The force reawakens with a new hope in this solidly entertaining sequel that dares to go bold with the formula

Rating: 8/10 (3 January 2018)

What was so surprising about The Force Awakens was how entertaining it really was. Sure, it offered overblown fan service and the story was nothing new, but it blended together old and new formula nicely with supreme energy.
With The Last Jedi, those elements are shape shifted, creating a middle chapter that's difficult to compare with its predecessor. It takes what we think Star Wars is and sugarcoats it with a clean slate. This is all thanks to writer/director Rian Johnson, who plummets into warp speed to show this franchise what he's made of.
The movie starts precisely where the original left off: Rey is handing Luke Skywalker his lightsaber on an island, Finn is in a coma, Kylo Ren is bent out of shape and Leia is fighting to end the good-vs-evil battle that the series became known for. That's pretty much the outline of the film, and it would be foolish to give away the rest. For your own safety, what you think will happen may or may not happen. You've been warned.
The action scenes, locations and set design are all beautifully crafted, and are brought to life by the exuberance of John Boyega, Mark Hamil, Daisy Ridley, Oscar Issac and Adam Driver. Hamil playing Luke again proves that any actor over 60 can still have the talent that their younger selves would have lived in. He never tries to outsmart the youngsters, but instead has the time of his life like age doesn't matter. The new generation of actors are still on grand form and Carrie Fisher gives a wonderful final performance as Leia, implying that her legacy lives on in the franchise, no matter whether she's on or offscreen.
The director adds some interesting ingredients to the table that haven't been explored before. The lightsaber and space battles clearly have Japanese and World War influences and interestingly expands on the focus of the force. For those familiar or new to the saga, these elements will no doubt surprise you at some point.
But the force isn't always strong. A long scene involving a casino feels like footage that should have been left on the cutting room floor. It's fun, but adds nothing to what we already have. The pacing is frequently uneven as the story repeatedly jumps from one subplot to another. Also a few characters come off as either disappointingly one dimensional, underused or shoehorned in. But Johnson keeps the story barrelling along like a roller coaster ride, even if it's a touch too long at 152 minutes.
The choices Johnson makes towards where the story goes would provoke polarising opinions, but he's not phantom menacing. It is perhaps the right time to reignite the formula before it becomes stale. It will be interesting to see how director J.J. Abrams takes these alterations forward with Episode IX.