****
Having tracked down Luke Skywalker, Rey begins to learn more about her newfound abilities, but the Jedi Master is troubled by her powers, reminiscent of a former pupil, Kylo Ren. Meanwhile, stranded in space, the Resistance find themselves pitted against the First Order. With fuel running out and hope fading, Finn sets out on a desperate mission...
After the ubiquitous success of A Force Awakens and the status of The Empire Strikes Back as one of the best sequels of all time, it was somewhat inevitable that The Last Jedi should be met with reviews of a more mixed nature than its predecessor. Picking up almost directly from where the first part of the new trilogy left off, we are soon made aware that there are two very different narratives fighting for screen time: that of Rey and her training with Luke; and that of the Resistance. However, supported by a witty, at times laugh-out-loud funny, script, a host of returning characters (some more expected than others!), a powerful score by John Williams and plenty of stunning visuals, I soon found myself settling in for a rip-roaring ride through a galaxy far, far away.
In terms of sheer entertainment value, The Last Jedi is certainly outstanding. Even with its lengthy runtime (and it is undoubtedly at least twenty minutes too long), I remained engaged and involved. It's only afterwards, when the impressive visuals, sharp-witted script and immersive score cease, that you begin to realise that it was all a little bit vacuous. Obviously realising that the prevalence of the Rey/Kylo story could veer the film into very dark territory (and, indeed, there are some 'adult' themes faced in that story arch), Rian Johnson tagged on a side plot involving Finn and newcomer Rose, which, for all its fast-paced action and humorous moments, actually fails to add anything to the overall narrative. Indeed, the entire Poe/Leia/Finn/Resistance aspect of the film seems very much underdeveloped, there to provide the big outer space explosions as opposed to adding any real depth to the story as a whole - Benicio Del Toro is essentially wasted. That's not say enjoyment cannot be taken from these sections of the film, but when an intriguing plot is developing elsewhere within the narrative, you end up wanting more of that than Poe swaggering around with roguish charms.
Certainly a mixed bag when you come to think about it afterwards, but wholly enjoyable and engaging whilst it's playing, The Last Jedi in undoubtedly problematic. Treading the difficult balance between questions of destiny, darkness and ambition with BB-8's high-pitched bleeping and the (rather adorable) porgs, it veers tonally from one side to the other. That said, I did laugh, I did inwardly fist pump a few times, and I did leave with the big grin that only an overblown sci-fi epic can provide.
After the ubiquitous success of A Force Awakens and the status of The Empire Strikes Back as one of the best sequels of all time, it was somewhat inevitable that The Last Jedi should be met with reviews of a more mixed nature than its predecessor. Picking up almost directly from where the first part of the new trilogy left off, we are soon made aware that there are two very different narratives fighting for screen time: that of Rey and her training with Luke; and that of the Resistance. However, supported by a witty, at times laugh-out-loud funny, script, a host of returning characters (some more expected than others!), a powerful score by John Williams and plenty of stunning visuals, I soon found myself settling in for a rip-roaring ride through a galaxy far, far away.
In terms of sheer entertainment value, The Last Jedi is certainly outstanding. Even with its lengthy runtime (and it is undoubtedly at least twenty minutes too long), I remained engaged and involved. It's only afterwards, when the impressive visuals, sharp-witted script and immersive score cease, that you begin to realise that it was all a little bit vacuous. Obviously realising that the prevalence of the Rey/Kylo story could veer the film into very dark territory (and, indeed, there are some 'adult' themes faced in that story arch), Rian Johnson tagged on a side plot involving Finn and newcomer Rose, which, for all its fast-paced action and humorous moments, actually fails to add anything to the overall narrative. Indeed, the entire Poe/Leia/Finn/Resistance aspect of the film seems very much underdeveloped, there to provide the big outer space explosions as opposed to adding any real depth to the story as a whole - Benicio Del Toro is essentially wasted. That's not say enjoyment cannot be taken from these sections of the film, but when an intriguing plot is developing elsewhere within the narrative, you end up wanting more of that than Poe swaggering around with roguish charms.
Certainly a mixed bag when you come to think about it afterwards, but wholly enjoyable and engaging whilst it's playing, The Last Jedi in undoubtedly problematic. Treading the difficult balance between questions of destiny, darkness and ambition with BB-8's high-pitched bleeping and the (rather adorable) porgs, it veers tonally from one side to the other. That said, I did laugh, I did inwardly fist pump a few times, and I did leave with the big grin that only an overblown sci-fi epic can provide.
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