Star Wars: Episode VIII – Destruction of the Arc (2018) Geekscape Review.

Rated PG. Dir. Darren Herczeg. 185 minutes.

If Roman Coppola’s “Rise of the Other” was the wind-up, director Darren Herczeg’s “Destruction of the Arc” is the pitch. “Destruction of the Arc” (admittedly a glib title), the eighth in the unending “Star Wars” series, is probably one of the best science fiction films of the past few years, and is poised to be one of the more successful (and I include Edgar Wright’s children’s blockbuster “Borgel” (2016) in that statement). You can’t really say that about the eighth film in any film franchise. It picks up where “Rise of the Other” left off, and expounds immensely on its political themes, its Machiavellian antics, themes of turbulent marriages, and, most notably, it’s mixture of the organic with the mechanical. It is in “Destruction of the Arc” that we are first introduced to Kade-09 (Billy Boyd), a mostly human, part-droid creature who spits and froths like a quivering soda machine, but is still given grand eloquence by screenwriter Aaron Sorkin. There are affairs, battles, space pirates (!), and a grand people’s uprising, and no small amount of eyeball-stuffing delirium. What’s more, like “The Empire Strikes Back” (1980), “Destruction of the Arc” is the darkest chapter, ending on notes of hopelessness and evil. It’s a gorgeous storytelling conceit that wraps up neatly, but still leaves us eager for part IX.

Also in tact from “Rise of the Other” is the use of practical sets and celluloid photography, which means “Destruction of the Arc” looks just as good as its predecessor, and, while going to some pretty wild places, still has that old-time classical “Star Wars” feeling. The same cast is back as well, meaning we have shining performances from Max Minghella, Eddie Marsan, Chad Lindberg, and Mika Boorem. There were rumors that John Williams did not complete the score to “Destruction of the Arc” before his accident, but, according to everyone who worked on the film, he was able to complete his work, and even started writing theme for the ninth “Star Wars” film. “Destruction of the Arc” has beautiful music that ranges from quiet and quirky, to Williams’ usual bombast. If “Destruction of the Arc” has to be his final film score, I think he can be proud.

Whereas the story of “Rise of the Other” was a combination of political thriller, police procedural, and underdog tale, “Destruction of the Arc” is a huge bugnuts crazy affair that incorporates all kinds of weirdo elements, but manages to synthesize them into a solid thriller: We open a few months after the events of “Rise of the Other.” Pruhla (Boorem) has already become bored with a marriage to the milquetoast Aaron Skywalker (Minghella), and has started having an uncomfortably flirtatious affair with the reptilian Bolku (Sam Riley). The Arc, that intrepid group of do-it-yourself psychics, despite the destruction of their battleship The Ovo in the last film, are still interested in supplanting the government, and have instated Zvi (Campbell Scott, underused) as their leader. The Arc now inhabits a gorgeous planet that seems to consist of nothing but thriving beach communities. There’s a passing line about how the atmosphere on this planet has been artificially created, and that there are billions upon billions of self-replicating nanites in the air. That’s a strange conceit, but it comes into play rather poetically later in the film.

Max (Marsan) has been told by Pruhla that The Arc is starting colonies all over the galaxy, and with his usual investigative acumen, goes off in search. It’s expected that he’ll find nothing, but he eventually does find a few rogue colonies of The Arc springing up all over. The scene where he is investigating planets from space using some advanced spy technology feel voyeuristic and uncomfortable, and really, really cool.

In his absence, Pruhla begins conspiring with Lydia (newcomer Margaret Kinney), the wife of the limping genius Vantus (Lindberg) to study The Force. Like in “Rise of the Other,” I find it curious (and endlessly intriguing) that The Force has been reduced to scary mumbo-jumbo. Once a noble and calming thing, this Force religion has shifted in the eyes of the people, now having been reduced to taboo. In this film The Force is shown as this transgressive and almost dirty thing that decent people don’t mess around with. And perhaps they shouldn’t. When Lydia tries an ancient Jedi séance (!), she invokes the spirit of an old Sith, and nearly destroys and entire wing of the Skywalker mansion. I complineted these films for sticking to old-school sets and photography, but the CGI on the Sith ghost (played, fittingly enough by Ray Park, who played the demonic Sith Darth Maul in “The Phantom Menace.” this cameo seems to be one of the rare fanboy concessions that Lucas has allowed in this new film) is actually some of the best I’ve ever seen. It seems to have substance and weight.

Anyway, thanks to this, Aaron (again, at the behest of Pruhla) banishes Vantus and his wife from the Republic. Just as I was thinking how silly the concept of “banishment” was in a universe where people can merrily fly from planet to planet, the screenplay bothered to tell us that Vantus would be recognized and shunned for his use of The Force. Yes, despite all of the previous “Star Wars” shaky hologram phone calls, “Destruction of the Arc” actually employs real newscasting technology, and shows a few cute scenes of people watching personal television sets. Yes, it seems banishment – or at the very least ostracizing – is doable in this universe.

