Star Wars: The Last Jedi Buzz: Rian Johnson Has Delivered One of the Best of the Series (2024)

by Christopher Campbell | December 10, 2017 | Comments

(Photo by Walt Disney Studios)

Two years ago, the ending ofStar Wars: The Force Awakens left us with a lot of questions, and one of them was as simple as, “How good will the follow-up be?” Last night,Star Wars: The Last Jedi premiered, providing the cast, crew, fans, and critics with an answer. Following the event, we collected some of the first reactions from the crowd shared via social media. Read them below.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is everything. Intense, funny, emotional, exciting. It’s jam-packed with absolutely jaw dropping moments and I loved it so, so much. I’m still shaking.
– Germain Lussier, io9

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There aren’t enough words to express how much I LOVED Star Wars: The Last Jedi! It is mind-blowing! I’m in geek heaven!
– Jenna Busch, Legion of Leia

The Last Jediis incredibly satisfying and hands down Mark Hamill’s best performance as Luke Skywalker
– Aaron Couch, Hollywood Reporter

Star Wars: The Last Jediis so beautifully human, populist, funny and surprising. I cried when one POC heroine got her moment because films like these leave their mark on entire generations — and representation matters.
–Jen Yamato, Los Angeles Times

Star Wars: The Last Jedifloored me. Rian Johnson and the team nail so much — thrills, laughs, heart and most of all, pushing the characters/overall franchise a major step forward. Some really rich material to explore in the future. Can’t wait for more.
– Perri Nemiroff, Collider

Luke was right: This is not going to go the way you think.The Last Jediwill shatter you — and then make you whole again. Carrie Fisher has some unforgettable moments as Leia. Mark Hamill is crushing as a Luke who’s more broken and lost than your action figures from the’70s. I thinkThe Last Jedimay be the firstStar Warsmovie that’s not just about growing up, but also about growing old. New characters mature, veterans learn about becoming more powerful than you can possibly imagine. Despite a few surface similarities,The Last Jedihas a radically different structure fromThe Empire Strikes Back— and every otherStar Warsmovie.
–Anthony Breznican, Entertainment Weekly

Impressed with Star Wars: The Last Jedi. It makes some big, impressive and surprising moves that I definitely didn’t expect. Not all of the plot stuff is exactly perfect, but the character work is once again fantastic, and it’s just amazing to see Luke Skywalker back in action.
– Eric Eisenberg, CinemaBlend

There’s a scene in Star Wars: The Last Jedithat I keep playing over and over in my head, that is so stunning and unexpected that I don’t want to forget how I felt seeing it for the first time. This movie feels unlike any other Star Warsmovie in all the ways I hoped. Not only are Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill at their very best as Leia and Luke in this movie, but Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver blow Rey and Kylo Ren out of the park. I didn’t expect where those characters went and it’s my favorite part of the movie. I cannot understand how much I fell in love with Kelly Marie Tran’s Rose from the start. She is a new heart for this series. As much as The Force Awakens was about looking back, #TheLastJedi is all about looking forward. It’s long and a LOT to unpack, but Rian Johnson made something very, very special with Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Don’t let yourself be spoiled!!! It’s better not knowing. I can’t wait to hear what you all think.
– Terri Schwartz, IGN

I just saw Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and holy hell is it a masterpiece in a lot of insane ways. I think the standout factor is Rian Johnson’s A+ direction. There has never been a Star Wars movie like this. Absolutely beautifully shot, hilarious, and full of standout hero moments for everyone. Still processing but it’s (at an absolute minimum) Top 3 Of The Saga. To be clear: Star Wars: The Last Jedihas some story and character issues. It’s a little overcrowded and wastes some of the characters but those are really minor quibbles in the grand scheme of how much I liked it. Last thing: Star Wars: The Last Jedihas one of my favorite lightsaber sequences in the history of Star Warsfiction in any medium
– Conner Schwerdtfeger, CinemaBlend

The best thing about The Last Jediis the extremely sexual height difference between Oscar Isaac and Laura Dern. Adam Driver in The Last Jediobligingly serves the most Star Warsbeefcake since Luke went sleeveless on Dagobah.
– Kyle Buchanan, New York Magazine

There will be nitpicks, but The Last Jediis an excellent Star Warsmovie. I was one of those jerks who panned The Force Awakensright out of the gate. The Last Jediis proof that I was right to do so. *This* is podracing.
– Scott Mendelson, Forbes

The Last Jediis absolutely fantastic — gripping, touching, funny and powerful with gorgeous shots and the most badass battles. When it gets going, holy crap does it get going. Hands down the bestStar Warsmovie sinceEmpire. Cannot overestimate just how gorgeous this film is. I salute you Rian Johnson — some of these shots are all-timers and then some.
–Erik Davis, Fandango

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Holy wow. I’m stunned atStar Wars: The Last Jedi. An adventure as epic and sweeping as all the other films combined, with laughs, tears and moments that will make your head pop off. I CARED about this movie. What a great feeling.
–Grae Drake, Senior Editor at Rotten Tomatoes

That’s a damn good Star Warsmovie.
– Scott Meslow, GQ

The hype is real, folks. Check out the trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi below and keep your fingers crossed that when reviews do start rolling in, they’re as positive as these initial reactions. The film opens everywhere on December 15. May the force be with all of us!