Star Wars: The Last Jedi spoiler-free review roundup
The review embargo for Star Wars: The Last Jedi has been lifted and we’ve rounded up the spoiler-free reviews for you…
Star Wars: The Last Jedi hits theaters worldwide on December 15, and Lucasfilm/Disney has lifted the media embargo so the film can be reviewed for the general public. This is the standard operating procedure for most films, as it generates buzz — as if a Star Wars film needed to do that.
Regardless, the reviews for The Last Jedi are in, and there is an overwhelming amount of high praise for director Rian Johnson’s turn as the latest director to helm a Star Wars film. Let’s dig in.
The Los Angeles Times praises The Last Jedi for “bringing surprise back to the Star Wars saga,” lauding the film for casting an Asian actress in a role that she absolutely owns.
"…there’s certainly room for a smart, spunky hero like Rose, played by an Asian American woman who fits effortlessly into this utopian fantasy, to strike her own blow for the Resistance. “The Last Jedi” ensures that moment belongs to her, which is another way of saying it belongs to all of us."
CNN says the film “falls short of sky-high hopes,” while making note of Rian Johnson’s delivery of surprises. Still, the news network notes there is room for improvement.
"Rian Johnson delivers some genuine surprises, and has dotted the movie with its share of pleasurable moments, from disarming humor to the first space battle to callbacks to earlier films — practically flashing a sign to ensure opening-night audiences will have opportunities to whoop and holler."
Collider says the Force is strong with The Last Jedi, giving the film a B+.
"I lost count of the jaw-dropping moments The Last Jedi presents, and it’s a movie I can’t wait to revisit."
The Verge states fans will “come away from The Last Jedi with a lot of complaints and questions.”
"The Last Jedi feels like a deliberate, thought-through corrective. It sums up its theme in its title: it’s trying, as respectfully and carefully as possible, to let go of some of the old traditions, and look for the next steps for a world that’s rapidly expanding, and needs to escape its old, familiar conflicts if it’s going to grow."
Photo Credit: Lucasfilm
BBC News says “It’s the most intelligent film in the franchise by several light years,” in its review of The Last Jedi. And, even mentions the lengthy runtime of the film.
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"if you’re getting bored halfway through The Last Jedi, hang on in there. Just when you think it’s about to end, it really gets going. And just when I thought the entire Star Wars series was running on fumes, it seems to be getting going, too."
These initial reviews of The Last Jedi seem to all agree on one thing: Rian Johnson was and is the right man to helm not only this film but the newest trilogy he’ll be writing and directing. With many calling for Mark Hamill to get an Oscar nomination for his turn as an elder Luke Skywalker, and with many publications praising the surprises and beautifully shot scenes in The Last Jedi, I can’t wait to see it for myself.
Stay tuned to Dork Side of the Force, as we’ll be giving our own comprehensive review of The Last Jedi, after we’ve had a chance to see the film and gather our collective thoughts.
Next: Disney has announced a live-action Star Wars TV series!
Star Wars: The Last Jedi hits theaters worldwide on December 15.