Star Wars: The Last Jedi 2017

I love this movie more and more each time I watch it. I admit I was initially uncomfortable on my first viewing with how Luke was written, but that's what has made me love what Rian Johnson has done even more. He's using the characters in the movie to powerfully remind us how we build up people and things in our own minds (our "legends") and then are often disappointed when me meet them in person and they aren't everything we imagined them to be.

He essentially made Rey a stand-in for me, the lifelong Star Wars fan. I've been waiting 30 years since Return of the Jedi to meet Luke Skywalker again--I've built him up so much in my mind (and I suspect many others of my generation did as well) that if he didn't walk out with a laser sword and face down--and beat--the entire First Order in this movie, then I would have been disappointed. That's what I WANTED to see, I'm not ashamed to admit it. Rey also wanted Luke to come out and be the legend she'd heard about, so when he didn't we were BOTH disappointed.

That's why, when I watched it a second time and I made peace with where Luke was, the story really started growing on me. "The Last Jedi" isn't and never was going to be Luke's hero story, so if not that--how does Luke best serve the hero journey for Rey? Once I finally was able to get past saying in my own mind, "Luke Skywalker would NEVER do [fill in the blank]!" then I noticed a nuanced and thought-out story with very deep feelings embedded inside and was actually quite moved emotionally. It didn't happen on the initial viewing, but it's no longer too much of a stretch for me to believe that the same Luke who flew against the Death Star, and stood up to the Emperor and Darth Vader could also believe that because of his actions regarding his nephew, he may have left the Galaxy in worse shape by unleashing Kylo Ren. I LOVED LOVED LOVED Mark Hamill's performance and do feel that what he gave us on screen was everything I had waited decades to see. And even on first viewing, I was at peace with Luke's fate (much more so than I was with Han's fate the first time I saw "The Force Awakens")

I could go on defending, point by point, a bunch of things that fans have complained about and explain why they didn't bother me, but that won't change anyone's opinion. I don't have an issue with anyone who didn't like "The Last Jedi" and I won't argue that anyone should. However, I strongly disagree with those who say Johnson "ruined the franchise." He did not and I think this is a fine addition to the Skywalker story. I agree the movie does have some questionable plot moments--though the novelization of the movie by Jason Fry fills in a few of those apparent holes in the plot.

I have no problem putting "The Last Jedi" as my 2nd favorite in the franchise (behind "Empire Strikes Back").

It’s without a doubt the most interesting Star Wars film conceptually. Most of these films are aiming to be pure fastfood, so it’s nice to see an auteur come in and try to do something that has layers, broad ideas and subtext, though one could question what the point of that is when the general takeaway of the average, illiterate film goer seems to be to simply forget about the past. Now, Rian Johnson makes some obvious mistakes with this film. Yes, his insistence on subverting the viewer’s expectations left and right lead to some unsatisfying moments, but there are also more than a few of those moments that I’m fine with. He’s also never been that great with the balancing of tone, and some of the comedy here is so silly (not to mention just poorly executed) that it conflicts with the darker, more dramatic stuff it’s trying to do simultaneously. I like the arcs that he gives to the previously established characters (yes, including Luke, I thought this was a great direction for the character), but the new characters don’t leave as much of an impression, or they’re just given really weird conclusions (Rose’s final speech is a bit cringe). There are some brilliant visual moments, but there are also lots of scenes that don’t pop, particularly the ones set inside spaceships. I think Star Wars films require a bit more flash than just bland grey and white backgrounds. He does bring it occasionally, such as during the action scenes, and all of those are excellent if you ask me. Sure, a lot has been written about the supposed bad choreography during the Kylo and Rey team up fight, but it’s the kind of stuff I don’t notice because there’s a lot going on visually and the shots are so well composed. Furthermore, I love the opening scene and climax, truly fantastic sequences. However, I’m not as much a fan of the Canto Bight and Benicio Del Toro subplot, that never went to an interesting place. In fact, you could take that stuff out and you wouldn’t lose much. All in all, kinda saved by the acting, main character arcs, bigger ideas and decent filmmaking for me, but simultaneously far from great. That being said, the amount of hate directed at people like Rian Johnson and Kelly Marie Tran because of this film is downright embarrassing, Star Wars should truly be ashamed of its toxic fanbase of emotionally immature manchildren. In that regard I’m kinda glad that we have a filmmaker at the helm here who’s willing to be as creatively bold as this ended up being, even with it being as imperfect as it is.

