Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017) User Reviews

The death of a franchise.

[lnvicta · 6/10 · 19 January 2020]

The Last Jedi is a well-made film; it's visually stunning and well directed. The problem is that it singlehandedly ruined the sequel trilogy by closing the second chapter with a dead end. There are truly baffling character decisions, awkward humor, useless subplots - it's by far the most frustrating Star Wars movie because of the potential it had. If it were 20 minutes shorter, it could have been something special, but the last act sees our characters in the exact same spot as they began. As a standalone movie, it's watchable. As the second part of a trilogy, it's a disaster.

Almost Garbage

[destinylives52 · 6/10 · 25 December 2017]

"Star Wars: The Last Jedi" was a huge disappointment to a long time "Star Wars" fan such as myself. Okay, here we go.

The rebel Resistance are on the run, hunted down by the evil First Order ruled by the Dark Side. Daisy Ridley, who plays a young woman strong with The Force, seeks a Jedi master (Mark Hamill) who is in hiding; and begs him to help with the fight against the First Order and maybe train her to be a Jedi - sounds a bit like "The Empire Strikes Back" right? Why not, as "The Force Awakens" was similar to "A New Hope."

Then there is the puzzling and badly written (which fits right in with the rest of the movie which revels in its mediocrity and goofball jokes) subplot involving two Resistance fighters going to a casino to find a person who excels in hacking stuff so they can bring him back to the bad guys' main ship to sneak in unnoticed and destroy some gizmo that allows the bad dudes to track the Resistance fleet - what's left of it - even in hyperspace. Destroy the gizmo, and the Resistance can zoom away and escape to fight another day. But that may not be necessary because the leader of the rebel fleet intends to abandon the main ship and use escape transports to sneak into a planet that has been abandoned but has an old rebel base there. Oh, the escape transports have a cloaking device to keep the bad guys from seeing them on their monitors...but...you can still see the escape ships! Yes, the rebel fleet are miles from the bad guys' ships, but are you telling me there is no one on the bad guys' bridge with a super duper binocular to get an up close and personal view of what the good guys are doing? At this point I may as well continue with my beef with this movie.

The opening sequence, which was very good in a menacing way, was completely ruined by jokes.

John Boyega, playing a Resistance fighter and the only black guy with a significant role in this movie, is still a damn clown.

Hamill's character was handled badly. The movie tried to make him look like a tragic character, something out of a Shakespeare story; but the writer, who is also the director, mangled the job so badly that Hamill came off as a blubbering fool. In his first appearance of "The Last Jedi," Hamill casually tosses his lightsaber behind him like a half eaten apple. What a great way to start destroying a character that could have added sorely needed darkness and depth to this movie. I understand that this movie is supposed to demystify the Jedis; but by doing that the writer/director/producers/studios are destroying the essence of "Star Wars." On top of that, demystifying the Jedis was done in a half-assed way, so the result is a double whammy.

There was no interesting lightsaber fight. None. The one with Ridley inside the Supreme Leader's throne room looked like something out of a second day rehearsal. As for the last lightsaber duel, it doesn't even count - I can't say why or else I'd spoil a big surprise. A great lightsaber fight sequence could have saved this movie, but there was none.

There were too many elements stolen from "A New Hope," "The Empire Strikes Back," and "Return Of The Jedi."

Ridley's character is hinted as someone who already knows the way to being a Jedi, and she can continue without Hamill training her and be fine. Huh? What? It is established that it takes many years to fully train a Jedi Knight. As strong as Anakin Skywalker (Darth Vader) was with The Force, he still needed over a decade of training by Jedi masters. So...Ridley will be okay and be a Jedi Knight one day because of three lessons Hamill taught her, plus reading the sacred Jedi books that she managed to take from Hamill's island?

Captain Phasma was next to Boyega when the ship was damaged badly. Everyone around Boyega was hurt badly or killed, and yet we see Phasma entering the cargo bay hundreds of feet away, unblemished and marching through smoke. Yes, dramatic, but made no damn sense.

Hamill apparently has a newfound power that wasn't established in any of the 7 previous "Star Wars" movies (including "Rogue One"). So, Disney is just going to make s@#t up as they see fit, damn the "Star Wars" bible (the original three movies)?

There are more problems I noticed with this movie, but I don't want to write a novella here, so...my most memorable, movie moment of "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" was the scene when Chewbacca was about to eat a cooked and tasty looking Porg as living Porgs gave him the sad eye/horror-stricken look. This scene was genuinely funny, and it says a lot about this movie that this is my most memorable, movie moment.

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" and "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" are movies that shouldn't have been made if they were going to be this disappointing. I understand Disney sees this franchise as a cash cow. Fine, but Disney needs to put competent writers to work on this series. Imagine how much more money can be made if the movie is actually good!

To Hollywood writers/directors/producers/studio executives: please refrain from using alcohol and drugs when making movies.

Mannysmemorablemoviemoments

Star Wars: The Last Jedi can only be surmised, for me, as a disappointment.

[TheMovieDiorama · 6/10 · 25 February 2018]

I'm not exactly sure what everyone else watched, but this is certainly no masterpiece. I've seen words like risk-taking, bold and edgy being thrown around. Bold? Gimme a break. There's more boldness in the Times New Roman font. This instalment has evidently, looking at aggregated scores, polarised viewers. And I can see why. In this episode, the rebels attempt to flee from The First Order and it's up to Finn to retrieve someone to help them infiltrate their primary ship. Meanwhile, Rey tries to convince Luke to help the rebels and train her in the Jedi religion. That's pretty much as grand as this chapter gets. Where is the grandeur!? Where are the stakes!? Why am I not on the edge of my seat! No matter how aesthetically pleasing the visuals are, the constant feeding of nostalgia and the inclusions of a few memorable scenes...it doesn't make a film great. This episode is weighed down by underdeveloped characters, sluggish pacing and pivotal elements that are rushed. I have no doubt in my mind that Rian Johnson's directing style was glorious, in fact the technical aspects to The Last Jedi are outstanding. Visually I cannot fault the effects that are used and also appreciated the use of puppets and animatronics, particularly the Porgs which are bound to make Disney a fortune. Various memorable scenes, such as a cruiser lightspeeding into another ship, make for some general entertainment. But, I can't shake off the fact that I was bored. It took nearly half the film's runtime to get going and become interesting. Kylo Ren is the most intriguing character with plenty of internal conflict. Adam Driver gives a perfectly good performance, full of emotion beneath his eyes. I can see it! They just didn't explore his character arc or utilise him to his maximum potential. The Force Awakens introduces us to these fascinating bubbly characters that are just utterly wasted in this. I'm uncertain about "bold" choices regarding Leia, Snoke and Luke...but even so, I wasn't enthralled enough to care.

