Star Wars: The Last Jedi – A Nerds’ Spoiler-free review

Star Wars: The Last Jedi – A Nerds’ Spoiler-Free Review

I was given an early preview of the film to facilitate a review. All opinions are my own.

Unless you live under a rock, in a cave, on Tatooine, you know that the latest installment in the epic Star Wars saga hits theaters worldwide December 15. Because I am a Jedi, I have the power, no, THE FORCE, to give you a few thoughts and tips before you head out to see The Last Jedi for yourself as well as answer a few of your burning questions.

The top 3 questions I have been asked about The Last Jedi:

Will I understand what is going on if I have never seen a Star Wars movie?

 First, I am puzzled why some would go to see a movie they had never seen any of its predecessors, but then I realize that this question is almost always posed by women. Women who never ‘got into Star Wars’ but now they have a partner, a kid, a friend, that is a serious SW Nerd and they agreed to go see The Last Jedi with them. Sadly, I am going to tell them, “You may have no idea what is going on. You can enjoy it, sure, but you will probably be lost.”

Why are they lost? Well, the Star Wars galaxy is HUGE. So many planets, so many places, so many people…err…creatures. What a newbie to Star Wars needs to know is that this is a soap opera. It is a long journey in the lives of the Skywalker family and those around them. A generations-long journey and The Last Jedi is just another chapter. I will direct them to THIS wonderful (and funny) summary of all of the Star Wars movies, tell them to message me if they have any questions after (because even though I am a woman, I am a serious Star Wars Nerd and have answers to their questions) and hope The Force is with them.

For The Last Jedi specifically, you need to know what happened in The Force Awakens, the first film in this current trilogy. The Last Jedi picks up where we left off in The Force Awakens and having knowledge of what happened there will help you immensely.

Can my seven-year-old see it?

 The movie is rated at PG-13 for some mild profanities and tense situations. There are no adult-situations, nudity, gory violence or things that you need to cover your kid’s eyes for. If your seven-year-old is already a fan of all things droid and Wookie, he/she will love this movie.

I am older and went to see The Last Jedi with my son, who is 26 and definitely old enough to see it. He remained still in his seat the entire time, focused on the screen. I, in turn, did not. I was on the edge. So much was happening in front of me that I could not stay still! (Sorry seatmates!) I was tensed up and at times nearly spazzed out. From giant space battles to light-saber duels, I stayed on alert the entire run time of 2 hours and 32 minutes. Yes, 2 hours and 32 minutes! It is a looong movie, so hit the loo before you go in as you will not want to get up at all during the film. Even I, Ms. Goes A Lot, was able to stay in my seat the entire run time of the film and didn’t miss a moment. You are not going to want to miss a moment either!

Can you tell me what happens?

Uh, nope. Uh-huh. Nada, zilch, zippo. That’s a big fat NO to that. What I can tell you though is that it is GREAT. I mean, this could be one of the best Star Wars movies ever. EVER! Characters we know, and love have returned, and new characters enter the saga. Everyone is going to be adding Porgs and crystal foxes to their Christmas list after they see this movie and you may want to go ahead and throw in new Star Wars items for all the Nerds on your list because this movie is so good, you will have friends and family going to see it multiple times. All the Water Cooler talk will be about The Last Jedi and debates will ensue. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Girl power is EVERYTHING in this movie. Sure, guys are doing their thing, like always in this series, but the women have finally become what we wanted back in the 70’s when A New Hope introduced us to Princess Leia and we wanted her to be able to do so much more than look awesome in cinnamon bun buns. Yes, the series has developed over time, more and more women added and doing some awesome things, but finally, FINALLY, they are just as equal (and sometimes even greater) than their male counterparts. If I said, “Man, she is bad ass!” once, I said it a dozen times. And the ‘she’ changed. Different women, different displays of badassery. It was AWESOME!

I can also tell you that some things that we thought could happen, may not have, while other things we never even considered, could have. Sometimes in movies, we can see things coming. Some of the things that happened in The Last Jedi, I couldn’t have seen coming if it was the Death Star. I love twists and turns and surprises and we get those.

There is humor, there is anxiety, there is happiness and love and there is some sad, too. It has all the elements of making a great film and I for one cannot wait to see it again when it opens worldwide. If you haven’t gotten your tickets yet, get them now! If you already have them and are ready, then I wish you a wonderful screening.

Be sure to come tell us your thoughts after you have seen it. You can find us on Facebook, in our Facebook group, on Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube. And if you are interested in booking a vacation to Walt Disney World or Disneyland Resort so you can go ride Star Tours and feel like a Jedi (or Sith) yourself, be sure to contact our sponsor, Once Upon a Time Travel.

God Speed and May the Force be with you all.

Charlotte