There was so much hype surrounding Star Wars: The Last Jedi that it would have been impossible to fulfil everyone’s expectations, but it gets very, very close. Some slight pacing issues keep The Last Jedi from overtaking A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, but it comfortably vaults the rest of the films in the franchise.
The Last Jedi picks up directly after The Force Awakens. The Resistance needs to flee their base, and Rey (Daisy Ridley) needs to convince Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) to join The Resistance to help combat the evil Snoke (Andy Serkis) and his apprentice Kylo Ren(Adam Driver).
It may sound like The Last Jedi uses a lot of the same story beats as The Empire Strikes Back, and it does, but it turns those beats on their heads in some fascinating ways. Sadly, I can’t talk about any of them without giving away massive spoilers, but for all those afraid that The Last Jedi just copies Empire the same way The Force Awakens copied A New Hope, fear not. The Last Jedi is its own movie. I so much want to give examples of how The Last Jedi subverts some of Star War’s tropes, but for your sake, I will just say that it does.
It is no wonder that after Disney executives saw this film they gave Rian Johnson the keys to the franchise’s future. Signing him up for three more films. The Last Jedi is gorgeous and lovingly shot. I only wish that I hadn’t had to sit in the front row, so I could have taken it all in better. If he finds a better editor, I am sure his new Star Wars movies will be fabulous.
Which brings about The Last Jedi’s biggest flaw. It is long, and it feels long. It is showing us some amazing stuff, so I understand the desire to linger a bit, but it could have been tightened up and been a much better film. However, that is my only complaint. Other than that, The Last Jedi is everything I hoped it would be, so if you don’t have plans to see The Last Jedi like the rest of the world, you may want to go get your tickets. Just show up a littler earlier to the theater than I did.