Forget the haters - The Last Jedi is big, bold & exciting with brilliant characters, shocking story developments and beautiful action scenes. Star Wars at its finest

Rating: 8/10 (22 December 2017)

TL;DR

Comparable to TESB, but still different
All parts of plot substantial and interesting
Flicking between storylines emphasises the film's long runtime
Exciting questions posed in the last film given underwhelming answers
Several surprises you won't expect
Plenty of references to older films
Lots of comedy - perhaps too much?
New planets are imaginative - particularly the final planet
Incredible fight and battle scenes - Star Wars action at its best
Characters new and old are important to the story

When it was announced that Disney would be buying Star Wars and adding more films, there was widespread fear and moaning on the internet. However, Disney found our lack of faith disturbing and our doubts were suitably crushed. But what now? Can lightning strike twice and can Rian Johnson pull off something as wonderful as J.J. Abrams? The answer is a resounding yes.
TFA has often been compared to ANH, where there are a number of striking similarities. Therefore it's long been assumed that TLJ would continue along a similar vein, being alike to TESB. However, whilst there are certainly similar aspects, TLJ is a very different beast to TESB. Now we know the characters, the plot is split in 3 parts, much like TESB was split in two. But neither of these storylines feels like a "side-quest." Instead they all feel like substantial parts of the film, keeping the story fresh and engaging, coming together perfectly.
One minor issue with flicking back and forth is it emphasises the films long length of 2 ½ hours. Whilst the pace never feels slow or boring, its skipping from one story to the next does make you realise the long run-time. But when it's so enjoyable it's hard to care. On top of this, not much has really changed. Whereas sequels should take the overarching plot further than the first, not much is different and it feels as though some significant plot point is lacking. Additionally there were some potentially big, exciting questions posed in the preceding film which are wasted, some great potential just being thrown away, almost as if this film doesn't want to be included in the overarching narrative.
Also every blockbuster now insists on including so many comic moments it becomes a quasi-comedy. On one hand, the comedy in TLJ is very funny and it adds a fun characteristic to the movie's personality. On the other hand, it verges on overstaying its welcome, occasionally going a gag too far.
Still, we do get to explore more planets. The world of Star Wars is a big one with unlimited potential and part of the original joy was seeing things we'd never seen before. With CGI as incredible as it is these days this challenge is becoming harder, yet the creativity of Star Wars' galaxy still taps into our imagination. It's safe to say that Las Vegas will soon see a Star Wars-y element to it. Luke's planet is also a lot more fleshed out and not as barren or boring as it could have been. After all, who doesn't want to run away to an island populated by those adorable Porgs?! The final planet we find ourselves on is stunning. A thin layer of what looks like snow hiding a mass of deep red salt that, when disturbed, goes flying into the air, a gorgeous rich burgundy cloud of dust floating around, contrasting with the pure white ground - an incredible backdrop for a thrilling climactic battle. This is the sort of look we really need and want from the Star Wars sequel trilogy. The CGI in the prequel trilogy made that galaxy look very different to the original. What the sequel trilogy excels at is faithfully continuing the look and feel of the original trilogy whilst subtly updating it to feel more authentic. It's a joy to see that along with the references to the originals to revel in the nostalgia; yet the message it also gives is a good one - especially for a beloved franchise transforming to suit the modern day (for better or worse); namely it's fine to look back fondly and smile, but it's important to be able to move on and look to the future...
The newer films certainly improve on action scenes. Take any space battle or light sabre fight you want from this film; they're all thrilling, edge-of-your-seat stuff, giving you a big enough adrenaline rush to boost you into hyperspace. TLJ shows us Star Wars action at its finest; quick, fun, kinetic, explosive, acrobatic. It's all wonderfully varied, excellently choreographed, seamlessly performed and beautifully scored, with the returning John Williams remaining the biggest behind-the-scenes hero of the Star Wars films.
The biggest bridge between trilogies is the characters. We have a pleasant mix of classic and new characters. The original characters are still highlights, with many an audience incapable of giving a cheer when they see Luke, Leia, Chewbacca, R2-D2... and yes, even C-3PO. They don't appear just as cameos though; these characters bridge the gap between films and are crowd pleasers (along with all the nostalgic references and appearances), but more than that they are genuinely included within the story as substantial roles. This isn't just a brand new trilogy, but the use of these characters show it's an expansion of the Star Wars saga, emphasising how this is one continuous story. However we see a different Luke Skywalker here than before. Still time has passed since ROTJ and it's important for characters to progress... Their inclusion of Carrie Fisher's General Leia was done very well (apart from one particular strange scene in space) and often felt like a fitting tribute.
The new characters can stand proudly among the classics. Rey and Finn come back, each leading their own storylines confidently, both developing their characters; Ridley going from naïve to more confident, and Boyega as always being a consistent to joy to watch. Hux get more time on-screen to shine and uses that time well, establishing his character much more. Kylo Ren goes deeper and brings out the conflicted nature of his character effortlessly, showing us the real danger is how we can never trust him. Serkis could have been a memorable antagonist, but isn't given the chance. Newcomers Del Toro, Dern and Tran all put their own unique touch on the franchise, Tran's Rose in particular lending a personal, more human touch that gives us pause to think and reflect on our own world. The best character change is Isaac's Poe. A stand-out character from TFA, he's given more screen-time, his electric energy permeating his scenes. Then there's BB8, who, while not used as frequently, still steals the scenes he's in.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi has proved to be a divisive entry in the franchise. This came as a surprise to me as I came out of the cinema with a huge smile on my face. While it may suffer from a long run-time, thrown-away plot-points and maybe a bit too much comedy, TLJ is excellent and enjoyable. Big, bold and exciting with brilliant characters, shocking story developments and beautiful action scenes, this is the Star Wars film we needed.