Vantus’ only recourse is to join The Arc. Max, who has been spying, joins him, and they build Kade-09 (Boyd) to lead another uprising against Aaron. Kade-09 has an amusing comic sidekick named Bib Yanni, a droid in his own right. Kade-09 gathers The Arc together, and, in a montage, is seen whipping the rabble into a frenzy. It’s clear he’s operating beyond his programming, and Boyd’s intense and funny and borderline scary performance really captures the manic energy of the character.

O.k. I realize that the story sounds like it’s gotten out of hand at this point. Rebellions and counter-rebellions? Betrayals of spouses using supernatural stuff? This sounds like a Shakespeare play that no one wants to read. Strangely, though, thanks to the film’s extensive running time (185 minutes), Aaron Sorkin has given due time for all these elements to mesh, and, despite all the chaos and screaming, you can indeed keep track of everything.

Again, Lucas seems hellbent on undoing most of what he spend the last six of his films building up. Not only are the practitioners of The Force seen as outsiders and wonks, but the film’s title informs us that The Arc is destined for destruction. What’s more, we spend most of our story away from the boring and flat Aaron Skywalker, and looking more at the machinations of his wife, and the treasonous actions of his immediate aides. The aides are intelligent and resolute, and there’s little question that Aaron will be eventually overthrown in some violent fashion. The Arc, the (rather interesting) tribe of independent psychics are doomed. This is a galaxy without hope and without promise. This is not merely a story where the heroes come to a bad end, but a story in which the heroes do indeed all perish, and the villains are only left to complete their evil schemes. Without the aid of The Dark Side, the Republic became corrupt through ambition and presidential weakness.

Frankly, I find this everyday human evil much more interesting than corruption by some evil Dark Force. “Star Wars” is a fantasy to be sure, and “Destruction of the Arc” features some of the snappiest dialogue and fantastic visuals of any sci-fi film, but it seems grounded in real philosophy, which is, I suppose unusual for a “Star Wars” film. Like “Rise of the Other,” there have been accusations by a lot of the hardcore fans that this film is too cerebral. I think after seeing “Rise of the Other,” they have no right to complain. They are getting another wonderful sci-fantasy film.

Anyway, the story ends badly for just about everyone. A few key characters are killed in the final battle (I will not reveal who), The Arc is mostly all killed off (both in the battle, and in some frustratingly tragic extermination scenes where several planetoids are blown up), and the last man standing is, strangely enough, Vantus, who reinstates his social status (via the news), and essentially bullies Aaron at light-knifepoint into letting him rule. Vantus ends up the ruler of the Republic. The film’s devastating final shot if of Vantus standing on the balcony of his mansion, looking down on the people he has worked so hard to win over. He doesn’t ask for cheers or approval. The expression on his face is one of beautifully disgusted indifference. We see the eyes of a madman. This is where the Republic has landed. In the hands of a horrific tyrant who is infinitely more chilling than the old school Darth Vader.

It’s been the usual tendency of most genre entertainment for nearly the last 20 years to tip into “dark” territory when it can’t think of anything better to do. James Bond was made “dark” twice. Batman was made “dark” twice. The most recent “Spider-Man” (2014) film was all about Peter Parker’s mortality and death. Even Peter Wier’s disappointing “Don Quixote” (2015) was more about folly than humor. I declare that “Destruction of the Arc” for all its bleakness and death and hopelessness is not dark for the sake of it. This is one of the grand instances where the screenwriter thought his story out well in advance, and earned his tragedy though idiomatic minutiae, through tragic flaws, and through actual human foibles. What’s more, the film’s director, a first-time, managed to capture a delirious theatrical bombast rarely seen in any mainstream movies, much less Hollywood sci-fi. The only films I can compare it to are Branagh’s “Hamlet” (1996) and last year’s “Macbeth.”

Lindburg deserves, I think, close attention. In “Rise of the Other” his character had little to do, but he likely knew what was coming for his character in subsequent films. Rather than give us winky clues as to Vantus’ inevitable rise to power and fall from grace, Lindburg infuses the character with the steely resolve of a real madman, keeping us unready (and hence shocked) for his subtle shift from supporting character to central villain. This may be the first time a “Star Wars” film receives an Academy Award for acting.

Released less than a year after “Rise of the Other,” “Destruction of the Arc” has some heavy competition from James Cameron’s “Battle Angel” opening two weeks after. I have managed to see both now, and I can assure you that, should it come down to it, “Destruction” is the better film. It’s not a film that needs 3D or D-Box technologies to work (which, I feel, is only an extension of William Castle’s old Percepto gimmick). It’s just a grand, gimmick-free sci-fi tragedy that will move and excite you through old-fashioned storytelling, great special effects, and touching humanity.

The final Star Wars trilogy begins in Star Wars: Episode VII – Rise of the Other (2017). Read the review here!

The final Star Wars trilogy concludes in Star Wars: Episode IX – The Fall of Vantus (2020). Read the review here!

Witney Seibold is a polite and dashing writer living in Los Angeles. When he’s not writing, he’s watching movies, reading old books, and nurturing his growing disapproval of young people today. He nonce worked as a professional film critic for a local newspaper, and now maintains his own ‘blog (which can be accessed at http://witneyman.wordpress.com), where you can read the nearly 700 articles he has published to date, some of which are professionally written and genuinely insightful, despite the typos. He likes comments, positive and negative, and encourages you to leave some.