The flicks
It’s December, and the Force has awakened again! The latest installment in the ongoing Star Wars franchise — EPISODE VIII: THE LAST JEDI — fulfills its duty to the fanbase
STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI (M)
Director: Rian Johnson (Looper) Starring: Daisy Ridley, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Laura Dern, Benicio Del Toro. Rating : WITH today’s release of Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, the Star Wars saga celebrates its 40th anniversary doing exactly what it must: bringing the world together as one in a way no other movie franchise can.
You are never alone as long as the Force is with you.
With a running time of 152 minutes – the longest episode to date – there is both plenty of big philosophical questions to ponder, and a lot of escapist eye candy to gorge on.
The balance The Last Jedi finds between moving the Star Wars juggernaut forwards with new material, and pleasing loyal fans with callouts to the franchise’s greatest hits, is struck very effectively throughout.
Once the legendary opening batsmen of the Star Wars team – the resounding theme music and that must-read opening credits ‘crawl’ – have completed their usual partnership, the adrenalin gets flowing fast and furiously with a booming, zooming space battle.
Come on now. You didn’t think the good guys of the Rebellion and the bad dudes of the First Order were suddenly going to be best buds?
Once The Last Jedi has our full attention, the story doubles back to where previous episode The Force Awakens left off. Series heroine Rey (Daisy Ridley) has arrived at the remote island sanctuary of long-lost Jedi master Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill in a triumphant return to active Star Wars duty).
Cutting an embittered, grizzled figure, Luke reluctantly becomes curious as to why Rey made it her mission to gatecrash what he thought was “the most unfindable place in the galaxy.”
Meanwhile, Rey herself is getting curious about her evil nemesis from The Force Awakens, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver).
The pair now share a Force-generated telepathic connection that could have drastic implications for hopes for peace across the galaxy.
While The Last Jedi works very well in the thrill-ride department - another chase, clash or cliffhanger of some sort is never too far away - it does not always get it right when servicing the development and relevance of its many featured characters.
Major ‘new generation’ players like heroic ex-Storm Trooper Finn (John Boyega) and Resistance fighter pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) are handed minor assignments, often far from what’s happening in the main plot.
However, many a surprise sighting of old friends from the halcyon early days of Episodes IV-VI, and the poignant final appearance of the late Carrie Fisher as the indomitable General Leia generously compensate for any perceived shortfalls. FERDINAND (PG) It has been over 80 years since author Munro Leaf’s pacifist picture-book parable first became a favourite of children the world over. Surprisingly, the movies have never before given any feature-length love to the beautiful tale of a Spanish bull who would rather be exploring nature than goring matadors. Enter crowdpleasing animation specialist Carlos Saldanha (director of Ice Age and Rio) to correct that oversight in aptly accessible fashion. While this won’t considered the best animated production of the coming holiday season - that honour falls to Pixar’s Coco, releasing on Boxing Day - Ferdinand is a vibrant and engaging affair that doesn’t forget the timeless message about aggression and bullying Leaf intended to impart. The voice cast is exceptionally strong, with well-known he-man and action hero John Cena making a remarkably fine fit for the shy and retiring title role. His chemistry with comic sidekick Kate McKinnon (as Lupe the goat) is a highlight of the film. Co-stars David Tennant, Gina Rodrigues, Anthony Anderson. THE STAR (M) There’s about to be a major Nativity scene in a back alley of downtown Bethlehem, and every talking animal in the Middle East wants in on the act. So begins The Star, a cute, colourful and corny animated take on the birth of Jesus Christ. It will be best enjoyed by toddlers who have yet to see a Shrek movie, or prise open a Holy Bible. The central critter in proceedings in Bo the donkey (voiced by Steven Yeun), a hard-working farm animal destined to bear witness to the most famous birth on mankind’s books. Bo’s best friend Dave the dove (Keegan Michael-Key) will be there as well, as long as King Herod’s evil henchdogs don’t show up to ruin the occasion. There are some very fruity casting choices nested away in the credits, the second fruitiest of which is Oprah Winfrey as Deborah the sassy camel. The fruitiest of all? Gina Rodriguez of TV’s Jane the Virgin as — what else? — the Virgin Mary. THE MAN WHO INVENTED CHRISTMAS (PG) A pleasant enough, if slightly disjointed Christmas film, following hard historical fact with fanciful detours into fiction. In 1843, legendary British author Charles Dickens (Dan Stevens) is enduring the worst slump of his prolific career. The three books Dickens has penned since the classic Oliver Twist have all tanked. The next one had better be a hit, or his publisher will cut him loose and creditors will swarm in from all directions. Against all advice - not to mention the prevailing trend of the era - Dickens decides his next work will be an oldfashioned Yuletide yarn. So old-fashioned that it revives the lost tradition of telling ghost stories to commemorate Christmastime. The end result, of course, will be one of Dickens’ greatest works, A Christmas Carol. However, with a deadline looming and distractions everywhere, Dickens’ nightly struggles with a deathly case of writer’s block sees the writer forging deeper into the realm of personal experience for inspiration than ever before. GOODBYE CHRISTOPHER ROBIN (PG) While Winnie-the-Pooh is one of the most beloved children’s book characters of all time, far less is known about his creator, the British playwright and author AA Milne. Needless to say, Goodbye Christopher Robin is looking to fill in a lot of those blanks. As this serious (often bordering on stern) biopic shows us, Milne’s wistful lightness of touch as a writer came from quite a heavy place.