Star Wars The Last Jedi is a 2017 film starring Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac and Mark -- what am I doing, it's a Star Wars movie, you know about it already...
It follows the exploits of a small group of resistance fighters upsetting the order of things by trying to bring down the Empire. Or, the First Order. Whatever they call the supposed bad guys who simply want to keep things just, civilised and reasonable for everyone.
So join me, if you will, for my Elite -- and slightly belated -- Review, of The Last Jedi...
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You know, I have a theory about The Last Jedi.
On the surface, The Last Jedi presents just like any other Star Wars movie -- a summer blockbuster full of action sequences, special effects and fun surprises.
But on a deeper level, the film functions as an allegorical piece that comments both on the Star Wars franchise as a whole, and, in another sense, the very order of western democratic society.
It could have been seen as a return to the roots of the series that always had a strong thread of political and social commentary, while always presenting as a spectacular roller coaster ride.
The last Jedi, however, received at best mixed critical reviews and seemed to quite visibly upset the Star Wars fan base.
Many saw this as a failure on the director's part to fully maintain the Star Wars ethos, but I do wonder if perhaps Rian Johnson and his cohorts decided to show the public what would happen if they were given exactly what they asked for.
You said The Force Awakens' story was too predictable? OK, complainers, how about we subvert EVERY expectation you have for this one?! The Force Awakens relied too much on nostalgia? OK then, here's what it looks like when we give you something completely new! Too many questions without resolution? Fine, here are the answers, and NONE of them are what you predicted.
It appears Rian Johnson has quite the devilish sense of humour, and that's something I can very much appreciate.
Now, I read some reviewers who were surprised that The Last Jedi was allowed to be made, given it unravelled and diffused a lot of the story elements and mysteries that had been set up in the first film.
But what these commentators seems to misunderstand is that those of us who fund these kinds of films, for wont of a better term, don't give a flying Pheasant about the details of the story, or even the critical reception of our tent-pole blockbusters. We make most of our money on opening weekend and to be completely frank, opening weekend is 100% determined by marketing.
What we do care about is the underlying social message that is portrayed in the film, and in this case Rian Johnson has done a exemplary job of pushing our agend -- I mean producing a thought provoking piece of cinema that satisfies our sensibilities while giving the public the base spectacle and emotional drivel they crave.
In some ways, The Last Jedi is a difficult film to decipher. That's not Rian Johnson's fault -- honestly we've created so many secret triggers and esoteric symbols that even I lose track of them sometimes!
But at the end of the day, The Last Jedi maintains the thread that has gone through all Star Wars films -- that war is inevitable, because the true darkness is in the heart of man, not the social and political classes that dominate society. The darkness is in you, it is part of you, and if the world is functioning poorly or to your chagrin, it's because you let your negative tendencies toward greed, anger and yes, war, dominate your interaction with the world.
Because, while there is a small faction of people who believe in an elite class who are plotting conspiratorially against humanity, at the end of the day, just like the Last Jedi, you get what you demand from those that provide.
So long as we have a primitive lizard-brained public demanding blood and war and wealth, the elite class will respond in kind. And that's the heart of what I hope people take away from The Last Jedi. As much as we like to pretend we are civilised and refined, the lizard brain dominates most people's thoughts.
And, sadly, while that remains true, you will always need stronger, more disciplined and well-educated chaps like myself, to save you from falling into violent, chaotic anarchy.
Indeed, you need us. You need us to keep order. But most of all, you need us to do what's necessary to keep you in the kind of confortable, convenient lifestyles to which you have become accustomed.
You see, there is a discrepancy between what you SAY you want and what you consistently demonstrate you need. You say you want peace, love and understanding, but you really want iPads, wealth and yes, perhaps even a touch of subjugation. You want to be told the correct way to live, and we're more than happy to provide that.
We're not driven by a lust for power, or an evil, selfish drive. No, quite the contrary, what we do for you is a BURDEN, and a role that fall on our shoulders despite much reluctance and disdain.
So, to reiterate the idea with which I commence all my reviews; you are, indeed, quite welcome.