Definitely Not The Last Star Wars.

The saga continues as the world consumes the latest Star Wars episode: The Last Jedi. And as the world continues to mourns the loss of the iconic and incomparable Carrie Fisher, the latest installment of the beloved movie franchise did not disappoint, nor did it awed as much as the “middle” entries The Empire Strikes Back and The Attack of the Clones.

I was expecting shock; though the surprise was unexpected, it was unexpectedly lackluster. You see, given the current situation of its cast, particularly with Carrie’s, I expected that moment when it “almost” didn’t happen. Instead, it gave us the shocker that no one was actually expecting. But the movie left me in absolute clarity that the franchise is nowhere near ending. That’s my take on the whole thing, and it awfully feels like that same Disney product.

Nevertheless, The Last Jedi gave the most spectacular visuals ever in the franchise. The silent moments, the camera angles on Carrie Fisher, and that beautifully choreographed sequence in the planet with salt. The red layer of the ground as space craft hovers and flew on all sorts of direction was an eyegasm I wasn’t expecting. Much like the beach planet in Rogue One which was downright gorgeous as well.

Mark Hammil delivered a powerful performance as he portrays once again the iconic Luke Skywalker. Carrie Fisher was a delight and the movie goes to silence each time she enters a frame. The racial diversity though is too obvious that it quite betrayed the characters at first.

The Last Jedi pays homage to the legacy of all the previous Star Wars films that hardcore fans will surely be so stoked. The rest of the audience however, will just see a huge popcorn movie.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi doesn’t try to be something, it is a standard of its own. Masterfully crafted by director Rian Johnson, with the intergalactic battles we’ve all come to love in the series, The Last Jedi continues the winning streak.

Grade: 4.5 / 5 Stars

The World Awakens With The Return of Star Wars. The Force Awakens Movie Review. (Spoiler-Free)

Ever since the acquisition of Disney of Lucasfilms and the announcement of the Star Wars sequel, people all over the world are on their toes in anticipation. The world awakened as the phenomenal movie franchise that premiered 38 years ago returns to the silver screen. 

I wasn’t alive yet when the original trilogy was released, in fact the only Star Wars film I watched in a cinema was Episode II: Attack of The Clones and I was on grade school. I didn’t understand what it was about until I took the time to watch the whole thing back in College. 

I still think the the whole story of this franchise is about an american boy’s wet dream. It’s pure entertainment, pure imagination, and the holy grail of good versus evil in cinema. The original trilogy is a classic on its own. It will stand the test of time. The prequels are so-so. Sure they are vital for the back story but they weren’t as good as the original. 

Now we have Star Wars: The Force Awakens piloted by the visionary J.J Abrams. I was really surprised by the announcement of the director, probably because I was so impressed by the Star Trek reboot and I didn’t understand why hire that guy to reboot Star Wars. It was a safe decision, and since Abrams is basically a perfectionist, as seen on his previous films, the new Star Wars film is expected to be as perfect. All safe decisions. 

And it was perfect. Technical wise. Everything is happening on light speed, the pacing is perfect. Effects are amazing, cinematography is familiar and is aligned to the original trilogy, editing is superb, acting is great. John Williams is pure genius and I find it amazing that he’s in all of Star Wars films and he is still alive to score them. But one thing I am so disappointed was the plot. 

I really cannot say exactly why I’m disappointed as it will reveal plot details. But the whole thing was so predictable. And it is a modern remake of Star Wars: A New Hope. I mean the plot here is the same, only with different people in different circumstances but all the same. 

  

Now I understand why Abrams was hired. He can make it as perfect as he can but that is not enough to mask the safeness and the predictability of this movie. Well, it will be a big risk to stem out and change the whole thing for the modern audience, but you know, it’s business. 

It was delightful to see everyone back. Princess Leia, Han Solo, Luke, R2 and C3P0. I can only imagine the emotions of the die hard fans to see them all back. Harrison Ford is Han Solo. And watching him on this one feels like he didn’t change one bit. The new cast is tremendous. We really have to watch out for Daisy Ridley. She carried the movie and it looks like she will continue to do so for the next one. She’s the new Luke, the new Mark Hamill, and she has the making of a new superstar. Another star here, is the super cute droid BB8. This droid is the new R2D2. 

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a monumental event in cinema history, sparking the return of the world to the beloved galaxy. Action-packed and tremendously entertaining, but it is also predictable and lacks originality. 

Grade: 4 Stars