Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Tour de Force
Luke and Leia rise again as sci-fi saga ends in a blaze of glory
grandson of Darth Vader, aka Anakin Skywalker. And US marine-turned-actor Adam Driver uses his physical presence to great effect in a pivotal role as the Supreme Leader of the First Order.
He has a combative chemistry with Ridley and brings a meaty gravitas to their scenes as their characters’ fates become ever more closely entwined.
The appearance as Princess-turnedgeneral Leia by the late and sadly missed Carrie Fisher has been put together from outtakes and unused scenes from the previous film – and she has been skilfully and successfully included for maximum emotional impact. Even death cannot stop her remarkable screen presence from adding dignity and gravitas to this film.
Luke was killed off in the last adventure but is back in the manner of Jedi warriors such as Obi-wan Kenobi and Yoda, who in previous films used the magical energy, the Force, to return from the dead as ghostly figures and help guide the living. Mark Hamill is once again in mischievous mood as Luke,
Cute droid R2-D2’S bleeping was created using baby noises.
Sound designer Ben Minto was inspired by the random noises his son would make and heavily processed a recording of him to transform it into R2’s bleeps and bloops.
And the sound for the Millennium Falcon came from recording jet airliner engines.
For films that are so reliant on who returns to further harangue Rey as she tries to save the universe. And he does as much as anyone to prevent this from dissolving into a puddle of indulgent, misty-eyed nostalgia.
The return of Billy Dee Williams as scoundrel Lando Calrissian is the sort of fan-servicing stunt I could happily have lived without, though as the film seems intent on giving even minor characters one last curtain call, it would be churlish not to let him in on the act.
Droid C-3PO provides most of the laughs and even Wookiee Chewbacca is given a very emotional moment.
This isn’t the greatest Star Wars film and not even the best of this third trilogy. If 2017’s The Last Jedi occupies the same creative high-water mark as 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back did in the first trilogy, then this is the equivalent of 1983’s Return of the Jedi.
It has to tie up loose ends, say goodbye to old favourites and keep us guessing how exactly hope and goodness will triumph over fear and hate. It will not be anyone’s favourite but is far from the worst foray into the galaxy far, far away.
Although we are promised this is the end of the Skywalker saga and probably the last we will see of these characters, the franchise will carry on in new films and TV series such as The Mandalorian.
And so to paraphrase Luke Skywalker: “The force will be with us, always.”