian Guards was nothing short of epic. But then we are given another great scene. Kylo has been driven in his dark ambition not to join Rey, but to try to reign. Let the past die; start a new chapter with him and her as the most powerful rulers of the galaxy. The tension, the splitting of the saber, her choice again to serve the light no matter her past, was a great moment. The film dared to take someone who we all found mysterious and large to be an after thought because in the end, he represented the past, and the past needed to die.

The Last Jedi is the greatest film in the Star Wars saga to date because it dared to be different. It dared to challenge us. It dared to change. We may have wanted Snoke to be greater than he was. We may have wanted Phasma to be more relevant. We may have wanted Luke to go out in a blaze of glory with an epic lightsaber battle between Kylo or Snoke. But all of that would have just given us everything we’ve seen before. Instead, The Last Jedi dared to tell us that the Force is more, the past needs to stay in the past, and that the future is bright. Because we have all that we need, right here.

Filed Under: Film, Star Wars Tagged With: Captain Phasma, Kylo Ren, Luke Skywalker, Porgs, Rey, Snoke, Star Wars, Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Star Wars The Force Awakens: A Spoiler Filled Look At The Newcomers to The Franchise

December 19, 2015 by Arnaldo Reyes Leave a Comment

aforcereyStar Wars: The Force Awakens was everything a fan of the original films would hope to find. JJ Abrams captured the wonder and the magic of the original trilogy with a 2015 visual EFX that made the film just pop out of the screen. The scene transitions were seamless with great cinematography that carried the magic that made the first films ahead of their time.

And here is where I throw my warning as I highlight the new characters in the film: SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER.

In case you didn’t get the hint, spoiler warning. We are entering the spoiler region, so if you have not seen the film, stop reading now, go watch it, and then come back.

Ok, so last month I wrote on how Luke Skywalker had not turned to the Dark Side like many suspected. I also stated that he would train the new Jedi and that Kylo Ren was a Skywalker. I was correct on all three.

Kylo Ren

The mysterious “Darth Vader” fanboy isn’t really a fanboy as much as a grandson wanting to live up to what his grandfather stood for. Kylo Ren is the son of Han Solo and Leia [Organa nee Skywalker]. Sent away at a young age to train with Luke who was training the next generation of Jedi, Leia and Han hoped that the darkness and obsession that “Ben” had for Vader would be wiped away. They mention how Luke went into hiding because his apprentice turned on him. And although Kylo is hinted at it, I’m not so sure it was him (we’ll get to that later).

My disappointment in Kylo is that the mysterious bad boy was really just a child with daddy issues. But when he was confronted with his dad, this is where some of the visuals of the film really stood out.  You have Han and Kylo on a bridge. Han is trying to reach to that glimmer of light still left in his son. Behind Han you see this bright background of the sun still peeking through. Behind Kylo is red that points to a great metaphor of the characters inner struggle of light or dark. Then the sun is finally drained and darkness covers them all. At that moment, the inevitable that everyone saw coming came: the end of Han Solo at the hands of his son. Whatever light was left was buried even deeper. And even though he will soon get his tail whooped, the next time we see him on screen, we will see not the boy with daddy issues, but the true bad boy we all expected.

Rey

Here is the mysterious scavenger-turned-hero and the star of the show. We say that all things happen for a reason, and the fact that she is thrown into a fight she didn’t expect to be a part really points that out. Untrained, these series of events allow us to see the power of the force really come forward. She was able to withstand Ren, tap into the Force several times, and even make the trained Kylo Ren look like a rookie who was wielding his lightsaber for the first time.

What makes Rey so compelling is that her character was so innocent but also very strong. She is an independent character that stood her own, yet we are left with one burning question, who is she? She was abandoned on a planet when she was young and expecting her parents to return but they never did. But how powerful she is with the Force will bring all kinds of speculation. Did Han and Leia have another child? Are we playing the same “twins separated” of the original trilogy? Or, is she Luke’s daughter? I think it is safe to say that she is definitely a Skywalker and much more power than Ren at this stage (and that’s just raw power).  Rey is such a huge integral part to the film; that it is tragic that she just isn’t marketed as much as she should have been, but that is a different conversation on its own.  We can for now enjoy one of the best lightsaber fights in Star Wars. Rey vs Kylo Ren was so well done and set in a great backdrop that we can’t help but sit her impatiently for their next encounter. She alone makes the film worth watching several times again.

