John Williams’ new ‘Star Wars’ soundtrack fails to excite

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Normally, a film score doesn’t get a review. But this is “Star Wars.” ‘Nuff said. The music in “The Last Jedi” isn’t great. Please put down the pitchforks. Let’s cut through the “John Williams is a legend” spiel (he’s a wizard, the grand poobah of film music) and the “Star Wars music rules” bit (it does, no matter how much you might prefer the less mainstream scores of Korngold, Herrmann or Morricone) and let’s get into the latest episode’s soundtrack.

Composed and conducted by Mr. Williams, the new score does a perfectly adequate job heightening the emotion of the film, dramatizing and emphasizing character connections and those other things a good film score should do. Blah blah.

But compared to the other installments of this 40-year-old space opera, this score lacks freshness. It lacks chutzpah.

Each prior film introduced at least one remarkable, unique theme.

Princess Leia’s melody in “A New Hope.” “The Imperial March” in “The Empire Strikes Back.” Luke and Leia’s motif in “Return of the Jedi. “Duel of the Fates” in Phantom Menace.” “Across the Stars” in “Attack of the Clones.” “Battle of the Heroes” in “Revenge of the Sith.” Rey’s music in “The Force Awakens.”

“The Last Jedi” introduces a new theme for Rose, the franchise’s only significant new character. (No, the Porgs don’t count.) It’s fine, but nothing legendary. There’s new tropically flavored cantina music. There’s new chase music for the escape of the maltreated race beasts.

Otherwise, the music is an uninspired rehash of the previous seven films.

When we hear Leia’s name we hear Leia’s theme. When the force comes into play we hear the force motif. When the Resistance does something resistant we get that natty march from “Force Awakens,” etc.,ad nauseum.

Where was the epic new tune to hum on the way out of the theater? The creativity in the “Force Awakens” score helped the movie feel a bit less like a remake of “A New Hope.” Mr. Williams clearly still has the capability to create, but he didn’t deliver in “The Last Jedi.”

Further listening may prove otherwise. But after the crucial material he’s given fans in the past, the lack of creativity is disappointing.