Bursting with exhilarating spectacle, unexpected twists, and profound respect for its characters and story, The Last Jedi is an uncompromising force to be reckoned with

Rating: 9/10 (15 December 2017)

So, the beloved Star Wars saga has reached the eighth chapter and now continues the story with our heroes battle against the diabolical First Order. After making a warm welcome back with 'The Force Awakens' in 2015, the Star Wars franchise has made a remarkable recovery from the damper left by the botched prequel trilogy launched by the hands of George Lucas. Although The Force Awakens was a flawed chapter as it drew more than enough parallels to 'The New Hope', it marked a significant turning point in the saga. The Last Jedi, directed by Rian Johnson of films such as 'Brick' and the hit time-traveling sci-fi piece 'Looper', is a heartwarming spectacle full of just about everything you desire in a Star Wars movie: killer special effects, compelling expansion of the characters, heart-pounding twists, and a story bursts with near endless excitement from beginning to end. This film strikes at the heart of the franchise with a strong emotional magnitude that keeps you growing hungry for more as it leaves you questioning nearly everything. What is all gonna come down to? And don't worry, this review will be restrained to a spoiler-free frontier. But if you prefer to go in completely blind, just go see the movie and come back later. So, Princess Leia (played by Carrie Fisher) is the now the commander of the Resistance as they continue their fight against the First Order headed by Snoke (played by Andy Serkis). Ex-Stormtrooper Finn (played by John Boyega) has awaken from his coma and escapes with fellow resistance warrior Rose (played by Kelly Marie Tran) on a conquest to foil the First Order. Meanwhile, Resistance fighter Rey (played by Daisy Ridley) is stranded on an island where he encounters the estranged Luke Skywalker (played by Mark Hamill) who he must convince her in battle to settle the score with his nephew Kylo Ren (played by Adam Driver). But first, he must teach her the ways of the force.
What Rian Johnson has to offer in this jaw-dropping chapter of the epic space opera series is as compelling you can come with the franchise, and with no shortage of fun and thrills to leave you hanging. From the iconic opening credit crawl sequence followed by the massive spaceship battle, to the final sequence, Johnson's admiration for the franchise bursts through just about every frame without sacrificing his opportunity to bring a large barrage of newborn elements to the table. There is nothing more exciting than witnessing as all our favorite iconic characters including Princess Leia, R2-D2, C-3PO, and of course, Luke Skywalker, make their return to the galaxy. Then let's not leave out our new characters from 'The Force Awakens' as they make their trip back to the screen. So, as the story continues the war between the Resistance and the First Order erupted by the diabolical Kylo Ren has lead a life of family issues, the story goes almost full throttle on unleashing shocking emotional twists that very few will see coming. At the same time, the story also allows for deep expansion upon our characters including Rey and Kylo Ren who contribute to a powerful storyline that dares to grip your seats until the end. Excellently paced and blistering with moments of clever humor, the excitement is near endless. The storyline, however, following John Boyega's Finn and Kelly Marie Tran's Rose is perhaps less of a home-run, especially with their chemistry lacking the heart that Boyega boasted with Daisy Ridley in the previous film. While there are a few good moments to spare, it would have helped if the film kept things interesting when focusing on these two. Nonetheless, Boyega and Tran make good use of their roles as does Ridley as Rey. The rest of the cast including Carrie Fisher who is sadly no longer with us, boasts a powerful performance as ever-charismatic Leia that leads a helping hand to a warming tribute. Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, and Benicio Del Toro all hit the right marks. And the excitement soars as the film wraps things up in an explosive climatic war sequence, with one beautifully shot Light Saber battle in the desert, and the other taking place inside the Resistance ship as it explodes in a fiery chaos with guns flaring everywhere and stormtroopers getting blown away before our very eyes. It is a true special-effects joy ride that does just about everything it can to feast the eyes, and that is not without John Williams's poetic score to complete the picture.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is a sucker punch of entertainment that holds a special place in the heart for all Star Wars fans, and another for everyone else. Rian Johnson proves he has remarkable respect of the characters, the story, and the overall spirit that makes the franchise such an endearing gem to the genre. Best movie in the franchise? That is highly debatable, especially when looking at the masterful hit that was 'Empire Strikes Back', but everyone will certainly come out with differentiating opinions. After all, this is Star Wars we are talking about. And may the force be with you!