Rollicking 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' Introduces Welcome Shades Of (G)Rey

If they are to successfully make the jump to light speed, Star Wars movies require a precisely calibrated fuel mixture: one-third epic space battles, one-third narrow escapes and duly buckled swashes, one-third hooded beardy dudes standing around looking pained while solemnly intoning the cheesiest hokum about Darkness and Light as if it's Hamlet's Yorick speech (which in a way, it is).

Rian Johnson, director and writer of (aka , aka ) knows how vital each of those bedrock elements prove, and he has struck upon precisely the right alchemical formula without making a franchise film that feels formulaic. is fun in a movie, and manages to surprise us by revealing that this fictional universe, in which we've already clocked so many hours, can still surprise us.