My Issues With The Storytelling in The Last Jedi (Without Hyperbole)

[gogoschka-1 · 21 January 2018]

I didn't hate TLJ, but even if I completely ignore all the (among many fans) controversial choices Rian Johnson made with regards to his treatement of Star Wars' lore and characters, I still have a great number of qualms with the film in terms of its storytelling (sorry, this is going to be rather long):

PACING: Now that was probably my biggest issue with the film. Apart from the opening battle, the film has very little forward momentum for nearly two thirds of its running time. After the action-heavy beginning, the plot gets tangled in 3 separate storylines which unfold simultaneously. My (perhaps personal) problem was that I found 2 of those neither emotionally involving nor thrilling: the Finn/Rose subplot about finding the code-breaker on the "Casino Planet" Canto Bight as well as the Poe/Holdo storyline about the resistance' messy escape from the First Order and the universe's most sluggish space chase.

But the one story I was ready to get fully invested in - you know: the one about Rey and Luke on the island (and Kylo via Force-Skype) - not only offers very little in terms of action and visual excitement, it also never really gets the time to breathe: because the overall narrative requires the film to cut back and forth between it and the other two evolving story threads. The result of that narrative structure is 90 minutes of scenes with Rey and Luke (and a little Kylo) on a dreary, grey island that beg to resonate emotionally but get blunted each time by the film's need to cut to the (for me) somewhat uninvolving action in Finn's and Poe's part of the universe. And their two storylines lose all sense of urgency because they keep getting interrupted by the scenes on the island with Rey and Luke - which, to make matters worse, develop over several days in the film while Finn's and Poe's stories unfold over a couple of hours.

Due to that uneven structure we end up with a two-and-a-half-hour movie where the most crucial scenes of the story never get enough room to breathe and even feel rushed. It's only once all three storylines start coming together during the last third of the film that the film's pacing really works for me. But getting there often feels like a chore (and I'm really not sure a Star Wars film should feel like work).

ODD CHARACTER CHOICES: What is the purpose of having Leia in a coma for the better part of the film? Don't tell me this is all set up so Kylo thinks she's dead: she's connected to the Force, and he's about as plugged into the Force as one can be; if established Star Wars lore tells us anything, it's that Kylo would instantly feel it if his mother died (now that's something even a casual fan such as myself knows). So why not use Leia more? Why introduce a completely new character in Laura Dern's Admiral Holdo, if she essentially just functions as a stand-in for Leia?

Poe Dameron's whole arc in the film is about him learning the terrible human cost for stupid, vain heroism, and it's with Leia that he clashes, after he's sacrificed half the resistance' fleet in order to take out a single Dreadnought during the film's opening battle. And as soon as Leia's in a coma, almost the exact same conflict continues with Holdo. Nothing against Admiral Holdo, but it's hard to get invested in her character, because we only just met her; from a storytelling point of view, to make Poe's arc really resonate and raise the stakes for him (and the audience), it would make much more sense if he rebelled against Leia. Wasting her in a coma instead seems utterly pointless.

BIG MOMENTS: Unlike its immediate predecessor, TLJ shuns familiar formula. It's not all forward momentum, it's not all action - but unfortunately, it fails to provide the audience with an emotionally involving story instead. It may take characters in unexpected directions, but most of those new directions turn out to be somewhat... rather "mature" choices in terms of storytelling instead of exciting ones? Yes, there are several grand moments in the film that work great on an intellectual level, but they fail to reach us on a gut level. Whenever the film tries to build up to a big emotional moment, that moment ends up feeling, well, not very big at all - which naturally could again be a very deliberate choice by the director to subvert the formula, but to what end? Surely, the subversion itself can't be his main goal?

For example, take the scene where Rey learns from Kylo that her parents were nobodies and that they're long dead. The problem of that scene is not the reveal itself: it's the scene's execution. It's a huge reveal for Rey, and it should have more weight. It could - and probably should - be the most emotional moment in the film; a heart-felt gut-punch to our heroine, but instead it's just: *fighting* - "Your parents were nobodies, and they're dead." - "Yes, I feel it too." - *fighting continues*. I just don't get why such an important moment is treated so fleetingly.

In contrast, look how Lawrence Kasdan and J.J. Abrams staged The Force Awaken's most emotional scene: Han Solo's death at the hands of his own, terribly conflicted son. Now you can say about the film itself what you want, but that scene had a huge emotional impact on the viewer. It had weight. Imagine that scene had just happened during a fight, in a heated moment, only for the narrative to proceed without giving it any room? These are storytelling choices by Rian Johnson that don't do the movie any favors.

I would have been ready to applaud the director's (and/or Disney's) decision to try something different after TFA, but I lament this failure to develop emotional gravitas - and the film's unwillingness to ever raise the stakes for its lead characters. Until the very end, I never feel like any of the protagonists are in real danger. Nor are they ever confronted with the shocking consequences of their reckless actions on a personal level; Finn and Poe's great ideas and plans directly lead to the senseless deaths of dozens, if not hundreds of people - but those casualties are just numbers; they're just exploding spaceships we witness from afar; our heroes (and we as an audience) are never forced to feel the full weight of their loss.

As a consequence, there's just nothing there to make this war's terrible cost really resonate with us. This film needs a heartfelt punch to the gut; I'm all for challenging the protagonists morally and give them intellectually satisfying arcs, but the resulting storylines should still be exciting enough to make your heart pound. And I know I can only speak for myself, but my heartbeat hardly ever accelerated throughout its entire two-and-a-half-hour running time - if at all.

TLJ'S ISSUES AS A DIRECT SEQUEL: TFA teased a boatload of things to come, and while I'm theoretically on board with many of the unexpected directions Rian Johnson took these characters to in TLJ, I am very confused by his decision to ignore so many of the plot threads that were set up by Lawrence Kasdan and J.J. Abrams in TFA. Because due to that unorthodox approach, watching those two films back to back is a jarringly weird experience. Regardless how one feels about TFA, not even bothering to acknowledge what came before isn't just strange - it's almost offending to the many people who were fully invested in its mysteries and could hardly wait for those promised reveals.

