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The Art Of Star Wars: The Last Jedi Book Review

“The Art Of Star Wars: The Last Jedi” continues the welcome tradition of this line of books.

Written by Phil Szostak (who also provides the introduction), “The Art of Star Wars: The Last Jedi” kicks off with a foreword by director Rian Johnson before delving into the content of the book. As per usual, the book is comprised of imagery by concept artists, storyboard artists, computer graphics, concept designers, art directors, VFX artists, prop masters and sculptors. The collection of images more or less tells the entire story of “The Last Jedi” although it does begin with the ending of “The Force Awakens” where Rey is still known as Kira. In terms of the written content, each image is accompanied by notes about the visuals which provide information about everything from Snoke’s shoes to “To Catch A Thief” influencing the look of Canto Bight. The other written content is filled with behind the scenes production stories, info about crew members and their jobs, Rian Johnson’s thoughts and or memories of the Saga, character discussions, and film sequence breakdowns.

Regardless of one’s opinion on “The Last Jedi,” the art of books are always an event for “Star Wars” fans. Whether you are getting a glimpse at what might have been, viewing a display of incredible artwork, or seeing the groundwork for the film’s eventual visuals, the art of books never cease to be a thrill. Unlike “The Force Awakens” which saw a plethora of deviations of what might have been, there isn’t a huge amount of material here that is wildly different from the final product, but that does not mean there are some intriguing goodies. Some of the highlights (to me at least) are the Caretaker village art by concept artist Seth Engstrom, the physicla magna bomb designs by graphic designer Chris Kitisakkul, the Zhangjiajie Temple by legendary artist Doug Chiang, as well as alternate scenes of Rose and Finn on the Mega Star Destroyer, a bald Kylo Ren design, alternate Luke visuals, and so on.

In terms of the rest of the book’s content, there’s so much to pour over here. VFX art director James Clyne’s movielike images of walkers and ram guns really stand out here as do the Canto Bight costumes, prop rings, and weaponry. Really, every image here elicits a reaction whether it’s a close-up of a ship or not seen on screen Porg violence.

Overall Thoughts: Whether you appreciate physical art or digital art or merely want to see the behind-the-scenes work that goes into a “Star Wars” movie, “The Art of Star Wars: The Last Jedi” has something for everyone. Recommended.

January 13, 2018 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Book review | Kylo Ren, Luke Skywalker, Porgs, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, The Art Of Star Wars: The Last Jedi Book Review