Review of Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) by Alberto L — 12 Jan 2018

The Last Jedi was everything the Force Awakens was not - surprising, compelling, and daring. It may not have shattered the mold, but it did more to crack it open than any recent Star Wars film has done (with the possible exception of Rogue One).

Luke's journey was poignant and fascinating - and yes, I'm saying that as an EU fan - and I was impressed with the challenges the film raised. This is exactly where the franchise needed to go - questioning what it's been built on, while still holding true to the foundation of "small, dedicated Resistance against insurmountable odds" that has always made Star Wars relatable.

I love that it left me with a similar feeling to what Empire did, without being a carbon-copy of Empire's plot. I enjoyed the new characters, and I liked the challenges which were posed to the old ones (and the subsequent character growth which resulted).

I feel that this film was more true to the EU in that sense than any Star Wars film since the original trilogy. Or maybe I'm just too much of a Revan fan. And with the EU in mind (or even just her family history alone), the controversial Leia scene made complete sense.

Overall, while it still was not as well-made as the original trilogy, I was thoroughly impressed by how much I enjoyed TLJ and am fascinated to see where Rian Johnson goes with his new trilogy of SW films.