And don't tell me they have only themselves and J.J. Abrams to blame; no - they had every right to have those expectations: because TLJ IS the direct sequel to TFA. In the same sense that BACK TO THE FUTURE II was the direct sequel to BACK TO THE FUTURE: the kind of sequel that continues only seconds after the first film ends, resulting in one unbroken storyline developing over two films. And of course the director can go into unexpected directions in the sequel - hell: as an audience we want him to. In fact, that IS part of our expectation and one of the reasons we go to the movies (and BTTF II did it brilliantly) - but pretending like important plot points and huge moments in the previous film simply didn't matter or didn't even happen comes dangerously close to playing the audience for fools.

Not that an artist (or a huge conglomerate) shouldn't have the creative licence to do that - but if you go down that road don't act surprised about the inevitable backlash. And I honestly don't get why going into new directions had to result in such an uneven transition from the first film to the second; the way I see it, even a couple of lines of dialog from characters like Luke, Snoke or Kylo-Ren would have been enough to tie some of the most prominent lose ends up or at least not just leave them dangling in the air like this. I mean, I get that Johnson doesn't want us to be interested in Snoke's story (and a whole bunch of other things that were made to feel important in TFA) because HE isn't interested in it. But as a writer he could get that point across and still address the issue (because the previous film told the audience to BE interested in it) - just to then quickly resolve it in an offhanded manner and take the story where he wants it to go.

SUMMARY: The Last Jedi is a structurally uneven and often frustrating film that almost always refuses to give its heroes - and the audience - satisfaction. It is a film that over large stretches of its running time is so concerned with subverting the formula and teaching lessons about the importance of failure, that it fails to realize how watching your heroes fail over two and a half hours may be unexpected, but frankly - it's also a bit tiring.

It may have been a gutsy and very unexpected move by Johnson to throw out most of the mysteries teased in TFA, but the question only audiences - and time - can answer is whether what he offers instead is a worthy replacement.

Favorite films: IMDb.com/list/mkjOKvqlSBs/

Lesser-Known Masterpieces: imdb.com/list/ls070242495/

Favorite TV-Shows reviewed: imdb.com/list/ls075552387/

The Force has properly Awaken

[Equalizer16 · 8/10 · 15 December 2017]

The 8th chapter in the newly resurrected Star Wars series, is a rollercoaster of an adventure, filled with the unexpected fun, twist and turns that have been delightfully introduced by Rian Johnson. What you would expect is not what is given to you, in the most whimsical Star Wars film to date.

Following from the end of the Force Awakens, we find Rey attempting to bring Luke Skywalker out of hiding to help the battle against the vicious First Order, but Skywalker himself does not seek to return, as his own past has defined him as he insists on staying in the dark. Meanwhile General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) leads the resistance in escape from the First Order in deep space, where Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and Hux ( Domhnall Gleeson) won't rest till they are finally destroy them.

As a life long Star Wars fan, it was regrettable when I went to see The Force Awakens two years ago, and coming out feeling very disappointed. After a couple more views, I have been able to enjoy the film, but still find several issues with it, that haven't made it the Star Wars film for me. I have to admit though that the ending, with reveal of Rey's power and that final appearance of Mark Hamil did have me anticipating in glee for the next chapter of the series. With a darker appearance than the previous film, and a different director: Rian Johnson, I have been very excited about the promise of The Last Jedi.

As the caption "A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away" emerged I had a sudden shiver of joy (as did it last time). Unfortunately soon after, I found myself thinking its was going in the same direction of the Force Awakens, with the same issues occurring.

We start with a rather choppy beginning in the establishment of our characters, that created a great disturbance in the balance of things. This was only pre-mature but stood out to ne. Again we have frequent moments of on the nose dialogue, that may sound good on paper, but through certain delivery is not. There is also have middle subplot with Finn (Jon Boyega) and new rebel character Rosa ( that doesn't really land on its feet and eventually becomes a waste of time just to fit into the 152 minute runtime.

We furthermore have the return of the endless string of laugh out loud jokes and quirks that turn it almost into comedy, charming to some maybe, but not for this fan. Star Wars at its core is film about the struggle of good vs evil which I and I'm sure many fans take seriously, but its very hard to take it serious if the film isn't half the time. Its not just the cute humour with BB-8 but there are times during critical conversation, that it appears a custard pie has to be thrown. I know if you take any Marvel film you could pick out a hundred moments of humour, but there's something about the humour in the latest Star Wars films, which just ruins it for me, it pulls me out of this fantasy and draws attention to the artificial construction.

That being said what Star Wars The Last Jedi wonderfully succeeds as a fun, action pack, adventure, character drama, and I am over joyed to say for myself, as a Star Wars film.

A Bold and original take for the Star Wars series, The Last Jedi at last becomes its very own film, in a inventive war drama, taking you places you would never expect to find yourself. From a brilliant dramatic tension between, Rey and Luke, to Ren's desperation to prove himself to Supreme Leader Snoke, and the resistance struggling to work cooperatively against the First Order. This is mostly held together by Mark Hamill's stand out performance as the broken Jedi master, in his heart-rendering eyes and stares, Hamill, perfectly embodies an aging Skywalker, lost of hope for the rest of the galaxy. This is the key heart that drives the soul of the film. Furthermore Driver brings a much stronger an more powerful performance in Kylo Ren, especially when opposite his counterpart Rey, with Daisy Ridley also bringing a more thriving performance.

Of course opposite Johnson's brialliant storytelling, is a range of fantastic action, including some sensational space dog fights, planet battles and as always exhilarating lighsaber battles. The Last Jedi, almost never rests in its continuous array of action making it one of the most action packed Star Wars films yet.

What I wanted for The Force Awakens is exactly what I got in the Last Jedi with its own story, still with certain shouts to The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, but still a new chapter to remember. As also similar to last year's spin off film Rogue One, The Last Jedi, properly begins and ends with a monumental final third act This is where the new Star Wars era finally become Star Wars for me. The film represents the change and innovation which the filmmakers are presumably planning to bring into a new Star Wars generation.

Star Wars The Last Jedi has now thankfully awakened the force in me, as to appreciate this new Star Wars era. It does still suffer from a several flaws within narrative structure, and my personal quarrels, but managed to bring out the real Star Wars fan in me. An incredible and enjoyable watch, The force is very strong with this one.

Star Worse

[mihai_alexandru_chindris · 6/10 · 8 June 2018]

I've seen some Star Wars movie lately, 3 or 4, skipped episodes, but they were not as bad as this one. This seems to hit all records, and by this, I mean the bad ones. It's a Swedish buffet with the worst thing you can imagine: poor acting, action, scenes, etc. It certainly doesn't look like Star Wars to me. And I don't believe it looks this way for others either.

