After two long years of waiting, The Last Jedi will pick up where The Force Awakens left off.
Has it been worth the wait? Can it possibly live up to all the hype? Is Rian Johnson really the man to continue the Star Wars legacy with the next three movies?
The critics have spoken and so far it is looking very, very good for Star Wars fans. The Empire Strikes Back was the highest rated so far with 94% approval and The Force Awakens close behind on 93%.
The Last Jedi has just stormed to the top of the list with an equally impressive 94%. Will it hold the top spot? Not all the reviews are glowing…
FULL REVIEWS ROUND-UP OF THE LAST JEDI NEXT:
DAILY EXPRESS ONLINE: The most impressive aspect of the movie is the constant unsettling sensation that nobody (the characters included) is sure which way anything will go. For a deeply formulaic franchise this is a a phenomenal achievement.
Yes, some beloved and not so beloved characters move on and there is another spectacular battle scene to finish it all off, but even then Johnson subverts our expectations for the final big reveal. In a flurry of stunning set-pieces and gorgeous cinematography everything distils down to one last encounter. It is worth the wait, stunningly filmed and then pulls the rug out from under the audience one last time. Some fans will definitely not be happy.
Not all the slightly over-egged humour works, and Domhall Gleeson’s twitching Hux runs the risk of becoming faintly ridiculous at times, but there is some compensation in a breathtakingly cheeky scene involving an iron that sent a wave of guffaws around the audience.
Overall, the movie still has a few wrinkles but is a fine and Force-full addition to the saga.
Us Weekly: The Last Jedi at its heart is a love letter to a childhood. From Luke’s sly wink to an old friend to General Leia’s leadership, the familiar heroes dominate the screen, earn the biggest applause and serve as a compass to the next generation.
Washington Post (3/4): When the feelings come in The Last Jedi, and they do come, they’re deep and they’re real. Go ahead and try to watch the penultimate scene without crying, or pretending not to. And may the Force be with you.
Times (5/5): It took them 40 years, but they’ve finally done it. The best Star Wars film of the series. There. That’s it. It’s that simple.
Entertainment Weekly (B+): That said, I’d stop short of calling director Rian Johnson’s undeniably impressive initiation into the Star Wars fold the masterpiece that some desperately want it to be. The film simply drags too much in the middle.
London Evening (4/5): You cannot kill the past. What you can do is build on it to enable an intriguing future. At the very least, The Last Jedi does that.
SciFiNow (5/50): The emotional pay-offs are huge, the visuals are stunning, the performances are brilliant and, even as it eagerly explores the darkness, The Last Jedi never loses sight of its heart.
Forbes: Gets off to a bit of an uneven start, but finds its footing eventually… not the best of the series, and not the best of the new films, but it’s still a worthwhile entry in the continuing saga…
Huffington Post (B+): A stunning black, white, and red color pallette, thrilling adventure, appealing new characters, worthy developments for old friends and a cause to root for.
New York Post (4/4): While there are elements nodding to The Empire Strikes Back, The Last Jedi is no copycat. In its most daring moments, it even tweaks a few series tropes, updating them with a decidedly populist kick.
National Review: So many elements in Episode VIII are recycled that it could have been called Rerun of the Jedi.