Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi

A stellar, if slightly overlong, followup to 2015’s Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens, Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi continues the storyline established by its predecessor and follows several heroic figures as they attempt to quash the First Order’s ongoing efforts at ruling the galaxy. Filmmaker Rian Johnson kicks Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi off with a larger-than-life space battle that isn’t, admittedly, the most engrossing opening stretch one could’ve envisioned, as the action-heavy sequence is too chaotic and too disorienting, particularly within a plot that hasn’t even begun yet, to make the electrifying impact that Johnson has clearly intended. And although the movie’s deliberately-paced first act seems more concerned with laying the groundwork for things to come than with capturing the viewer’s undivided attention, Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi progresses into an often electrifying midsection that’s rife with engrossing, captivating sequences – as Johnson juices the narrative with a whole host of incredibly spellbinding scenes and digressions (eg a journey to a wealthy planet, a confrontation with Andy Serkis’ fearsome Snoke, etc). Johnson’s eye-popping visual sensibilities ultimately ensure that Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi is one of the series’ most impressive installments on a purely aesthetic, visceral level (eg that third-act battle on a salt world is nothing short of astounding), and it’s clear, too, that the writer/director does a superb job of deepening the characters introduced in Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens and advancing their respective storylines (eg Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren, for example, becomes a far more compelling and complex figure in this one). The thoroughly satisfying conclusion only confirms Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi‘s place as a superior entry within the revitalized space saga, with Johnson’s ongoing willingness to make the picture his own (ie he quickly closes the book on the previous movie’s various mysteries) ensuring that there’s nothing cookie-cutter about this eighth installment.

***1/2 out of ****