Amazed by the negativity

[castansfield · 9/10 · 15 December 2017]

I walked out of this movie with six friends at 3 am, and all of us were WIRED from adrenaline and amazement. And then I checked IMDB and saw nothing but angry fans, proving that there really is no pleasing organized fandom. Everyone complained mightily at how unoriginal and "safe" The Force Awakens was, and then a movie comes along with an actual point of view, with incredible style unlike anything that has come before it in the series, that is daring, fresh, and original...and now it's just too different for everyone.

Though some of the complaints are fair (namely that one major subplot turns out to be largely a digression), this was so surprising and thoughtful and fresh that it frankly makes The Force Awakens better by recontextualizing it. This movie has something to say if people will take a moment to listen to it rather than getting pissy that it wasn't what they were expecting.

Disappointingly Average

[Liam3011 · 6/10 · 5 July 2018]

I originally went to the midnight showing of this back in December. Only reviewing it now because, for whatever reason, I was unable to make a review for any title for the longest time.

I've not watched it since, so forgive me if any information I say is... inaccurate.

But this movie. Where to I begin? Well, I suppose I say it's not as bad as people make it out to be. Because it's not. There's something to enjoy here but, some sequences, make it incredibly hard to enjoy it the way it should be.

I'll say the cons first, because they are the most glaring.

I'll start off by saying the Canto Bight sequence was 100% pointless. It was unnecessary and slow. There was no substance in any of the scenes that showed Canto Bight. It felt like they were trying too hard to spread the "animal cruelty is very much real" message. I get it that they want to spread awareness, but don't make it glaringly obvious. Actually have it play an important role in the movie, rather than having it there for the sake of it.

Rose is an awful character, in my opinion. She is just there for diversity sake and nothing but. The actress, which I'll give credit, did a great job with what she was given but I felt like she was shoehorned into this movie.

Rey's training feels far too rushed. Before anyone says that Luke's Jedi training in Empire was rushed, I'll correct you by saying his training took up a good portion of the movie and even by the end he wasn't a full Jedi. He was a full Jedi in The Return of the Jedi. Awakens ended with Rey finding Luke; her training barely happened and all of a sudden she's able to use the force to move rocks out of the way as if she had been training for a long, long time.

Speaking of Rey, the whole "strong female role" feels forced. Again. I'm all for female roles being strong, I am. But don't make the male's almost irrelevant. Finn didn't really do that much in The Last Jedi. Yeah, he had a few scenes here and there, but he practically spent the entire film with Rose. Doing, let's be honest, very little.

Rose saves Finn. Okay, but if Finn is to be killed off in the next film, they've missed a great opportunity. It was a typical "here comes Disney" moment, ruining what would have been a great scene. Not saying I wanted Finn to die, but if they have plans to kill him off in the next one, I'd suggest they don't because they missed out on what could have been a great death scene.

Humour? Too much of it, but there are also pros around that too. So I won't say too much. And Ben Swolo. Why? Oh, and Phasma again falsely built up.

Oh, and last but not least. Luke. This film completely goes against what his character is about. He's meant to be this confident Jedi who always tries to find a way. In The Last Jedi? He's the opposite. He's pessimistic. He's not wanting to save anyone or anything. It's not Luke. And the promise about his screen time? Yeah, false. You probably know that though because you're reading a spoiler review.

Now onto the pros. There aren't many, but the stuff they get right, they do get right, hence my rating.

The effects, in my opinion, are great. They're not overly reliant on CGI. It's good to see that a majority of the aliens in the movie are puppets, but really detailed and realistic ones. It's good to know they've not used CGI for the sake of it like how it was with the prequels.

The acting is fantastic, in my opinion, for the most part. Yes, Rey's still a bit... whiny. But she's not as whiny as she was. She's much better than she was in Awakens.

The action sequences are very well shot and very well choreographed, with all the angles and such. I feel they did extremely well in that department. Really, really well. I enjoyed the sequences.

The humour, albeit overused, was funny in some places. So I could enjoy it in that respect.

Overall? It's not as bad as people say, but don't go out of your way to watch it. If you're a die hard Star Wars fan (like me) then. Go ahead, I guess. But don't go in with high expectations. Keep your expectations neutral and just go in with the "sequel mentality". Rule of thumb is: movie sequels don't tend to always be as good as their predecessors. (Unless your movie is Empire)

6/10

A beautiful, humorous and magical Star Wars movie!

[jonabyron · 8/10 · 16 December 2017]

I've been a Star Wars fan since I was 7 years old, and I even remember seeing Empire and Jedi on the big screen as a kid. Yeah, I'm old. But, I'm a little shocked at so many haters of this movie, many of you have given a 2! A 2???? Seriously?

I've given The Last Jedi an 8. It's an epic and original Star Wars movie, with gorgeous cinematography and incredible music from the wonderful John Williams again. Rain Johnson has managed to expand the force mythology, inject some good ol' humour back into the saga, and throw in some wonderful surprises, that I believe, we all needed. It seems like many of you do not like change, or are not prepared to enjoy a Star Wars movie that takes risks. This movie takes huge risks; it dares to offer something fresh in a franchise that is over 40 years old. It also pays homage to the original trilogy in a beautiful and tasteful way. So, no, I do NOT understand the haters out there.

Nevertheless, it's not a perfect movie. There are some risks that Johnson takes, that will upset some fans, but some of those decisions have made me ponder the force in a new way. One of the main problems for me was the 'detour' from the main storyline with Finn and Rose. This storyline felt a bit sluggish, 'forced' and feels kind of shoehorned in there, and it also doesn't really serve the greater story-but then again, maybe it DOES. I will need to see it again to decide on this. There were also a handful of 'dumb' little moments, that I won't get into, and certainly at times I was reminded that Star Wars movies were originally made for children, and while we have our darker adult themes at work here (and even spiritual themes), there are also many magical moments for children. Maybe us 'grownups' need to stop taking it all so seriously and learn to be kids again?

For the most part, this is a solid, original and gorgeous Star Wars movie that I believe, makes The Force Awakens seem a little bland and unoriginal. Go and see it, it's the best Star Wars movie since Empire.

The worst of the newest installments

[Top_Dawg_Critic · 6/10 · 16 March 2018]

This film's downfall was the screenplay. The writing was all over the place with major plot issues and convoluted scenes. Even the attempted humor was stale. This felt more like a Disney film than a true Star Wars installment. For the long length of this film, the writing should have been tighter. However, still amazing cinematography and VFX, and the directing was OK considering the screenplay was a mess. Not sure how anyone can rate this a 1 (seeing lots of those) without any credit to the visuals. It's a fair and honest 6/10 from me

Did Rian Johnson watch the other films on mute?

