Star Wars: The Last Jedi Review

There is something magical about seeing a Star Wars film on the big screen, knowing that the audience are all feeling the same swelling nostalgia as you are when the crashing crescendo of brass hits the room. However, this soon dies off as the iconic opening text crawls up the screen, god forbid you miss it! You only get to see The Last Jedi for the first time once!

Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi picks up from where we left off in The Force Awakens with the Resistance fleeing the grasp of the First Order in an epic space battle. This begins two of the story’s central plot arcs: one following Poe and the majority of the Resistance, including the late great Carrie Fisher reprising her role as General Leia Organa, and her daughter Billie Lourd who plays Lieutenant Kaydel.

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The second arc follows Finn, ex-stormtrooper, on a mission to retrieve a master code-breaker along with a new friend, Rose, portrayed by up-and-coming actress Kelly Marie Tran.

The Last Jedi picks up from where we left off in The Force Awakens with the Resistance fleeing the grasp of the First Order in an epic space battle

The third arc greets us with Rey, still holding out the lightsaber to a less-than-thrilled Luke Skywalker. Rey’s character development is central to the film, as audiences wait with growing tension to see if the ambiguity surrounding her background will be lifted. Her primary mission is to bring Luke Skywalker back to the Resistance. He is, as hinted in the trailers, more than a little reluctant. Mark Hamill delivers an incredible performance as the deterred and belligerent Jedi Master. He is not the only one either, with Adam Driver making an outstanding return as Kylo Ren, even more conflicted in this film than he was in the last. Driver really stands out here, the scenes he shares with Hamill are not only beautifully acted, but also beautifully composed by cinematographer Steve Yedlin. While previous Star Wars films have produced some outstanding shots, Yedlin provides a perfect balance of pastiche and originality when it comes to the composition of The Last Jedi, producing a number of refreshing sequences.

While many aspects of the film exceed all expectations, there are some flaws too.

While many aspects of the film exceed all expectations, there are some flaws too. The film is surprisingly very funny, with Johnson choosing to ramp up the favoured snippets of humour seen in The Force Awakens. Hilarious as they may be, they are a tad overkill in this film, and at times serve only to devalue and even cheapen the more dramatic scenes. Also, some aspects of the costumes seemed debatable as to whether they fit the universe. Laura Dern’s new character Admiral Holdo makes her presence known among the Resistance, but her signature purple hair made her stand out amongst the dishevelled rebels, making her look like an extra from The Hunger Games. Supreme Leader Snoke strangely looks to be staying at a fancy hotel, wearing what looks like a golden dressing gown which detracts from his presence as the sinister force behind the scenes. Evidently some members of the First Order have had their fashion influenced by Lady GaGa and it distracts from the otherwise grimy lived-in familiarity of Star Wars.

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Ultimately, The Last Jedi is one of the most thrilling Star Wars films we have ever seen. While parallels from the previous films can still be spotted, Johnson has made it clear that this trilogy is now its own. There are unexpected twists leaving audiences satisfied that they are not about to see a remake of the original trilogy. The incredible performances and stunning visual sequences make this film a pinnacle source of entertainment.