6/10

After the hugely entertaining Force Awakens, Johnson is more keen to explore new territory than tread down familiar paths and what makes The Last Jedi so successful is not just that he is willing to subvert expectations that come with a Star Wars film, but also that he has a singular focus on developing all the central characters and it is this that makes this film so emotionally involving and gripping to watch. Johnson has picked up on the key story threads from the last entry, but unlike Episode VII which relied heavily on nostalgia and familiar scenarios, he has chosen to use his legacy characters to create a rich and thematically compelling entry into the saga that doesn’t simply rely on the audience’s nostalgia for previous films. It is to his credit that he has challenged not just the new characters but also the old, none more so than Luke, whose past and our awareness of it allows the filmmaker to contrast the nature of myth and legend with the reality of flawed character and all too human failure. Indeed, much of The Last Jedi’s central theme revolves around not just failure, but how each central character deals with it. Everyone from Luke to Hux experiences failure on some level during the film and Johnson is keen to explore each character’s central flaw, from Rey’s loneliness and need for a father figure/companion to Poe’s hot-headedness, and emphasise how each character develops as their flaw is exposed and challenged in some way. It makes for a fascinating film and for the first time since The Empire Strikes Back, there is palpable sense of tension that comes from a story moving into unfamiliar territory for every single character.

The performances across the board are strong and both Hamill and Fisher do some of their best work as Luke and Leia, without ever overshadowing the new characters. Indeed, every moment with Leia is tinged with sadness, given the cold reality of real life, but one of the many tragedies is that Fisher is no longer here to earn the plaudits for her performance that would have made her presence in Episode IX such an exciting prospect. Unfortunately it is not to be, but this is a wonderful note to go out on.

Like Force Awakens, there are some minor flaws - it’s one of the funniest Star Wars films, but the humour occasionally feels oddly anachronistic with the setting and classical nature of the series. Whilst the adventures of Finn and Rose on Canto Bight serve a purpose to expand on the themes of the film, they do feel extraneous and affect the pacing.

Perhaps the greatest flaw however that has been exposed by this film is in fact the central flaw of the entire sequel trilogy - the audience’s understandable desire to see Luke, Han and Leia again has ensured their happy ending from Return of the Jedi was inevitably going to be challenged and perhaps all of them would have been better utilised as legends to inspire the new. It is to the credit of both Abrams and Johnson that their inclusion has never felt wasted or betrayed, but as the saga inevitably moves beyond the past and embraces new characters, one can’t help feeling regret and sadness that the fairy tale nature of a happy ending has been exposed by age and inevitable death.

But that shouldn’t detract from a film that delivers everything one would hope for in a Star Wars film. It is the balance of old and new elements that Johnson has got spectacularly right, delivering the requisite moments of adventure, fun and spectacle, but at the same time delving into new territory that leaves the saga at an interesting turning point. As the film closes with an indelible image that will surely speak to every fan who grew up with a childhood dominated by the series, the mysteries of Episode VII may have largely been answered, but Episode IX is wide open and it’s anyone’s guess where the films will go. That is an exciting prospect.