[jace_the_film_guy · 2/10 · 24 September 2022]

It is as if Rian Johnson watched the Star Wars movies on mute before writing/directing this film. Visually, the movie is stunning. From the set pieces to the action sequences, "The Last Jedi" has some of the best visual moments in the franchise. Unfortunately, the story and a true understanding of the Star Wars universe is lacking.

• The actions of some of the characters are completely against what we have seen in other films (the treatment of Luke Skywalker is absurd).

• The new characters introduced are irritating and shallow (Laura Dern's Vice-Admiral Holdo might be my least favorite character in Star Wars history).

• Force sensitivity is a joke (Leia, Luke, Kylo and Rey).

• The entire "master code breaker" plotline is frustratingly pointless.

When I look at the poster for this movie, I think about the epic fight sequences and the daring visuals. This is fortunate, because the rest of the film is frustratingly disjointed from the rest of the franchise.

Best Character: Kylo Ren Best Quote: "Pass on what you have learned. Strength. Mastery. But weakness, folly, failure also. Yes, failure most of all. The greatest teacher, failure is." - Yoda Best Moment: The battle against Snoke's guards. The red scene!

a lot of hate in the comment section

[CitizenKaneAAAAA · 8/10 · 14 December 2017]

It's not the best star wars film indeed, nor the best film of all time, but for me it's a very good film, one of the best of the year. this franchise has always been loyal to it's theme that is good vs. evil. sometimes the good comes from the evil side and vice versa. but in this film, the moral value is even more expanded. there's a lot of conflict about good and evil, virtue and vice, also what's best and what's not best in every plot of the movie. I also find one character that is very interesting. he simply doesn't belong to the good nor evil, he is either above or below that, he call it "a system". i bet he will get more screen time in the last installment because that character just opened a lot of possibility to another direction about good vs. evil.

the visual are as great and crative as The Force Awakens and Rogue One. and i like that Rian Johnson still using the practical effect even though the Yoda scene looked like a muppet show lol. i wish they could mixed it with CGI, maybe his eye, or mouth movement, or a blowing hair, something like that.

my conclusion is, it's an expensive blockbuster film with an expensive conflicts and moral question. and the third act is just amazing. looking forward to the next installment

Disappointing

[Michael_Ransom · 6/10 · 11 January 2018]

Star Wars - The Last Jedi was disappointing, to say the least. To many mistakes were made, no questions were answered, as if they just do not care, which is probaply the case. Even Mark Hamill said that he did no like what they did for the original charakters. It sometimes reminded me a lot of the prequels from the early 2000s, so I can not rate this movie higher than 6/6.5!

TLJ leaves you not wanting to know how the story goes on from here. I simply do not care since they failed to make the new charakters more intersting!

I defently will not watch the next movie at its premiere, instead I'll wait till its out on Netflix!

Dissappointing!

I'm going to keep this short (unlike the film).

[BA_Harrison · 3/10 · 24 December 2017]

After George Lucas's execrable prequels and the mediocre The Force Awakens, I've learnt to keep my expectations low for any new Star Wars films in order to avoid total disappointment. Having just seen The Last Jedi, it appears that I haven't been keeping them low enough.

The reasons for my loathing are the same as those noted in the countless scathing reviews here on IMDb, so I won't go into drawn out detail - suffice to say that the film frequently beggars belief, is massively bloated, defies logic and is full of misplaced humour (the worst moments being the horrible 'steam iron' gag and BB-8's handy coin launcher).

3 out of 10, solely for the impressive special effects. Writer/director Rian Johnson shouldn't be allowed within 12 parsecs of another Star Wars sequel.

A completely empty movie made for profit on a generic PC hollywood formula

[sumtim3s00n · 16 December 2017]

There is very little good to say about it. The movie is void of any significant story or dialogues, it lacks purpose and vision. Its rather an obvious and obnoxious mix of studio wishes for toy sales and trying to please as wide an audience as possible. So many things wrong dont know where to even begin.

First of all, Jar Jar, the ever annoying horrible Jar Jar from previous movies at least had a purpose as a (very poor) comic relief character. The fluffy penguins in Last Jedi on the other hand are 100% transparently there for no reason but toy sales. The action trumps everything in the movie. I have nothing against good action but come on. And the characters are so blatantly cliche and repeating themselves. Luke, a seemingly wise Jedi, perhaps fed up with everything but how does that make him a miserable, cold, heartless bast*ard. All of the characters are so black and white, its mind numbing. A good movie is a good movie, be it a simple comedic Thor Ragnarok or a thought provoking Matrix. But the Last Jedi is nothing of that, its a heartless product almost made by a (quality) hollywood generator machine working based on a formula of most prevalent cliches today and popular ideas/values. Also of course the SJW crowd had to have their say making all heroes,general,admirals whatever women and male hero black. And then throw in an asian sidekick,they mustnt be forgoten,that would be rasist. Its pathetic. The race or sex of characters shouldnt be forced,it should serve the story. It does anything but that here. It wasnt story first here. It was the marketing guy, the censor, the SJW representative and toy company. Only THEN came director,story,character. Expect no sight or smell of anything original, thought provoking, tabboo breaking or good moral quandries. Just a lot of empty happening for 2 hours.

This is not going to go the way you think.

[smg242 · 10/10 · 10 December 2017]

First of all, let me alleviate the concern that this film is a rehash of Empire Strikes Back by affirming that it is indeed not. The Last Jedi is by far the most original, surprising and exhilarating Star Wars film since the Disney-Lucasfilm acquisition in 2012. It's also a high point in the Star Wars saga, and I have no doubt it will be remembered as one of the most consequential chapters in the Star Wars mythos in the years to come.

Which is why, I must implore audiences to please please please for the love of God, avoid spoilers at all costs. If you're a fan, and if you're reading this before going in, then I can assure you that spoilers will most definitely affect your movie-going experience, as there is quite obviously a lot that happens in this film that has so effectively been kept under wraps for the same reason.

The Last Jedi could not have been what it is without Rian Johnson. It's very clear he's a massive fan of Star Wars, and this film is honestly more like an impassioned labor of love. His writing, the way he's directed this film, it all shines as some of the best I've seen this year. This is also a beautiful, beautiful looking film with what is quite possibly the best cinematography and visuals of any Star Wars film ever made.

