"This Will Not Go The Way You Think"
That pretty much sums up Star Wars The Last Jedi for me. This film definitely has a familiar feel to it and there are times when it feels like it's giving you moments from the original trilogy and Empire Strikes Back. But it's done on purpose so that it can surprise you with twists and turns. It plays on the fact that you think you know how things are going to go because of how they went in previous movies and also fan speculation, and it uses that to keep you on your toes. The score and visuals are what you've come to expect from Star Wars. The score, like all Star Wars films, enhances the experience and the visuals are what we've all come to expect from the last two movies. Definitely worth seeing in IMAX.
The story is really where it shines though. Like I said above, there's a lot of twists and turns. The women definitely lead the way and there are some standout performances by Laura Dern, Kelly Marie Tran and of course...Carrie Fisher. Kelly Marie Tran's character, Rose, gets a lot more screen time than I thought she would and it's very welcomed. She's not just a side character but rather plays an important role in the story.
It's very clear why Rian Johnson was was tapped to move forward with a new trilogy. The story he tells in this film is fantastic. It's empowering for women, its diverse and he takes what we think we know about the story of Rey, Kylo and Luke and goes in a completely different direction. Episode 8 not only makes me super excited for Episode 9 but now I can't wait to see what Johnson has in store for us in a new trilogy.
Our full spoiler-free review will becoming out hopefully tomorrow. We'll give it a week then do a spoiler review for premium members. I beg of you now, to avoid spoilers at all costs. You want to go into this fresh.