'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' is, like the other films in the series, a soap opera in space
鈥淪tar Wars: The Last Jedi鈥� is the eighth movie in the series and one of the better ones. I鈥檇 rank it behind 鈥淭he Empire Strikes Back鈥� (still by far the best) and the first film,聽but it鈥檚 about on par with the enjoyable last episode, 鈥淪tar Wars: The Force Awakens,鈥� which also awakened the long-moribund franchise.
Writer-director Rian Johnson steps into the franchise fray and does a creditable, if uninspired, job. At about 2-1/2 hours, it鈥檚 a long sit 鈥� at least it was for this non-fanatic of the series. I can鈥檛 get overly nostalgic about the return of Luke Skywalker, even if Mark Hamill does by far the best acting of his career here. As Leia Organa, the late Carrie Fisher, like Hamill, appears to be drawing on a deep fund of nostalgic rue. As for the rest of the cast, they are spirited and youngish enough to bode well for future installments, which will no doubt聽stretch unto eternity. (Technically, 鈥淭he Last Jedi鈥� is the second in a projected trilogy that began with 鈥淭he Force Awakens.鈥�)
I have no wish to turn this review into a minefield of spoiler alerts, so suffice to say 鈥淭he Last Jedi鈥� pits the weakened Resistance against the First Order meanies; it鈥檚 darker in tone than any of the films since 鈥淓mpire,鈥� which it occasionally references; and there are two welcome new additions to the series 鈥� a spunky rebel fighter named Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran) and a bevy of cute critters called porgs, who resemble benign, big-eyed gremlins and no doubt will be doing double duty as stocking stuffers.
Adam Driver鈥檚 Kylo Ren is in full brood here. (Has Driver ever played Hamlet?) Daisy Ridley鈥檚 Rey, in attempting to lure the equally brooding Luke out of retirement, is pretty broody herself. As returning action-hero Resistance fighters, Oscar Isaac and John Boyega are less introspective. This is all for the best. Let鈥檚 us not forget that, for all the hardware and hoo-ha, this franchise is essentially a soap opera in space, with cliffhangers as neatly timed as anything in 鈥淭he Perils of Pauline.鈥� Fanatics will love it; for the rest of us, it鈥檚 a tolerably good time. Grade:聽B (Rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action and violence.)
