Words: Julia Stitely

The Star Wars renaissance has had strong movies coming out on top. The Force Awakens had positive reviews and welcomed a new trilogy into the Star Wars canon. Now, after two years of waiting, the sequel to the movie, The Last Jedi, brings mixed feelings from fans and critics. Does it deserve the backlash?

Rian Johnson’s Last Jedi is probably the darkest and most developed Star Wars movie yet. You need to have time to process the movie’s ideas and theme. Even if it is similar to some of the past movies, by the end, it strays away from the usual Star Wars fashion. Characters show their true colors and how much they have changed throughout this movie and the past ones. Old legends have been destroyed and there needs to be change. This could also be a metaphor for the movie. We have had Star Wars for three decades and it can’t be the same thing over and over again. The Last Jedi brings a new flavor to the new trilogy. This means it needs a second or even third viewing for fans to take a breath and understand where Star Wars is now heading.

Throughout the movie, there are brilliant performances to praise, from Daisy Ridley’s Rey to the late Carrie Fisher’s Leia. Another shining performance is Mark Hamill’s, who has been praised for his return as Luke Skywalker and may be a contender for the 2018 Oscar race. Kelly Marie Tran gives a surprising light performance to her character of Rose. Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren is more menacing than ever.

The Last Jedi is filled with twists and turns. You could be expecting something and then it goes in the opposite direction. The end results will be shocking. They end this movie on a high note, telling us that the battle of the Resistance and the First Order is far from over.

This movie takes a while to process. You need to think about it for a while, but that is what makes a good movie. The finale of this new trilogy will be released in 2019.

For more breaking news and photos, follow The Wingspan on Instagram and Twitter @CHSWingspan.