Star Wars: The Last Jedi review

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI:

STRONG WITH THE FORCE, THIS SEQUEL IS!

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: **** out of 4

LUCASFILM LTD.

Daisy Ridley returns as Rey in Star Wars: The Last Jedi

            We’re finally here, the follow-up to the highest-grossing film of 2015 that breathed new life into George Lucas’ Star Wars saga and made Daisy Ridley (Scrawl, Only Yesterday, Murder on the Orient Express) and John Boyega (Attack the Block, Detroit, Pacific Rim: Uprising) household names. Force Awakens director, J.J. Abrams (Cloverfield, Star Trek, 10 Cloverfield Lane) returns as executive producer and in the director’s, chair this time is Rian Johnson (Brick, The Brothers Bloom, Looper) as they continue the adventures of Rey (Ridley) and Finn (Boyega) in a galaxy far, far away with Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

            In my opinion, The Last Jedi does what The Empire Strikes Back did for the original Star Wars movie for The Force Awakens. A sequel that gets a darker tone, more character focus, and much less rehashing than its predecessor, resulting in a sequel that’s quite possibly better than the first film (in the sequel trilogy), and a satisfying addition to the saga.

            After the events of The Force Awakens, the film follows Force-sensitive scavenger from Jakku, Rey continuing her quest to find Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill-Batman: The Animated Series) in hopes of persuading him to help fight against the First Order and teach Rey the ways of the Force. Upon locating him, Luke refuses and claims that the age of the Jedi is over, due to a dark past involving the villainous Kylo Ren (Adam Driver-Midnight Special, Silence, Logan Lucky) who has his own plans of convincing Rey to join the Dark Side and may or may not actually be the monster he was made out to be.

            With the help of General Leia (The late Carrie Fisher), her friends, Finn, Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac-Inside Llewyn Davis, A Most Violent Year, X-Men: Apocalypse), Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo), C-3PO (Antony Daniels), R2-D2, and BB-8, Rey will do whatever it takes to become a Jedi Master and save the galaxy from the wrath of Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis-The Lord of the Rings trilogy, King Kong, Planet of the Apes (2011 trilogy)) and bring balance to the Force.

            The film also stars Lupita Nyong’o (East River, Shuga, 12 Years a Slave) as Maz Kanata, Gwendoline Christie (The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Game of Thrones, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay: Part 2) as Captain Phasma, Domhnall Gleeson (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Parts 1 and 2, Ex-Machina, American Made) as General Hux, Kelly Marie Tran (Comedy Bang! Bang!, Adam Ruins Everything, XOXO) as Rose Tico, and Benicio Del Toro (Traffic, The Wolfman (2010), Guardians of the Galaxy) as DJ.

            Overall, Star Wars: The Last Jedi is quite possibly the best Star Wars film released in decades and follows in the footsteps of Empire Strikes Back as one of the best sequels I’ve ever seen. The movie takes more risks and a darker tone, expands the story, and continues to give plenty of fan-service for all the long-time Star Wars enthusiasts.

            The characters are more fleshed out in this one, the story is exciting, the action sequences are spectacular and a huge improvement over the climax in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and add in a little comedy that never feels forced. The chemistry between Daisy Ridley and Mark Hamill is unbelievable, every time they’re on-screen together I am onboard for anything that’s going on even if it’s just the two of them talking to each other, the complete opposite of Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen in the prequels.

            But who surprisingly steals the show here is Adam Driver as Kylo Ren, yes, he may have been introduced in The Force Awakens but he’s much better developed as a villain in this movie and even shows a sign of humanity still trapped inside him in a similar way to Luke finding the good side of Anakin Skywalker within Darth Vader in Return of the Jedi.

            If I had to nitpick something about the movie I will say the film does drag a little bit during its third act. It’s a solid final act that delivers on thrills but it may come off as too long for some viewers and it isn’t quite as exciting as the space battle that comes before it.

            But that’s a small nitpick, there is so much to appreciate about Star Wars: The Last Jedi whether you’re a Star Wars fanatic or just a movie enthusiast. If Star Wars: The Force Awakens is considered a tribute to the Star Wars saga then Star Wars: The Last Jedi is the movie that pushes the Star Wars saga into a new direction that shows an exciting future about to unfold.