The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Star Wars: The Last Jedi wows critics
Eighth instalment of saga receives almost universal acclaim
Rave reviews of Star Wars: The Last Jedi have begun pouring in following early screenings of the latest edition of the sci-fi franchise.
Rian Johnson’s hotly anticipated eighth instalment of the saga sees a return from veteran stars Mark Hamill and the late Carrie Fisher as Luke Skywalker and Leia, as well as The Force Awakens favourites, Daisy Ridley as Rey, John Boyega as Finn and Adam Driver as Kylo Ren.
Ahead of the film’s general release from midnight today, here is what the papers are saying.
The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw lauds the movie as “excitingly and gigantically proportioned” with only “very small disappointments” – mostly in the form of the parallel plot concerning the Resistance’s military strategy.
He also gives a special nod newcomer Kelly Marie Tran Resistance soldier Rose Tico.
In an eloquently glowing review for the Telegraph, Robbie Collin said the to as movie “flexes its fingers before riffing over old chord progressions in ways that will leave fans beaming with surprise”, offering “startling narrative twists and feint” as well as “exemplary blockbuster film-making”.
Radio Times magazine also offered gushing feedback, with writer Alan Jones hailing new levels to the stories fans are familiar with.
He compliments the “dazzling special effects work, interestingly well-rounded characters and second-to-none action... with events taking place all over the galaxy, the adventure this time takes on an extra epic dimension”.
For the New York Times’ Manohla Dargis, The Last Jedi offered both “visual wit and a human touch”.
While the storyline itself is sometimes a “tangle”, the complications are “mitigated by Mr Johnson’s quick pace and the appealing performers”.
In The Independent, Christopher Hooton pays special tribute to director Johnson for “pushing the saga forward” and taking “the narrative for a walk, meandering into new realms and trying out more risky stuff”.
He adds that, in some ways, the film “throws out” JJ Abrams previous 2015 instalment, The Force Awakens.
However, while Variety magazine said the film was entertaining and packed with “jaw-dropping visuals”, it panned the release as “ultimately a disappointment” and the “longest and least essential chapter in the series”.