Well, the critics have spoken and Star Wars: The Last Jedi is officially a monster hit. At least, as far as reviews go. Not that anyone expected anything else, mind you, as positive buzz has been swirling around the sequel for months now. But still, with the embargo having been lifted earlier today, the first wave of reviews has hit the internet and people can’t stop gushing about what a gorgeous, dazzling and epic movie this is.
In case you haven’t had a chance to catch up yet, here’s a small sampling of what the critics are saying about the latest chapter in the Skywalker saga:
WGTC: Star Wars: The Last Jedi is striking, stunning, visually hypnotizing, thrilling – everything “epic” about the famed franchise rolled into a tremendously overcharged start to Rian Johnson’s Star Wars career.
THR: Maybe the film is a tad too long. Most of the new characters could use more heft, purpose and edge to their personalities, and they have a tendency to turn up hither and yon without much of a clue how they got there; drawing a geographical map of their movements would create an impenetrable network of lines. But there’s a pervasive freshness and enthusiasm to Johnson’s approach that keeps the film, and with it the franchise, alive, and that is no doubt what matters most.
Empire: If The Force Awakens raised a lot of questions, The Last Jedi tackles them head-on, delivering answers that will shock and awe in equal measure. Fun, funny but with emotional heft, this is a mouth-watering set-up for Episode IX and a fitting tribute to Carrie Fisher.
Variety: The Last Jedi possesses the same reverence for the galaxy Lucas created, paying homage in all the right places (from the chills we get from John Williams’ iconic fanfare to the new-and-improved walkers that appear during the climactic siege) while barely advancing the narrative. Ultimately, there’s only so much wiggle room Johnson has to play with a property that seems destined to generate a new installment/spinoff every year until we die — which means that however many Death Stars or Sith Lords the Resistance manages to defeat, there will always be more, and no matter how few Jedi remain, there can never be none.
Excited yet? We sure are, and only adding to that excitement is the film’s Rotten Tomatoes score, which sits at 93% at the time of writing, making it the second highest rated Star Wars movie on the aggregate site (tied with The Force Awakens and A New Hope). The only entry in the franchise that currently has a higher score is, of course, The Empire Strikes Back, which is at 94%. Though given that the review embargo for The Last Jedi only lifted a few hours ago, there’s still plenty of time for it to topple the 1980 pic.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi may have shouldered a great burden throughout its storied production – the tragic death of Carrie Fisher, the inevitable comparisons to Empire…you name it – but it looks as though Rian Johnson has pulled off the impossible. And in light of these glowing reviews, we can confidently say that it fully deserves a massive opening weekend ($425 million?) at the global box office.