It's also incredibly well acted- Mark Hamill absolutely kills it. Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver also perform their roles as Rey and Kylo Ren perfectly. The rest of the cast is sound, and Carrie Fisher in her final role is every bit the Leia we've come to know and love, and then some.

The score by John Williams is wholesome. There's really no other way for me to describe it. A wonderful mix of brand-new as well as familiar motifs and themes. Despite the great score and visuals, however, The Last Jedi manages to make your jaw drop several times with some of the most surprising moments in the saga thus far- there's a line that Luke Skywalker says in the film, that is the title of this review and is most definitely applicable to this film: "This is not going to go the way you think." And that it is not, Rian Johnson has assured that with this story that's continually unexpected, a story that indeed changes the way you look at these films, which is precisely what it shares in common with The Empire Strikes Back, and that's every bit a good thing.

I am incredibly lucky to have watched this movie premiere, but I truly think it's a lucky time for Star Wars fans all over. Watch this as soon as you can and try your best not to be spoiled. Of course, if you're a fan, you won't need convincing.

Slightly Intriguing, but Ultimately Disappointing

[mrstrangerjones · 6/10 · 5 April 2018]

PROS: Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac, John Boyega, and Adam Driver are still wonderful as the new blood of this franchise. They all play rich characters that we absolutely care about. However, Mark Hamill stole the show for me. While some people disliked his performance in this film, I felt that it showed how he's seen a lot over the years that changed him. The visuals in this film are top notch. I was surprised to find out which scenes were CG and which were practical (the stone hut destruction and the ship dropping bombs were both practical), which is a huge compliment. The story was a mixed bag for me, but I did really liked it when it was about Rey training with Luke, as well as her having a connection with Kylo Ren. This story element was extremely fascinating, but there were enough bad elements in the story to counteract this. The fight scene with the Praetorian guards was stunning. The action was so well choreographed, and it looked so cool. Also, I loved the Porgs. They were really cute, and they weren't in the movie long enough to get on my nerves, so I'm glad about that.

CONS: I went into this movie hoping that it would be a fitting last performance from Carrie Fisher (rest in peace). However, she was put in a coma early in the movie and didn't show up again until later. I was very disappointed that this was the last time that we're ever going to see Princess Leia (she's still a princess to me) again, especially since she had such a minimal role. The story also sucked. The entire scene on Cantobyte (that went on for 20 goddamn minutes) was overly long and unnecessary, as well as the plot element where Holdo doesn't tell anybody that they plan on taking refuge on an ice planet. I was initially impressed when "The Last Jedi" was announced to be 2 and a half hours long, but it could have easily been reduced by half an hour. Also, why the hell did you kill of Snoke in the second movie of the trilogy? The directors were planning on making him more powerful than the Emperor, but then he goes out like a punk in the middle of the second movie. This was outrageous! Finally, Rose and Finn's story arc just bored me. I understand what it was trying to do, but it ultimately failed by adding unnecessary scenes and trying to force a romance. Did we learn nothing from "Attack of the Clones"?

Johnson's fresh touch and Hamill's magnificent performance make for a film which is thrilling, clever, funny and heartbreaking at its best moments

[dirty_chords · 8/10 · 11 December 2017]

I attended an advanced press screening of the movie a few hours ago. It won me over! And bear in mind that I hated "The Force Awakens" (honestly thought it was a Episode IV rip-off). Here, director Rian Johnson doesn't play it safe, and it pays off. If I must point out a certain highlight, it's without a doubt Mark Hamill's performance. I really admired his ability to convincingly convey so many different emotions throughout the film; hats off to this guy. I'll be rooting for him in the future.

After I had seen "The Force Awakens", I figured out I would never like a new Star Wars movie again. Boy, was I wrong. I loved "The Last Jedi"! This film had clever humour (there was a certain hilarious moment between General Hux and Kylo Ren that I couldn't stop laughing at; you'll totally know when you see the film yourselves), good cinematography and great characters (just see how developed Benicio Del Toro's minor character is) that I could care about. It also had a very good plot for the most part, with many unpredictable and surprising elements. The action was good, and the fighting scenes even better (great choreography).

Although the ideas weren't always original, the experience felt real. Therefore, I often struggled to control my emotions. It was the ideal farewell to Carrie Fisher.

I mean, what more could I ask for?

The weakest one thus far.

[deloudelouvain · 6/10 · 10 April 2020]

After so many years of postponing I finally decided to watch all the Star Wars movies. Since there are different ways to watch it I'm going for the chronological order and not the release date order, that just makes more sense to me. Maybe I watched a couple movies when I was young, I probably did, but I don't remember anything about it so to me it's all new and maybe one day I will understand the whole hype about the Star Wars saga. After watching The Phantom Menace, Attack Of The Clones, Revenge Of The Sith, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Rogue One, A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, Return Of The Jedi, The Force Awakens, and The Mandalorian (series) it's now time for The Last Jedi. I read tons of reviews stating The Force Awakens was the worst one while for me it was the best one. The worst one to me was The Last Jedi, it's just much too long, it has an uninteresting story with a lot of unnecessary scenes, the CGI's were good but that's only normal for a Star Wars movie, certainly for a recent one. I just feel the writers didn't know what to do at one point, it was just a bad script this time. By watching the saga in chronological order you appreciate every movie better than in order by release date. It's just a better way to watch the whole saga, it's much easier to follow and for somebody new to it like me it's just much more appealing. The Star Wars saga is great because of the different characters, races of aliens, and the different spaceships and weapons, for that I just love it. It's not often you see sequels getting better than the first one but with Star Wars the quality of the movies just improve every time, except for Rogue One and The Last Jedi, those I thought were of lesser quality. I can't wait to watch the next one, will probably binge watch the eleven movies and The Mandalorian, as long as the chronological order is respected. This was the tenth movie of eleven plus The Mandalorian in barely five days for me, next one today will be The Rise Of Skywalker, the latest and last one in the hope it will be better than this one, looking forward to it.

"Nobody hates Star Wars more than Star Wars fans."

