A film ahead of it's time.

Rating: 9/10 (17 December 2017)

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is a challenging, bold, and different movie than many expected. While critical response has been extremely positive, it seems general audiences are having more divisive views on the film. Some applaud it as the best entry in the series since the release of Empire Strikes Back, while there are others who claim it is the worst entry in the entire series. For me personally, I believe in the years to come Last Jedi will be looked back upon as one of the greatest Star Wars films, and one of the greatest sequels, ever made. It's been interesting to see the audience response since many who feel disappointed seem to forget, or were just never aware, that this kind of reception is the exact one received by Empire Strikes Back when it was first released. People were divided on that as well. It wasn't until the original trilogy ended that fans looked back on it so fondly, as do I (Empire is not only my favorite Star Wars film but also my favorite film period.) So like everyone who went to see Last Jedi opening night I did indeed have high expectations. Force Awakens was the film that brought Star Wars back to it's former glory, and Last Jedi elevated it even further. It is gracefully written and directed by Rian Johnson, giving us some of the best visuals we've ever had in a Star Wars film, as well as a gut retching story about self discovery, loss, coping, dealing with hate and revenge, and inner demons. This a movie not afraid to make you think and, more importantly, feel. You will have emotional reactions to this film and that exactly what the filmmaker wanted, whether you like those reactions or not. It's redundant to talk about what a stellar cast the movie has. From Daisy Ridley's Rey to Adam Driver's Kylo Ren, they all do a phenomenal job here, including Oscar Issac, who was sorely underused in Awakens, as Poe Dameron. His arc is one of the more interesting ones, whose resolution goes against normal "hotshot pilot" cliche's. The weakest, but by no means is a weak performance, of the cast would be John Boyega's Finn and the newly introduced Kelly Marie Tran's Rose. Their plot meanders as they're sent on a side quest of sorts, but the resolution leading to the climax helps save this subplot. As most have agreed, the stand outs are the late Carrie Fisher in her final performance, which was beautifully poetic and wonderfully performed, and Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, who gives the greatest performance of his career thus far. Luke is not the same wide eyed boy from the original trilogy hoping for a greater purpose. He is a broken man who has had tragedy strike his life. Much like Empire, this is a darker entry in the series, but still has a feeling of hope throughout it. It may not be easy for some to accept yet, but in time I feel The Last Jedi will indeed be recognized as a great film that holds up to the lofty standards of it's predecessors, just as I see it today.