Star Wars for a new generation

Rating: 10/10 (16 December 2017)

As a lifelong fan of the saga, halfway through TLD after flirting with disappointment in the movie I decided to stop comparing it to the originals or waiting for a classic moment on par with say, the Death Star attack in A New hope. There is so much to enjoy about this new trilogy; the whole franchise hinged on the casting of Rey and in this movie (as with the last hour if FA) she comes to life. In fact the whole suite of new characters all hit home for me aside from possibly general Hux who feels a tad one note. Kylo Wren must surely be one of the best characters in the entire saga. The way the move keeps you guessing throughout which side he will choose is a masterstroke. Whilst there is undoubtedly flaws (certain scenes/characters feel completely out if place in the SW universe, a questionable comedy balance) the final hour is pure Star Wars heaven. As for our heroines, I'm struggling to understand the fan criticism of Luke's character developments, it feels like were seeing the result of 40 years of growth and I for one thought this was the most rounded version of Luke we've seen. Leia is treated with the respect you'd expect and Chewbacca chews plenty of scenes up. I understand certain criticisms from SW fanatics but I for one am happy to go with this new version of our galaxy far far away and cant wait to wee where the journey ends. If Rogue One was a SW film made for the purists then this is SW for a new generation!