Thoughtfully humane and visually epic.

Rating: 7/10 (25 October 2019)

Rather underwhelming, Star Wars: The Last Jedi is a solid sci-fi adventure, but it fails to build on the promise of The Force Awakens. None of the mysteries set up in the last film are followed through with or get satisfactory answers; Ray's parentage, Snoke's possible Jedi/Sith connection, Luke's battle with the Knights of Ren, etc. The script is poorly written and the characters don't feel the same. In fact, the directing and editing are so different that the film doesn't even feel connected to the previous ones. Still, most of the action scenes are exciting and the lightsaber fights are intense and dramatic. And the special effects are especially well-done, making for some visually compelling set and character designs. While Star Wars: The Last Jedi does''t live up to the standard that's been set by the new Star Wars films, it's entertaining and moves the saga forward (though not by much).