TLJ is, thankfully, a much better film than TFA, although that in itself isn't much of an achievement, given how awful TFA was. The brilliant review from @andrewbloom is virtually spot-on, but there were a few element to TLJ that let down an otherwise generally good return to form for a SW film.
Firstly, the whole scene where Leia Force-pulled herself back from the oblivion of space, having been on a command bridge that was totally obliterated by the First Order, leaving no survivors apart from (conveniently) her, was just insulting and ridiculous. Force-strong or not, she would almost certainly have been killed instantly, and if not, so severely injured that she wouldn't be in a strong enough state to suddenly call upon Force powers that she has apparently never used before, that would take a great deal of focus and energy, in order to save herself. Seeing her body floating away was a really strong, powerful moment that would have done true justice to both Leia and the then-recently-and-tragically deceased Carrie Fisher; an honourable hero's death as a freedom fighter. Instead, the whole scene is shattered by a ridiculous miraculous recovery for just long enough to get back to the ship.
Secondly, the humorous moments (esp Dameron toying with Hux) were just over-cooked and corny. They don't detract too much from the film overall, and I'm all for injecting some humour into what is otherwise a dark and sombre film (aka TESB), but what was there was just cheap and tacky.
Thirdly, everything about Snoke makes no sense (without any enlightenment from subsequent films/TV shows). Who/what is he, other than the Supreme leader of The First Order (again something about which we have learned little, from either TFA or TLJ). Where did he come from? For such an insightful, devious, powerful Force user, how could he not have sensed Ren's lightsaber deception when he was already probing his mind? Although that last point could be explained away by him being focused on Rey, but it just came across as to easy and convenient a way to dispose of such a powerful antagonist.
Fourthly, Disney again ruined what would have been a powerful scene by not having Finn (who was much less annoying than in TFA, but still an irritating, dumb grunt obsessed with "getting the girl") complete his suicide mission, and thus dying a hero (and killing off their weakest and most unlikable protagonist). Instead, there is - again - a silly and pointless love story thrown in between him and Rose that culminates in her senseless and meaningless death. This in no way added to the plot or the film as a whole; precisely the opposite, in fact. It is just another example of weak direction from Disney to try and add in the schmaltz that Americans seem to need to have in every action film that they produce.

This movie takes a lot of risks, and for that to happen to a franchise and even the Star Wars franchise is something special. However I might admit that the first 1/3 (not including the first space battle scene) is extremely disappointing with some reveals that have extremely poor execution. Soon after the battle, some characters get sent on a mission which I’m pretty sure contained a countless amount of MacGuffins and some lacklustre world-building which is unlike anything Star Wars would ever do.

As I was watching these scenes on Canto Bight, I honestly thought they’ve messed this up so badly that it’s unsaveable. However, the last 1/3 is some of the most outstanding scenes that this franchise has to offer. The battle scenes are fantastic and tension is high throughout. The island scenes with Luke and Rey are also a highlight with some fantastic creature-effects as is to be expected with the franchise. There is also some great character development, especially of existing characters, which is helped by some fantastic acting (Luke, Rey and Kylo are stand-outs) and some superb direction by Rian Johnson which ties everything up really well. I could make the point that this stuff was so good that I was disappointed by everything else but it all has to be at the same level and it wasn’t. I think I’m nervous yet excited for Episode IX, it has the potential to be terrible or fantastic.

And the Porgs got really annoying really quickly.

I put off watching this one for so damn long, but now it was time to face Disneys latest...well...I suppose it can be called a Star Wars movie. It had the logo and the music at least...

After two and a half hours of anti-white and anti-male feminist propaganda, I would like to give out some thanks...

First of all, I would like to thank Rian Johnson for writing and directing the biggest piece of garbage that has ever graced the silver screen.
Not only did you manage to ruin the biggest hero in the franchise, you also managed to turn the whole franchise into a feminists wet dream.

Second, I would like to thank Disney for ruining one of the biggest science fiction franchises. We certainly have enough of those, haven't we?

Third, and last, I would like to thank and congratulate Kathleen Kennedy. You finally did it. You managed to take everything that was great about Star Wars, and flush it down the toilet. You certainly changed the franchise in your own image...badly written feminist garbage.

