A Fresh Spin

Rating: 8/10 (22 March 2018)

First and foremost, I should note that I'm writing this review as a "super-fan" of Star Wars, but I try my best to remain unbiased.
After the mixed reviews of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" this new installment in the saga offers something that Star Wars fans have been clamoring for: something different. "The Last Jedi" forged new paths for Star Wars, but still stayed true to the basics of what makes the series great.
People complained that J.J. Abrams completely copied "A New Hope." I found plenty to like about "The Force Awakens", but I couldn't help finding myself agreeing with most of the other fans. "The Last Jedi" offers plenty of surprises, twists, and turns that even this "super-fan" couldn't have predicted. Snoke's death had me on the edge of my seat, and the return of Yoda as a force ghost offered enough nostalgia to keep the film rooted.
As with almost every Star Wars film there are usually one or two facets that I find cringe-worthy. "The Last Jedi" is no different. While it was great seeing Leia use her force powers, it was a little strange seeing her fly through space like some cheap Superman ripoff.
Rian Johnson took the film in an unexpected direction. Honestly, though, at this point in a film series it's more impressive that the creators could find new ways to take the series, and that in and of itself is quite impressive. Never before have I been more interested to see where the next Star Wars film will go.