[pinemaples · 10/10 · 24 December 2019]

I took my father to see this when it came out in theaters. After the movie, I told him that I thought it was my second favorite after Empire. My dad, who raised me on these movies, who has seen each of them when they first released in theaters dating all the way back to 1977, who has seen each of these movies almost as many times as I have, said "Nah, I think this might've actually been my favorite." I just watched this movie again for maybe the fourth or fifth time and I still love it. I think this was honestly my favorite of Mark Hamill's performances as Luke, because he shows so much range. He's a very tortured character, angry at himself, angry at the Jedi, angry at the Sith, and angry at the Force. In one brief moment of weakness, fearing the potential of the darkness in his nephew, fearing that he wouldn't be able to be the mentor Ben needed (the same fear he showed in Timothy Zahn's Heir to the Empire, mind you), he made a mistake, because of course, not even Luke Skywalker is perfect, and that mistake cost him the soul of the son of his sister and his best friend. Without giving spoilers, Luke's arc takes him from the part of a reclusive curmudgeon, reminiscent of what we saw from Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back, and leads him to be the hero and the face of hope that the Resistance needs when he utterly humiliates Kylo Ren in front of the entire First Order and the remains of the Resistance. The only real issue I have with the movie is that I feel the Canto Bight sequence is too preachy for my taste, as I just watch movies to have a good time - not to be given a sermon. But even that sequence has merits going for it, like that little drunk alien shoving tokens into BB-8 (that alien is played by Mark Hamill, by the way). Rose is adorable, and the fathiers are cute and the practical effects used to create them in the stable are flawless. My favorite part of the movie is the whole last half hour that takes place on the planet Crait. The imagery of the asymmetrical speeders skating on the dusty surface, kicking up the bright red salt underneath is an incredible, unforgettable image. And as mentioned before, that one-on-one final confrontation is so satisfying, capped with that "See you around, kid."

Disappointing

[vinniec-53536 · 6/10 · 30 April 2018]

'Star Wars Episode 8: The Last Jedi' was very different from any Star Wars film before it, in some ways good, and in some ways bad. It had an interesting story, like pretty much every other 'Star Wars' film, which isn't at all surprising. I was extremely excited walking into 'The Last Jedi', but I left kinda disappointed about certain aspects. I loved seeing the legendary Rebellion hero and Jedi Master Luke Skywalker again, but his death is the main part I was disappointed by. He is one of the most iconic characters in film history, and I feel his end should've been equally as iconic. I was on the edge of my seat when he showed up on the planet Crait to help the Resistance and him and his former student Ben Solo/Kylo Ren were about to fight. I thought it was going to be the most epic lightsaber duel of all-time, but instead it turned out Luke wasn't even there! He chose to stay on his little island and project a Force-illusion or hologram or whatever you want to call it, instead of showing up in person and facing Kylo like a man. Then he just disappeared and "died" like Yoda did in 'Return of the Jedi'. That really rubbed me the wrong way. Even if he knew he was gonna die, why didn't he go to Crait in person and duel Kylo Ren to buy the Resistance even MORE time to escape? Then when they were safely off-world, he could've done what Obi-Wan did in 'A New Hope': lowered his lightsaber (which technically should've been his green-bladed one instead of his blue one which had just been broken in half about a scene before), allowed Kylo to strike him with his red lightsaber, and just disappeared, leaving only his robes and lightsaber behind. That would've been an epic and iconic end for such an iconic character. Anyway, I feel like I'm ranting, so I'll move on. The space battle at the beginning was amazing, even though it didn't end well for many Resistance fighters and pilots. There were definitely a lot of deaths in this movie. Luke, Supreme Leader Snoke, Captain Phasma, Vice Admiral Holdo, Rose's sister, and Admiral Ackbar ("It's a trap!") all died, which was very sad. I was hoping to learn more about Snoke's backstory because he was shrouded in so much mystery since The Force Awakens, but I guess he just wasn't that important. I got so excited when Kylo Ren killed Snoke because I thought he was turning good again, but it turns out he's still evil and just wanted to be Supreme Leader so he wouldn't have to take orders from anyone anymore. I guess it wouldn't have made much sense if he turned good again because then who would've been the main Force-using villain? The ensuing battle between Rey and Kylo vs. Snoke's guards was pretty cool, I just wish there would've been an actual lightsaber vs. lightsaber duel because this is actually the first Star Wars movie (aside from Rogue One) without one, which makes me kinda sad. Probably the biggest question going into 'The Last Jedi' was the mystery of Rey's parentage. It turns out her parents were just... nobodies. Drunks who sold young Rey off for drinking money or a way off Jakku or something, which was initially very disappointing to me because I really wanted her to be descended from or related to a character from the original trilogy or even the prequels. But the more I think about Rey essentially coming from nothing, the more I'm ok with it. After all, Anakin Skywalker was just a slave boy (and so was his mother), and I guess it shows fans that anyone can be a hero, no matter who you are or where you come from. Plus, it means she's free to forge her own path and make her own destiny instead of being held down by a famous bloodline. I really hope she has a double-bladed lightsaber like Darth Maul's in Episode 9, since she's proficient with a staff. The scene at the end with the little boy on Canto Bight using the Force to grab the broom and holding it like a lightsaber while wearing Rose's Resistance ring was cool because I think it symbolizes that a new generation of Jedi will rise, so the Jedi will never really "end" as Luke wanted. The acting from everyone was fantastic, and I think this was definitely Mark Hamill's finest performance as an older and more weary Luke. Overall, while there are some parts I didn't like, the film as a whole was solid. Not my favorite Star Wars film (that honor goes to The Force Awakens), but definitely solid, I just really wish Luke went out like more of the epic badass I know he is. I think the main, overall message of the film is that no matter how dark and dire things get, there is and always will be hope. By the way, I forgot to say my favorite part by far was Yoda's cameo. I almost cried.

Not this Disappointed Since Jar Jar Binks

[view_and_review · 3/10 · 16 December 2017]

I love the Star Wars franchise. I was so anxious to watch The Last Jedi especially how The Force Awakens ended and how good The Force Awakens was. I bought my tickets a month and a half in advance in anticipation of episode eight.

As the movie started I was dialed in for the first 15 minutes then I noticed this subtle uneasiness in me like a disturbance in the force. It began with the interaction between Poe and Princess Leia. She made a comment and made a decision regarding Poe that I found a little unsettling. "OK." I thought. I didn't like that exchange but it's not a show stopper. The subtlety was that Leia was making it seem like the Rebels were in no need of heroes. They didn't need fighters anymore, they needed thinkers (or something akin to that). I took that little shift in philosophy in stride and kept eagerly watching. A couple of other small iniquities occurred but I soldiered forth watching with an open mind because it's "Star Wars".

Then, there came the interaction between Rey and Luke Skywalker.

Luke is part of movie folklore to me. Like many people have the one celebrity they'd like to meet: the one fictional character for me has always been Luke Skywalker. Luke was the first hero I'd seen wear black. He had piloting skills, light saber skills and could do Jedi mind tricks. He was the coolest.

