大象传媒

(Before you read any more, let’s be clear: while it has its problems, is really good – as you may have guessed from the star rating – and that’s all you really need to know. So if you’re keen to avoid spoilers, your reading here is done. Be off with you, to )

Still with us? Well, here’s your synopsis, of a sort: Rey develops her newly discovered abilities with the guidance of Luke Skywalker, who is unsettled by the strength of her powers. Meanwhile, the Resistance prepares to do battle with the First Order.

Pros:

• Director Rian Johnson – of Looper, Brick and Breaking Bad fame – has made some brave decisions here. If JJ Abrams’ was a pub cover band version of A New Hope, The Last Jedi is The Empire Strikes Back replayed with whole new instruments, indulging in a surprising jazz flute solo and an unusual mid-chorus rap. In other words: there are some shocks here. The plot zigs and zags, and will require further watches to fully get your head around. The Last Jedi is bolder and deeper than The Force Awakens, still feeling like a Star Wars film as it pushes away from the originals and attempts daring and delightful aerobatic manoeuvres.
• The return of Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker is a very welcome one. If you’re still smarting from his disappointingly small amount of screentime in The Force Awakens, you’ll be spoiled here, with this older, grumpier and more… complicated version of Luke dominating the movie – as much as anyone can in a film with over a dozen of key characters. Adam Driver also does great work as the increasingly messed-up Kylo Ren, and Daisy Ridley’s Rey is noticeably more mature and moving than last time around. Then, of course, there’s the late, great Carrie Fisher, who like Hamill, gets much more to play with here, and she delivers arguably her finest Star Wars performance in a film that serves as a fitting tribute to her incredible legacy.
• Visually, the film is a treat. Look forward to some stellar dogfights, lightsaber duels and so much more that hasn’t been seen in the trailers and I really shouldn’t mention. Johnson has given us a Star Wars that truly benefits from an IMAX screen, walloping you with gorgeous shots time after again.

Cons:

• The Last Jedi isn’t perfect. While I enjoyed it a great deal – hence the five stars – and there is a lot to praise, from the emotional depth to the pleasingly complicated plot, there are missteps along the way. The biggest for me, is a sluggish and altogether too ‘talky’ middle-section. It allows for some of the biggest twists later on, but it feels tiring to sit through first time around. The opening salvo, it should be said, is a real attention grabber, and the final act surprises and delivers, over and over, but the middle… the middle is muddled.
• Episode VIII is the funniest Star Wars movie yet. If you know your Star Wars, this is a bit of a criticism disguised as a compliment, as the stories from a galaxy far, far away isn’t well-known for their one-liners, and yet that’s what we get from The Last Jedi, on a number of occasions. Some of them land really well, while others just distract from the important events going on elsewhere. The timing of a few of them is truly odd. And while the humour doesn’t ruin the movie by any means, it is genuinely a bit jolting.
• There is another key ‘con’ I’d love to share with you, but I can’t, for fear of spoilers. Ridiculous, I know – once you see the film, you’ll understand. Yep, I’m being that guy.

Three word review: Unmissable, impressive, different…ish.