Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi Review

In hindsight, it makes more sense than not that Abrams' The Force Awakens was a play-it-safe carbon copy of A New Hope, especially given that it was the first entry since 2005’s Revenge of the Sith, the last of the despised prequel trilogy. But there’s no denying that, despite its many strengths, it was a film weighed down by the past. Even in its controversial disposal of Harrison Ford's much-loved nerf herder, it was something of a Han Solo-centric film, though its decision to cast him into the ether in the first place spoke volumes about Disney's plans to start wiping the slate clean.

Picking up immediately after The Force Awakens, Rian Johnson's The Last Jedi sees General Leia Organa, hot-headed rebel Poe Dameron and ex-Storm Trooper Finn desperately try to lead the resistance away from the relentless First Order. Meanwhile, a troubled Rey seeks to learn the truth about the Jedi from Luke Skywalker and master her powers. But with Kylo Ren and Supreme Leader Snoke much closer than they seem, Rey prepares for an internal battle, and must also convince the reluctant Skywalker to help the resistance face the galaxy’s greatest threat yet.

Mark Hamill returns to the fold while Carrie Fisher says her last goodbyes

The Last Jedi calls upon its own past more so than the prequel trilogy did, seeing the anticipated return of Mark Hamill’s 35-year absent Luke Skywalker, and again the late Carrie Fisher’s Princess Leia - both the forefront of the film. But unlike many long-awaited sequels that spend a lot of time celebrating all that has come before them, there’s a sense here, at least by the the end credits, that its past has been summoned for nothing other than eradication; to pave the way for a new future.

“Let the past die. Kill it if you have to. That's the only way to become what you were meant to be,” Kylo Ren tells Rey. Perhaps this is more to do with character development than it is Disney ominously warning the fans that the saga is about to boldly go where it hasn’t gone before. But one thing’s certain; if the latter bears truth, then this film already takes us halfway. A dramatic change of course, though, likely has more to do with Disney’s plans for an inevitable fourth trilogy than it does with deliberately trying to upset the now totally-polarised fan community. 

Is it time for the franchise to let go of that long time ago? 

For all of its faults, from red herring characters to shoehorned scenes that add nothing to the plot, the latest episode, if anything, is a gripping space opera, and raises the stakes higher than they have ever been, while indeed venturing towards an uncertain future. It also has plenty of fun in doing so, and while the humour seems at times tonally jarring - at least in comparison with the last entry - it’s more attuned to the original trilogy than many fans would admit, even if does render the film anything but as dark as the trailers promised.

Verdict: Though it might pale in comparison with the more finely-tuned The Force Awakens, in its acting, narrative, cinematography and overall execution, The Last Jedi is still nostalgia-inducing enough to awaken your inner-Jedi. For some, though, it's brought out the Dark Side. It might not necessarily be how The Force works, but it's still reasonably strong here. 

Curious Observations: The Porgs are the same colour-mix as BB-8.