Finn

He is an interesting character because what he represents is such a huge metaphor that cannot be ignored.  Finn, from birth, was raised to be one thing, a Stormtrooper. But when confronted with the horrors of war and the reality of the First Order and Kylo Ren, he quickly realizes that evil is not something he wants to be a part of. It is a great example of nature versus nurture and shows us that we are determined by our surroundings or our upbringing. Rather, we have a moral center that God has given us that we have to decide for ourselves whether to follow or not. Finn first and foremost changed his life by deciding to follow that moral center and reject evil.

The other part of Finn’s story is a character that must decide whether fight or flight. For the most part, his decision is quickly flight. He wants to get as far away from the First Order as possible. But it is funny how love can change things. For the first time ever he knows what it is like to have a true friend, and when that friend needed him the most, his character changed. At that moment he was no longer choosing flight but rather fight. He did all he could to save Rey (who ironically ended up saving him instead). It is the power of love and friendship and the light that shines bright in these two characters.

Captain Phasma and Poe Dameron

In my opinion, they were just not in the film enough to make one truly care for them. Phasma leads the Stormtroopers but is barely seen and Poe is shown as a great pilot and leader, but again we aren’t given enough to really invest in them yet.

BB-8

BB-8 was a very adorable droid that at times made you laugh and others made you sad. He won’t take the special place that R2-D2 has, but he is a great addition to the film.

Supreme Leader Snoke

We finally come to the real bad guy. Snoke is the one pulling the strings. He is Kylo Ren’s master as far as the dark side is concerned. The figure we are introduced to is a hologram that is like a giant, and very deformed. Is this the real look of Snoke, or just an image he projects of himself? He is the real evil of the universe and when this trilogy comes to an end, it is him who will need to be defeated. The question is; who is he? We really don’t know, but I have a theory.

Kylo Ren was sent to Luke to be trained with the Jedi. At some point, Kylo’s obsession for Vader brought him to Snoke. Luke has disappeared because his apprentice turned on him, and we see Rey have a vision of Kylo and the Knights of Ren strike down all the Jedi in the same way that Anakin did. But, I believe that Snoke, whoever he is, was the apprentice that turned on Luke. He took Kylo under his wing and trained him in the Dark Side and then sent him to kill everything that Luke worked for. That pain drove Luke to solitude. His apprentice turned his nephew and he couldn’t stop him.

In the end, Star Wars The Force Awakens carries all the greatness of the original trilogy. It reminds us that the battle of light versus dark is an ever pressing matter, and that we all need to work to make sure that the light shines brighter and not allow the dark to take over.

If you read this review, you’ve seen the film. So what do you think? Are you going to see it again? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Filed Under: Film, Reviews Tagged With: BB-8, Captain Phasma, Finn, Kylo Ren, Poe Dameron, Rey, Star Wars, Star Wars Force Awakens, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Supreme Leader Snoke

Primary Sidebar

THE SF NEWS

Get a special look, just for you.

sf podcast

Hot Off the Press

  • The Last Victim: Lost in the Darkness
  • SF Radio 8.24: Bending our Minds Around DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS
  • GIVEAWAY! UNCHARTED on Blu-Ray!
  • The Last Victim – No light in the darkness
  • The Duke – Being a good neighbor
Find tickets and showtimes on Fandango.

where faith and film are intertwined

film and television carry stories which remind us of the stories God has woven since the beginning of time. come with us on a journey to see where faith and film are intertwined.

Footer

ScreenFish Articles

The Last Victim: Lost in the Darkness

SF Radio 8.24: Bending our Minds Around DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS

  • About ScreenFish
  • Privacy Policy

© 2022 · ScreenFish.net · Built by Aaron Lee

Posting....
 

Loading Comments...