An Entertaining But Slightly Flawed Sequel

Rating: 7/10 (17 December 2017)

The highly anticipated eighth episode of "Star Wars" is finally here. I can say that this is a solid and generally well-made film, although it has its imperfections and struggles a bit to fit in with the rest of the franchise to a certain degree. The plot picks up almost exactly where "The Force Awakens" left off, and chronicles the ongoing battle between the Resistance and the evil First Order.
As one can expect, this film has thrilling action scenes and outstanding visuals audiences witness as they are transported to "a galaxy far, far away." These aspects show that Rian Johnson clearly has skill directing a mega-blockbuster. Unfortunately, he falters a bit when it comes to some structural issues with the narrative. While the movie is paced finely, not all of the plot arcs work particularly well. Parts of the film seem slightly tedious or, especially, convoluted. I do appreciate Johnson's attempt to take more creative risk than in "The Force Awakens," and while the execution of such sentiments of risk often pays off, it does not always do so. As a result, I would say that "The Force Awakens" (which I rate an 8/10) is a slightly better film than "The Last Jedi." Still, this is an entertaining and well-acted installment that should certainly please fans--and I most certainly had a great time watching it. 7/10
Note 1: I saw this film in IMAX 3D. While the picture and sound quality were good, they did not seem more noticeably superior than on a standard screen or compared to other films I have seen on an IMAX screen, including "The Force Awakens."
Note 2: I would rank the Star Wars (episodes and story) films in this order, from best to worst: 1-The Empire Strikes Back, 2-A New Hope, 3/4-(tie) The Force Awakens and Return of the Jedi, 5-Rogue One, 6-The Last Jedi, 7-Revenge of the Sith, 8-Attack of the Clones, 9-The Phantom Menace.