Star Wars, Episode VII, The Last Jedi 2018

     Luke Skywalker is a Jedi Master but he’s in hiding and he’s unwillingly guiding the young Jedi hopeful Rey.  She needs to know the ways of the force and other Jedi essentials.  Leia the former princess and she is now the general of the Resistance.  She is trying to steer the Resistance away from the ruthless and tyrannical grip of the First Order.

     There are many times that I wondered hasn’t this all been done before?  It was very nice to see Carrie Fisher in her last role!!  The story is the usual theme of the Resistance running away from the First Order.  There is the inclusion of the fights with Darth Vader’s apprentice Dylo Ren.  I’m not sure I would’ve thought of Adam Driver for this role?  What will Luke Skywalker do or not do?  Always the good guys against the bad guys plus the angst when the good guys are eliminated.  3* (this movie is OK)

152 min, Action directed by Rian Johnson with Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Lupita Noyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christie.

Note:  Imdb 7.3 out of 10, 90% critic audience 46% on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 4*, Amazon 3.6* out of 5* with 3646 reviews, Metacritic 85 out of 100 with 45 critics 4.5 out of 10 with 7298 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed in Dubrovnik, Croatia; Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia; Skellig Michael and Dingle Peninsula, County Kerry; Brow Head, County Cork; County Donegal, Ireland; Iceland; Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK.

Special Note:  Opening weekend gross was $220,009,584, gross in the USA was $620,181,382 and cumulative worldwide gross was $1,332,539,889 against an estimated budget of $317 million.  Carrie Fisher helped with the writing of the script for this film.  Previously, she had been a script doctor for other films and then someone else would be hired to change the script without any money paid to Carrie??  Mark Hamill wanted to make the arduous 600-foot climb on Ireland’s Skellig Michael Island only once.  He wanted to remain there overnight but Irish authorities said he was not permitted to pitch a sleeping tent because the location is a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Daisy Ridley took her father to the set in Ireland.  When her father met Mark Hamill he asked him, “Who do you play, then?”  Daisy admitted she was not sure if her father was joking?