Within this cluttered mess lies epic scenes.

Rating: 7/10 (28 December 2017)

TLJ undoubtedly peaks during it's assortment of battle sequences which are mostly thrilling ventures, something which is most evident in it's spectacular opening sequence.
Unfortunately, virtually every moment outside of these feels lacklustre and left me strongly desiring higher quality material.
Despite my general appeasement with the quality of the performances, a notable few came across as being disconcertingly mediocre. One of the most prevalent disappointments was Domhnall Gleeson's portrayal of general Hux, which seemed contrived to the extent that at stages it appeared wistfully laughable.
Mark Hamill, however, delivered the most notoriously underwhelming performance. His portrayal of Luke was deeply hindered by the unsuccessful and poorly executed decision to initially present Skywalker as a heretic of the jedi order. The aforementioned argument, in addition to the unsuccessful feat at combining humour with serious moments which only diluted the severity of these crucial events, demeaned Luke's integrity and considerably damaged his credibility as a key role.
Whilst I appreciated the belated attempt to "redeem" Luke, irreversible damage to the overall quality of the picture had already occurred.
Throughout the remainder of the picture, however, attempts at humour to lighten the dark tone make the film a commendably more varied experience.
Overall, The Last Jedi is an underwhelming effort that is a cluttered and sporadic mess of quality and which is partially redeemed through it's exhilarating battle sequences.