To be honest, I don't mind strong female characters, nor do I really mind that the only white males in the movie were bad guys IF it suits the story, BUT when the story is written very poorly in the first place, and then the characters are written in and portrayed the way they are just to please a certain demographic of man and white hating feminists and SJWs, it really makes me question what the hell is going on at Disney.

I'm not going to give Disney any more of my money until they kick both Kennedy and Johnson to the kerb and give Star Wars the writers and directors the franchise deserves.

Don't bother with this shit unless you have to...certainly not if you have to pay for it.

Okay. So. Star Wars The Last Jedi. Late comment. This is sort of a mixed bag. It does feel like a film for kids/teens and fangirls (or their parents). A jumbled mess with dumb characters' decision.

But it is -way- better than Star Wars The Farce Awakens. I mean The Forced Awakens. The Force Awakens. Rian Johnson deserves more credits than Jar Jar Abrams.

First thing first: at the very least, TLJ dares to try something new where TFA couldn't. By "something new" I mean not the new MCU-flavored jokes and quips slipping everywhere but new formula and new themes.

The best thing from TLJ involves Luke a lot.

Among them is the idea of grey morality and Luke being "ordinary human" shrouded in myth. The take with Luke and Ben (Kylo Ren) relationship is nice. He is no all-powerful all-wise Jedi; he makes mistakes, he hesitates, he regrets. We didn't get enough build up to explain why Luke did what he did in the past, and Johnson resorted to the typical Kylo being "too powerful", but I guess it was decent.

The scenes where Luke dispels the myth of him being the legendary Jedi is also great. This might be relevant in this day and age of celebrity politicians when a divorce of one politician suddenly becomes everyone's concern.

And, of course, the most important thing in-universe is Luke's explanation about The Force being some sort of energy that surrounds us. Not innate power. This should correct the mistakes Jar Jar Abrams made in TFA and Gareth Edwards made in Rogue One.

There is also one good thing from Finn and Rose mischievous adventure. It feels like it attempts to bring up Prequel Trilogy serious tone concerning arms trade. Benicio del Toro also has one good moment when he explains about "good and evil" is not as simple as Finn might think. Though that two are the only good things from their adventure (we'll get back to this later).

Luke and Leia reunion is beautifully done. Great lighting, very timely moment (though things that lead into the moment is very questionable), and the hallmark score accompanying the scene is perfect. This is a great tribute to the Original Trilogy and to Carey Fisher.

One more thing: Vice Admiral Holdo last resort is quite a spectacle. The scene feels like I'm watching something from anime. The idea itself is brilliantly executed (for an action fantasy) and would make a good move if there would be another Star Wars game.

Now to the worst parts. It does feel like a jumbled mess with dumb characters' decision.

There is one scene where Leia comes back to life and fly. This is the weirdest thing to ever happen since Starkiller Base. No explanation at all (let's not pull Abrams-esque excuse "it's in the novels!" because you should not need secondary material to understand a film). Maybe it's a tribute to Carrie Fisher, or a plot point for other characters (Poe/Holdo) to shine, but even so there are better ways to do that. Maybe by not having Leia stay in bridge and affected by explosion.

And then there is Finn and Rose mischievous adventure. This might be the worst, really worst part. Messy subplot and dumb characters.

Their adventure to snatch a hacker to sneak into the Star Destroyer feels forced in the first place. Do they really have that much time to go to another planet while the Resistance fleet is being chased by First Order? The whole "we can't reach The Resistance because shields and distance" feels like a terrible excuse considering in previous materials a ship that huge would have enough firepower to destroy a shiled--and even if they didn't, they could've sent a group of bombers.

Finn and Rose adventure itself feels like they don't really know what they're supposed to do. They were tasked to snatch a hacker, but along the way they seemed to be comfortable to only take revenge to the rich arm traders and slavers that have hurt Rose in the past. Meanwhile The Resistance is in the brink of defeat. Where's the sense of urgency in their mission?

