Warning: There are some mild spoilers ahead for "The Last Jedi."
If you were among the fans who thought "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" was little more than a rehash of "A New Hope," then "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" is the movie you've been waiting two years for.
It's tough to rank it among other "Star Wars" movies just yet, but it's safe to say "The Last Jedi" is one of the best "Star Wars" movies ever made. It's right up there with "Empire Strikes Back."
From the moment the Lucasfilm logo pops on screen and the John Williams’ score roars to life, it’s two-and-a-half hours of pure bliss to a galaxy far, far away.
What's Hot
There is so much to love about "The Last Jedi," it’s difficult to know where to start without giving too much away. The most important thing I can emphasize is that you should most certainly go into this movie knowing as little as possible about it.
Where "The Force Awakens" felt like a rehash of "A New Hope,""The Last Jedi" feels a lot different from "Empire Strikes Back."
Director Rian Johnson does such a good job avoiding the sequel trap by taking the film in directions you don’t expect. If you think you have "TLJ" figured out, you’ll be sorely mistaken. There are several moments throughout the film where you’ll be sitting in your seat, your heart in your chest, completely unsure of what will happen next, and maybe that’s why Lucasfilm invited him back to direct his own standalone trilogy. There are also plenty of surprises I won't spoil here.
There’s one device Johnson uses to great effect. He masterfully juxtaposes big, loud space sequences and fight scenes with unexpected moments of silence. These are best utilized when highlighting emotional, tender moments.
The visual effects team and cinematographers really show off what they can do with the creation of two new worlds. The salt flats of Bolivia lend themselves to a gorgeous fight on Crait, a world that has a red mineral lying just below the surface.
The film really outdid itself with the Casino city of Canto Bight which almost serves as an excuse to show off Lucasfilm’s workshop of “Star Wars” creatures in a fancy cantina-like setting.
One of the best things about “The Last Jedi” is that when you think it’s going to be over, it keeps going. I thought the film was nearing its end once or twice and was happily surprised that there was about another half hour to go. You usually don’t feel that way during a big movie.
The entire cast is wonderful, but it's Mark Hamill’s return as the troubled and haunted Jedi Master Luke Skywalker fans will rejoice over. Hamill's Skywalker is equally funny and cryptic with a secret of his own.
Without giving much away, there is a very giffable Skywalker eye wink in the movie that I can’t wait to see hit the internet after its home release.
Young girls who fell in love with Daisy Ridley’s Rey in “Episode VII,” will no doubt be styling their hair in three buns to match the spunky and eager Force sensitive woman. This is a character who feels as cemented in “Star Wars” lore as Luke at this point and she has rightly earned her place.
If you’re not here for Luke and Rey, you’re certainly here to see Carrie Fisher as General Leia Organa on screen once more. Every scene with Fisher feels like it was made with extra care.
If Kylo Ren wasn’t one of your favorite characters in “The Force Awakens,” he may be now. Adam Driver continues to deliver a complex and conflicted antihero who just doesn’t want to be alone in the universe.
We finally get face time with the mysterious Supreme Leader Snoke and he feels as menacing as Emperor Palpatine in “Return of the Jedi” even if the villains' true motivations aren’t quite clear.
I’m not sure when Domhnall Gleeson’s General Hux was reduced into a hilarious punching bag, but it works here and is fantastic every time he comes on screen. Oscar Isaac’s Poe Dameron delivers some of the film’s other biggest laughs as the Resistance’s fiery fighter pilot. Kelly Marie Tran’s new character Rose will give young girls another hero to look up to alongside Rey. And Benicio del Toro enters the fray as a delightfully wonky side character.
A lot of the legacy characters — Chewbacca, R2-D2, and C-3P0 — are in the film too, but they feel like they’re just there for nostalgia’s sake. Most take a back seat to make way for new favorites like BB-8.
“The Last Jedi” makes sure to get in enough scenes of its most bankable new droid even if his appearance doesn’t quite make sense. The cute penguin-like creatures called Porgs get more screen time than C-3P0 and you know it’s a push to sell all of those adorable stuffed animals. You win on this one, Disney.
Keep your eyes peeled for star power. You may do a double take in a casino scene and wonder if you just saw “The Leftovers” star Justin Theroux. Yes, yes you did.
Underneath all of the star power and fight scenes, “The Last Jedi” sends a message we need more than ever, one of hope. “We’re going to win not by fighting what we hate, but saving what we love” is a line said late in the film that feels pretty applicable in the scope of 2017.
What's Not
After you get past the excitement of being reunited with Hamill and Fisher and after the thrill of seeing another “Star Wars” movie die down, you’ll be hit with a realization. For as good as “The Last Jedi” may be, it doesn’t answer a lot of lingering questions you may have had from “The Force Awakens.”
We still don’t know who Snoke is and we may never know. That may agitate some viewers.
Wondering who Rey is? Though the film gives us some sort of answer, it doesn’t feel like a genuine or satisfying one. It’s puzzling, especially after so much of the movie is pregnant with the mystery of Rey’s origin.
While the movie does a good balancing act with its characters, a few of them feel a bit shortchanged.
Once again, break-out character Captain Phasma gets some of the least amount of time on screen. But when she is front and center, she's a commanding presence who steals every scene. It seems like she may have only survived the trash compactor from “The Force Awakens” because of her popularity.
Lupita Nyong’o’s alien creature Maz Kanata is reduced to such a minor role that it’s a wonder why it was even necessary to bring her back in the first place. For as much as the droid BB-9E was teased, he’s in the movie for a brief few minutes. It almost feels like a scene or two of his were cut from the finished film.
Unanswered questions aside, "The Last Jedi" contains some scenes, concepts, and ideas that have never been done in any "Star Wars" movie proceeding it. Longtime fans of the franchise will either embrace it or seriously question the creative decisions.
There’s a brief scene at the film’s very end that doesn’t feel like it fits in a "Star Wars" movie. It almost feels like an ad for Walt Disney World’s upcoming “Star Wars”-themed land. It didn’t need to be in the movie at all and felt like something that could have followed the credits. “Star Wars” movies don’t do post-credit scenes though.
The Bottom Line
I found myself grinning like a fool from the moment the “Star Wars” logo appeared throughout most of the movie, and I expect many fans will do the same. As soon as you leave the theater, I'll be surprised if you don't want to immediately watch “The Last Jedi” again. There are so many scenes you want to watch a second time either because you need to see a lightsaber duel again or out of fear that you missed something important said in whispers.
This movie is going to make a lot of money, folks. No one should be surprised if it breaks box-office records opening weekend. The combination of a fresh, original sequel and fans coming out to see Princess Leia on screen again will please fans the world over. if you're looking for a good escape for two and a half hrs, “The Last Jedi” will make you laugh and believe in hope. Just make sure you bring a few tissues along for the ride, too.
Grade: A -
"Star Wars: The Last Jedi" is in theaters December 15.
Join the conversation about this story »
NOW WATCH: A Navy SEAL explains what to do if you're attacked by a dog