Fast forward nearly 40 years and now Luke is an old man. So what I'm expecting is an older, WISER Luke. If Luke is on a deserted planet then it must be for a very good reason. And if Rey found him, much like Luke found Yoda, then Luke will have so much to impart upon Rey. That's not quite what went down. They made Luke a sullen pessimistic old man that was ignorant of simple truths. He offered so little; to the movie and to Rey. He was a shell of his former self, he was only good at being the ex machina. The Luke Skywalker in this movie was NOT the Luke Skywalker I knew. The Luke Skywalker I know was killed in this movie.

After seeing my fictional hero relegated to something unrecognizable I actually became bitter while watching the movie. There was almost nothing they could do to save the movie. And they didn't . In fact, it got worse. By the end the movie was more of what I should have saw coming: rebels running from the Republic and figuring out some remote yet heroic way to ward them off. And what added to the annoyingness of this movie is that they didn't know when or how to end it. What should have been the end was followed up by another half an hour mini movie with its own beginning, middle and end.

But unlike The Last Jedi I know how to end this post. Don't waste your time.

The force is strong with this movie!

[Ramascreen · 10/10 · 12 December 2017]

This review is spoiler-free meaning it does not contain spoilers, but I will genuinely share with you how "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" affects me as a movie fan, as a Star Wars fan,.. and whether or not it does what it's supposed to do. Audiences around the world tend to agree with the statement that "Empire Strikes Back" is one of the best sequels ever made, well, I think "The Last Jedi" can easily take that honor now. This movie is astonishing and spectacular. It pushes many of this franchise's familiar elements to their limits and it really digs deep into the key characters and brings forth everything that stands out about them. Writer/director Rian Johnson is an impeccable storyteller.

The story picks up after the events in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," by this time the First Order grows stronger as it corners the resistance to an impossible situation. Poe Dameron, Finn and Rose come up with a plan that could work but time is of the essence. Meanwhile Rey is doing her best to convince Luke Skywalker to join in on the fight, but Luke doesn't want to be a jedi or a master, let alone the resistance's final hope.

Ok, so if you're wondering what happens with Kylo Ren, Rey, Poe Dameron and Finn and how they affect each other this time around, without giving it away, what "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" does is essentially flesh out these characters. Not only will you get to know some of their history and their background and what truly compels them, but this time they're also facing some very difficult choices. And the film also lays out judgement on some of them, it puts an end to some parts of the story that doesn't need to be continued anymore in the next episode. And what's brilliant about the story that Rian Johnson has crafted is that it makes you the audience think that each of those characters has their own respective path that they're going on, you expect them to see it through but bam, other plans take over but turns out these new unexpected plans actually make sense to the overall arc.

Johnson wants these characters' personal journeys to be a refined in the fire type of journeys. Each revelation, each aspect, brings them one step closer to being the lead stars, front and center of this new trilogy as the old icons take a step back further away from the spotlight. Speaking of whom, it's so awesome Mark Hamill be Luke Skywalker again, he has a bigger role this time, such a larger than life legend, and Hamill actually gives his best performance in years in this one.

I know that a lot of fans consider "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" to be more or less a rehash of "A New Hope" and I don't blame them for thinking that because to a certain extent, it was a rehash. But it's a necessary one because after the super boring parliamentary-heavy prequels by George Lucas. So it was important for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" to remind us that this franchise was once super fun and exciting. So because that problem was taken care of, so now Rian Johnson doesn't need to do such reminder anymore with "Star Wars: The Last Jedi." It is not a Empire Strikes Back rehash. Rian can freely do what he does best, similar to what he did with "Brick," "The Brothers Bloom," and "Looper, and that is to further explore the possible consequences of the characters' decisions while at the same time amplifying everything you love about Star Wars, it even brings back some familiar faces. If you've always been fascinated with the force, this movie emphasizes the force all the more. If you miss Carrie Fisher, this movie has heavy dose of general Leia, if light speed gets you stoked, there's plenty of those here, and if you're a big fan of jedi mindtrick, boy does "Star Wars: the Last Jedi" have a big motherload surprise for you or what!

Such incredible breathtaking new locations as well, especially that vast salt land in Bolivia that serves as the backdrop for the planet Crait. The battle sequences in this film are pulse-pounding, explosive and intense. The light saber fights are thrilling, you just get enough of it, you'll be begging for more, you'll want the film to display more of those laser swords in action. The way the new characters integrate themselves with the stories of Kylo Ren, Finn and Poe Cameron is quite seamless. Whatever conflicts amongst them or their collision only lead to some of this film's most heroic moments which are highlighted by the remarkable sound mix and sound editing. This is a movie that entirely looks and moves and feels and breathes like a Star Wars movie with an Oscar level deeply affecting drama that stays with you long after the end credits roll. The force is strong with "Star Wars: the Last Jedi."

-- Rama's Screen --

Made no sense

[diadectes58 · 6/10 · 17 June 2018]

I nominate this film as The Worst Movie in the History of the World. Why? Because the criteria is that the movie has to be bad, but not cheap, and made by a studio that should have know better, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi fits this description perfectly.

Don't reward Disney for this travesty and hand over your money to watch this Mickey Mouse movie

[AlsExGal · 4/10 · 28 December 2017]

Modern Disney - you know, the one that has to buy Pixar to gain any originality - has its fingerprints all over this one. There were great visuals, entertaining characters, and funny one-liners. Oh, and this one had inspirational messages: Anyone can be a hero, we fight out of love, failure is a teacher, etc. (however ham-fisted).

The audience was there for the world-building and the advancement of the story. None of which really happened. So the audience focused on the string of plot holes, lapses in logic, and generally lack of anything new or interesting that was added to the Star Wars world. The Last Jedi is the cinematic reverse equivalent of fast food. Critics were more than happy with it because they came expecting a Transformers like CGI fest - they got that; the audience was expecting more.

Plus after two movies we literally know nothing about Rey except that she is good at anything with little or no training. The only real spoiler I offer - given what happened on and off the set of the last two Star Wars films - is that the franchise is currently left in the same place as the British TV show Black Adder at the end of each season, minus Rowan Atkinson and the originality.

I have to give it 4/10 stars just for the art design and technical expertise and nothing else. A big budget film like this could never be a 1 or a 2 out of ten. That's an Ed Wood film or "Manos The Hands of Fate" (don't ask). Likewise a 10/10 is Casablanca or The Godfather - when everything including acting, directing, depth of the plot and the ability to argue about themes, all come together such that the film still resonates years after it was made. This one made it about a third of the way between these two extremes.