Visually stunning, narratively satisfying.

Rating: 8/10 (15 December 2017)

The eighth episode in what is now being dubbed the Skywalker Saga, The Last Jedi takes the space-opera series into darker, less traditional territory. The nostalgic adventure of Force Awakens is replaced by a harsher, more ferocious tale of good and evil. Rey (Daisy Ridley) is beginning her Jedi journey with a gruff and reluctant Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill); Kylo Ren's (Adam Driver) fractured psyche is worsening as his ambitions clash with his past; General Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) struggle to keep the Rebel Alliance alive; and Finn (John Boyega) continues his self-discovery with the help of newcomer Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran). Obviously there's a lot going on, which causes the runtime to balloon out, but writer-director Rian Johnson balances it relatively well, fleshing out a raft of characters and plotlines whilst ensuring the overall story arc is compelling and cohesive. It's definitely the most intense (and arguably the most unpredictable) Star Wars instalment since Empire Strikes Back, the Rey-Kylo-Luke connection a harrowing deep-dive into guilt, vengeance and pride that's as intelligent and mature as it is emotionally hefty. Johnson kicks the action up a gear too. The opening space battle is suitably epic; a silent light-speed sequence is breathtaking; a heroic Luke-centric set piece is spine tingling; and the climactic melee (with vibrantly contrasting reds and whites) is a fittingly awesome finale. There are some flaws, however, that stop this movie from being brilliant. Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie) is criminally underused again, whilst thief DJ (Benicio del Toro) and Leia's second-in-command Amilyn Holdo (Laura Dern) are odd additions whose screen time feels like it was reduced heavily in the editing room. There's also a strange subplot that delves into class divide, a very unwise decision to have Finn and Rose ride on horse-like CGI creatures (in a completely unnecessary set piece), and a ridiculously mawkish final scene that feels tacked on by the studio. He doesn't get it right all the time every time, but when he does-and that is pretty often-Johnson crafts a Star Wars outing that is exhilarating, poignant and dramatically satisfying. The Last Jedi is well worth a trip to the cinema.