But the worst is in the climax of the film, when Rose thwarts Finn's suicidal plan in his heroic attempt to save The Resistance. The reason? Because killing people won't solve anything and love wins every time. Right--exactly after that cheesy line The Resistance defense got breached. Thanks Rose, I guess trying to imitate Oprah is the most strategical decision ever.

There seems like really no point in Finn and Rose subplot. Dumb characters and pointless quest. It only seems like a filler to meet the 2,5 hours quota. The best thing from their childish trip is Benicio del Toro's hacker character. When Finn was obsessed with the idea of "good" defeating "evil", del Toro's character explains things are not that simple in war. Just like with Luke, his brief yet impactful speech gives a nuance to the simplistic black-and-white tone Jar Jar Abrams developed in TFA.

However the writer appears to be so consistent in making almost everything in Finn & Rose quest a mess: as soon as First Order foiled their plan, it is revealed that del Toro's character is just an opportunist prick with a sweet tongue.

About the MCU jokes. Jokes in The Last Jedi is almost on par with The Phantom Menace. Even TPM feels tame.

TLJ does have very bad moments because of the MCU jokes, particularly in the very beginning of the film when Poe plays along with Hux in the middle of supposedly fricking surprise attack (do you really have that much time?), ruining the suspension of disbelief. In plenty opportunities MCU quips slip and I guess if you don't like Jar Jar in TPM, you wouldn't also like this too much jokes.

Fortunately though, aside from some scenes like with Poe-Hux, I don't think the jokes are -that- bad. It's not Avengers: Age of Ultron bad. It's irritating and pulls me away at times, but it doesn't ruin a supposedly well-developed character like Ultron.

Last: Rey and Kylo relationship. This is why I said this is a film for fangirls. The telepathy is a brilliant plot device to enable communication between two teenagers in opposing side, but do they -really- have to make them able to see each other?

The part when Kylo went nude and Rey's face turns red for seeing a naked guy--is this something from teen drama? There is also this scene when their hands touch each other and Luke barge in, sensing a forbidden love develops in our Romeo and Juliet.

The whole Rey-Kylo depiction is a true OTP bait. Well, I actually have a mixed feeling about it. This isn't exactly bad--it's okay for a teen drama and there's nothing contradicting the canon lore from this. But it does feel like some sort of Anakin-Padme 2.0.

I guess that's all.

It's not great, but it's not as bad as people made it to be. It's better than The Farce Awakens actually.

It's entertaining enough as long as you can glance over the dumb characters. It's still a mess though, so unless you really have nothing else to do it's better to watch something else.

I saw this at a fan release that played as a double feature with The Force Awakens in a sold out IMAX theatre. I have to confess right up front that it was an overwhelming experience for my post-stroke brain and I left the six hour experience exhausted. I should also mention that the friend I attended the event with was angered by the character arch of Luke Skywalker to the point she will never see another Star Wars movie. I however enjoyed the film. I felt the acting was great. Daisy Ridley is kick ass adorable. It was bittersweet to see Carrie Fisher in her last role (the film's shooting had wrapped just months before her death in December of 2016). Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleason, Kelly Marie Tran and Laura Dern's performances are all worthy of mention. The story arch was compelling, the tension between dark and light, despair and hope, the journey to find yourself in your world were all great themes, and some characters were significantly challenged (hence my friend's fury). The special effects were transporting in their beauty and complexity. John William's music elevated the performances to epic proportion. I give the movie an 8.5 (great) out of 10.

Where do I start? I am so excited to write this review. I probably should have brought something to write things down while watching the movie. There is so much happening in this and I want to discuss it all! I'm going to try to write this review spoiler free.

I felt like crying so many times during this film, not out of sadness but out of pure happiness. I wasn't planning on mentioning this to maintain a bit of "cool", but it is worth sharing to let you know how happy I felt about this new Star Wars movie.

