The film simply drags too much in the middle.
Somewhere in the films 152-minute running time is an amazing 90-minute movie.
Some argued that it felt more likeStar Wars Greatest Hitsthan an album full of fresh material.
That may have been a necessary evil.
That after the lame prequels we needed to be reminded what it was we first fell in love with.
It was a reminder of the Saturday-afternoon to-be-continued serials that George Lucas was originally inspired by.
And many of them pay off beautifully.
The opening crawl that follows informs us that the evil First Order is ascendant.
Things are looking bleak for the rebels.
But under the wise and steady hand of General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher), they fight on.
Martyrs to the cause, underdog champions of capital-G Good.
In a way, weve been here before.
The rebels are against the ropes just as they were at the end ofThe Empire Strikes Back.
Theyre all cast off in separate parts of the same grand mission.
This last strand of the three has the most pay off by far.
That this is where the torch (or lightsaber) will be passed.
Johnson toggles back and forth between these three narrative yarns well enough as the stakes grow more desperate.
Each in their own way is trying to woo the other to their side.
A manipulative power play?
Either way, Isaac and Boyega seem to be sidelined or stuck in idle for long stretches.
Unfortunately for the future of the franchise, its the old faces that provide the most poignant moments.
And again, the film ends on a note that feels…just…right.
The Last Jediis a triumph with flaws.
But through those flaws, it leaves us with a message as old as time.
Our heroes dont live forever.
But their battle, if passed down to the right hands, will continue along with their memories.
Both in front of and behind the camera, Star Wars has been passed to the right hands.
The Force will live on.
