Star Wars film rewards fans
Daisy Ridley, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, John Boyega You are never alone as long as the Force is with you. WITH a running time of 152 minutes — making The Last Jedi the longest episode in the series to date — there is both plenty of big philosophical questions to ponder, and a lot of escapist eye candy to gorge on.
Some viewers who do not carry the Star Wars gene as dominantly as others will definitely find the extended duration tough going on occasion.
Particularly in a notably bloated middle act, where inessential plotting suspends any worthwhile momentum for a period.
Real fans, however, will not care one iota about the bonus time they will get to spend in their favourite galaxy far, far away.
The overall balance The Last Jedi finds between moving the Star Wars juggernaut forwards with new material, and rewarding loyal devotees with callouts to the franchise’s greatest hits, is struck very effectively throughout.
Once The Last Jedi has our full attention, the story doubles back to where previous episode The Force Awakens left off.
Series heroine Rey (Daisy Ridley) has arrived at the remote island sanctuary of Jedi master Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill in a triumphant return to active Star Wars duty).
As a younger man, Luke represented a new hope for the oppressed all across the Galaxy.
Now living in exile in his twilight years, Luke is the only hope the shrinking Resistance has left. And it does not sit well with him.
Cutting an embittered, grizzled figure, Luke becomes curious as to why Rey made it her mission to gatecrash what he thought was “the most unfindable place in the galaxy”.
Star Wars hardliners will be poring over the finer details of Luke’s mysterious, windswept island HQ over repeated viewings for some time to come.
Without giving too much away, it is here you will see the much-discussed Porgs: diminutive little puffin-like alien critters that turn the cuteness up way beyond the maximum setting required.
While Luke slowly warms to the idea of mentoring Rey in ways of the Jedi he has long left behind, Rey herself is preoccupied with her evil nemesis from The Force Awakens, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver).
While The Last Jedi works very well in the thrill-ride department, it does not always get it right when servicing the development and relevance of its many featured characters.