The opening scene, it was brilliant. A great way to start a movie! You immediately get introduced to these immense ships, this beautiful environment, a few of the known and loved characters, it was action-filled and it was funny! The Last Jedi had me there and than and didn't let go till I had to pee (it's a very long movie), and when I returned it had me again till the very end. There is a progress in every character's storyline, it was fun to see them all grow in their own way. Especially Finn. I couldn't really place him in The Force Awakens, but in this movie, he really went out there to make a difference and to help his friends and allies. Rose Tico, she is a sweet and brave character. I enjoyed the part where she and Finn went to visit a planted I didn't know yet and she saved those beautiful creatures Yea, I really like her. Which brings me to a character I first didn't really like to be honest, and that is Vice Admiral Holdo. It felt like she wasn't doing anything, at all, and that frustrated me a bit. Now that I'm writing this, I think that Rian Johnson might have given her that kind of "mystery" with a reason. I mean, in the end, we all loved her, right? At least I did. Poe Dameron, I have loved this character in The Last Jedi and felt like he didn't have enough screen time. This movie makes up for it all, I think getting to know him a little better was one of my favourite things, character wise. And then, Luke Skywalker, what a champ. I really enjoyed hearing what he had been up to and what changed him into the man he was in this movie. Seeing him and Leia together was so good as well. I loved it. Rey has become quite a grown-up, serious character as well, hasn't she? She is such a strong female lead. The connection between her and Kylo Ren was so interesting to see. I didn't expect that to be there, and I think they are very alike. Their connection was very brief and very beautiful. I really look forward to what is going to happen next with those two. Kylo Ren always feels like the guy who just can't get it right, ever. A bit like General Hux, who thinks he's brilliant while he's actually not that brilliant, which makes him quite funny, which is also quite sad. Bringin me to the last character I want to discuss and that is the Supreme Leader. First, is it bad that I had no clue who he exactly is? If it is, and you want to explain it to me, feel free to do so because I like to know. Right now, I wasn't very impressed with him, to be honest.

There are a lot of beautiful new planets and fun new creatures. Especially on the island that Luke was staying at. The nuns who take care of the small village are so funny, and the Porgs. I mean, they are the cutest things. I hear that opinions about them are all over the place, but I cannot, not like them. I'm weak. The storyline was very well written and it really went somewhere, it had a purpose. Which makes this movie so much more interesting and indulging. Every single person who worked on this did one helluva job. It's brilliant.

I wish I could have discussed a bit more scenes but I can't do that without spoiling quite a bit. I tried to discuss the characters as spoiler free as possible, which I failed to do, but I feel like these spoilers aren't major. You can read them if you want. I want to end this review by saying I probably forgot to mention a lot of things, I miss Han, I'm a bit sad that almost the entire original cast is gone, I can't wait for the next one and I think this one is better than The Force Awakens aka GO WATCH IT

(James Corden, I saw you)

This movie was disappointing, I had very high expectations before seeing the film and they were crushed too easily. The pace of this movie is very slow, so slow that it gets boring and rarely do you get to see anything interesting. There were some good scenes but most of them were very bad, they had a big budget and they made very little of it, there are only 2 light saber sword fights and both are very short which was very disappointing to me. There was basically no character development, most of the leaders were women which made no sense. Mark Hamill's Luke Skywalker was barely used in this movie. The movie's main villain which was so over hyped ended up being killed too easily in a one shot kill, I mean, they didn't even try to show a good lightsaber fight between Snoke and Rey which they definitely could have done because the lightsaber fights are the cheapest part of the movie to make but they could have used amazing choreography to make it look good but they didn't. I'd even go as far as saying the prequels were better made than this movie. I didn't hate the movie though as there were some scenes that did surprise me and were totally unexpected. In reality, I am a true fan of the franchise, having watched all the original ones and the prequels many times since I was a kid, I loved The Force Awakens and gave it a 10/10 because it was everything I had ever looked for in a Star Wars movie but this movie definitely wasn't anything like The Force Awakens.

