Friday, December 15, 2017

Star Wars: The Last Jedi (spoiler free review)

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

(Absolutely Spoiler Free Review)

At GC8 we always try to give spoiler free reviews - but we are EXTRA cautious with the Star Wars franchise, given how everybody wants to be a blank slate going in... to try to achieve that first awe and wonder you had seeing Star Wars for the first time when you were seven years old.

What we can say is that so far the Disney films have been better than the Prequels (including the Disney film that was a prequel: Rogue One), but not as good as the original trilogy. Star Wars: The Last Jedi, continues that trend, and is probably the best of the Disney Star Wars films so far.

Having set up the story with The Force Awakens, and Rogue One, The Last Jedi is free to finally go in depth (two and a half hours of depth) to "finish" (yeah, right) what they've started.

And frankly, it's pretty good. We've finally reached a level where practical effects and CGI blend nicely, all the character get plenty of screen time, and most of the original cast is back.

The downside is that none of the new characters (Rei, Kylo, Finn, etc.) are as charismatic or interesting as Luke, Leia, C-3P0, R2-D2, and Chewbacca, and so when the latter are not on screen, you immediately miss them.

Which brings us full circle - to that biggest reason for a spoiler-free review; the desire to go in as a blank slate, and see something you've never seen before with the awe and wonder Star Wars inspired when you were seven. The reality is this series is not going to do that, and it seems almost futile to expect that it ever will again. The more jaded will say it's because you are no longer seven years old, but the reality is that there is an overall familiarity, a been-there-done-that to the series at this point. It's still entertaining and fun, just not all that surprising.








(**** out of 5)

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