A mediocre addition to the saga but still an important one

Rating: 7/10 (1 August 2018)

The eighth instalment in the genre-busting sci-fi saga sees characters new and old come to terms with big reveals and lacklustre revelations.
It's so secret by now to hear that Star Wars: The Last Jedi has divided opinion between critics and fans, and even among the fans themselves. Some see it as the best of the 40-year-old franchise while others have signed a petition to halt production of upcoming films and have it remade 'properly'. It's a good film overall and it takes the Star Wars series into a whole new direction, but it certainly has its faults which mean it isn't as good as The Force Awakens (and miles behind Rogue One).
The points which made it better than the prequels include mesmerising fight scenes (either en mass space battles or one-on-one lightsabre duels), stunning new worlds to explore and amazing character progression unseen in a Star Wars film since The Empire Strikes Back. Laura Dern makes an appearance in a role which is all too small to fill for her twice Oscar-nominated boots but she does create the single best scene ever about a cruiser ship travelling at light speed. If you've seen it, you'll understand.
The negatives, sadly, come thick and fast. It was too long by 20-30 minutes, the story was broken into three very clear 'do x before the time runs out or we all die' stories stitched together, and some key revelations (speculated by fans after The Force Awakens) are brushed over with the lazy stroke of a writer's pen, but the biggest problem (personally) is the comedic tone running through the whole film. It's not that jokes don't belong in Star Wars (see "Boring conversation anyway!" or "Let the Wookiee win!") but in The Last Jedi it falls somewhere between slapstick and the tired format of set-up/punchline routines in American sitcoms. Half the people watching in the midnight premier screening I attended thought the first half hour was a joke or an advert for EE, expecting to see Kevin Bacon climb out of C-3PO when Poe Dameron and General Hux have their failed initial radio chat.
In all it's worth seeing since it will undoubtedly play a massive part in the saga when J. J. Abrams takes the reigns back for Episode IX, but don't expect it to be the same Star Wars you remember when you start watching by the time you finish. It won't be.
Best Quote: "No. Strike me down in anger and I'll always be with you. Just like your father."