I'll start with the good. The flight scenes are exhilarating. This sequel trilogy (so far) has had some of the best flight scenes I've ever seen in a blockbuster. The effects are, of course, excellent. Oscar Isaac as Poe stands head and shoulders above the rest of the cast. I'm very glad that my favorite character from the Force Awakens was featured much more heavily in this movie.

Everything else is mediocre at best. Most of the acting feels very cheesy. It's the kind of work you'd expect from primetime television, not a major blockbuster. Instead of naturally coming about, the relationships feel forced and come out of nowhere. As for the plot, it contains tons of subplots that go nowhere. Most of the questions that The Force Awakens raised are given unsatisfying answers, and its major mysteries amount to nothing. Old characters are handled very poorly and don't even interact with one another. Their actions seem very out of character (namely Luke). Leia is laughable, especially in a space sequence that she's in. I have no idea why some of the terrible new characters (like Hux) were what they decided to go with for these movies, but even they were not used well.

The movie's biggest problem was its length: it's excruciatingly long. The movie drags on and on for no discernable reason. Since the movie is little more than a glorified chase sequence, the extensions add nothing to the story. Much of it could have been cut and moved over to Episode IX. Where the last movie felt like an unnecessary remake, this movie feels pointless. Since these movies made everything in the original trilogy happen for no reason, I can't shake the feeling that this trilogy will go nowhere in the end too.

"This is not going to go the way you think"

That line right there basically sums it all. When you predicted everything that's going to happen, then suddenly get the carpet pulled underneath at the last minute. You either like or dislike Rian Johnson choices, but at least it's going in a new direction and not another remake.

As Kylo Ren put it: "Let the past die"

What I love about 'The Last Jedi' is how it doesn't care what you think about 'Star Wars. While not insulting you as the audience. Taking fan theories or the mystery 'Force Awakens' stet up, and shut it down completely. Instead, what we get is a bold message about are our places and where to find hope.

Rian Johnson absolutely kills it with his direction. Perfectly framed shots and the magnificent cinematography, made the overall experience something to remember for a long, long time. Even as I'm writing this, some of the imagery has implanted into my mind. Beautiful, yet menacing with the dark side creeping in.

Performance and characters all around are great. Oscar Isaac character (Poe) has such a fantastic character arc in this movie, that even he learns from his cocky attitude or quick thinking from deadly situations.

Both Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver are the main dynamics of the film. The scenes with Rey and Kylo are the most captivating elements of the story. A balance of light and darkness shown in their characters. Is Kylo Ren emo? yeah, if you like. Compelling villain? YES. You see good in him from Rey's point of view, but also darkness from Luke's.

This is the best I've seen from Mark Hamill. You'd think he will portray an old mentor in the shadow of Alec Guinness and Yoda. However, that isn't the case. You see Skywalker has given up on the force and wants nothing from it. Becoming a shadow of himself. Heck, he barley trains Rey, and that alone doesn't matter. Seeing him on screen gave me on all happinesses in the world.

Sound design, costumes, visual effects, and the lightsaber fights are all top notch. The biggest issue I've heard from people is the casino scene which didn't bother me. The film itself didn't drag, for me. As the runtime feels justified for something like this.

Now for problems: Some CGI scenes looked a bit unfinished, which is mostly green screen backgrounds. Other than that, the effects look pretty great.

I didn't buy the "love triangle", with Finn (John Boyega) and Rose (Kelly Marie Tran). Even Finn was just as surprised as me when this was suppose to be a thing. I rather see a relationship with Poe and Finn, than Rose. Or just be friends.

While I praise the film for taking bold choices, but it never fully goes for it. A lot of fake outs deaths that afterwards made me wish it actually happened.

It's tonal inconsistency. One minute it's funny, then the next it's dead serious. The humor isn't as awful as people have said. Unfortunately, it doesn't help that characters are jammed packed and didn't need to be there.

And Captain Phasma is still the most pointless character ever.

Overall rating: Despite it's flaws, the force is strong with this one.

RIP Carrie Fisher, Our Princess