Starring: Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, Kenny Baker, John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Max von Sydow, Lupita Nyong’o, Gwendoline Christie, Crystal Clarke, Pip Anderson, Christina Chong, Miltos Yerolemou
OUR RATING: ★★★★☆
Story: Directed by J. J. Abrams who also co-wrote the script with Lawrence Kasdan, the story is set 30 years after the defeat of the Empire and the demise of Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), the last of the Jedi Knights has vanished.
The galaxy faces a new threat from the evil Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and the First Order. Rey (Daisy Ridley), a tough scavenger from a desert planet finds a BB-8 droid that has a top-secret map knows which leads to the whereabouts of Luke Skywalker. When a rogue stormtrooper named Finn crash-lands on Rey’s desert planet, he meets her and the duo find themselves joining forces with Han Solo (Harrison Ford) to make sure the Resistance, led by General Leia (Carrie Fisher), receives the intelligence concerning the whereabouts of Luke Skywalker.
Verdict: There has been a lot of debate that this new movie is basically a rip off of the original Star Wars story. Whilst I understand the complaints regarding this issue and I agree that some of the main plot points could have used some originality, but for the most part I for one was happy to see how original theme of the story was used here. It’s what was missing from the prequels and breathed new life into the franchise. J.J. Abrams is very good and knowing what his audience wants and he gives it to us here.
There are problems with it as with any movie, the biggest ones for me were Han and Leia’s reunion which just didn’t work for me, and the same with Han and Kylo’s meeting and the final outcome of that meeting which was supposed to be the most emotional scene but just really didn’t have the effect I wanted it to have on me. Finally the misuse of Captain Phasma, what in the heck happened there?! Ridley, Boyega and Driver were really the standout performances for me and the rest of the ensemble cast giving serviceable performances.
J.J. Abrams I think succeeded in making a new generation of fans as well as for the most part pleasing the old fans.
REVIEWS
Best Quotes (Total Quotes: 50)
[opening crawl]
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…
Luke Skywalker has vanished. In his absence, the sinister FIRST ORDER has risen from the ashes of the Empire and will not rest until Skywalker, the last Jedi, has been destroyed.
With the support of the REPUBLIC, General Leia Organa leads a brave RESISTANCE. She is desperate to find her brother Luke and gain his help in restoring peace and justice to the galaxy. Leia has sent her most daring pilot on a secret mission to Jakku, where an old ally has discovered a clue to Luke’s whereabouts…
[first lines; Stormtroopers are gearing up for an attack on Jakku, we see pilot Poe Dameron meets with Lor San Tekka to obtain a piece to a map that leads to Luke’s whereabouts]
Lor San Tekka: This will begin to make things right. I’ve traveled too far and seen too much to ignore the despair in the Galaxy. Without the Jedi, there can be no balance in the Force.
Poe Dameron: Well, because of you, now we have a chance. The general has been after for this for a long time.
Lor San Tekka: The General? To me she’s royalty.
Poe Dameron: Well, she certainly is that.
[BB-8 enters the hut]
Poe Dameron: We got company.
[Poe goes outside, looks through his binoculars and sees the Stormtroopers approaching]
Poe Dameron: You have to hide.
Lor San Tekka: You have to leave. Go.
[Poe and BB-8 rush towards their X-wing]
Poe Dameron: Come on BB-8, hurry!
[the Stormtroopers start aproaching the X-wing]
Poe Dameron: I see him!
[as Poe goes to shoot the Stormtrooper blasts the X-wing, Poe sees the damage the ship is too much so he takes out the map and gives it to BB-8]
Poe Dameron: You take this, it’s safer with you than it’s with me. You get as far away from here as you can. Do you hear me? I’ll come back for you! You’ll be alright!
[Poe turns to leave and BB-8 reluctantly leaves in the opposite direction]
[Poe shoots and kills one of the Stormtroopers, another Stormtrooper, FN-2187, is clearly upset when he sees his friend die; at the same time Kylo Ren arrives and Lor San Tekka is brought to him]
Kylo Ren: Look how old you’d become.
Lor San Tekka: Something far worse has happened to you.
Kylo Ren: You know what I’ve come for.
Lor San Tekka: I know where you come from. Before you called yourself Kylo Ren.
Kylo Ren: The map to Skywalker, we know you found it. And now you’re going to give it to the First Order.
Lor San Tekka: The First Order rose from the Dark Side, you did not.
Kylo Ren: I’ll show you the Dark Side.
Lor San Tekka: You may try, but you cannot deny the truth that is your family.
Kylo Ren: You’re so right.
[Ren takes his lightsaber and executes Lor San Tekka]
[as Poe goes to shoot Kylo Ren, Ren uses his powers to stop him, the Stormtroopers capture him and bring him over to Ren, he’s made to kneel, then Ren and Poe stare at each other]
Poe Dameron: So who talks first? Do you talk first? I talk first?
Kylo Ren: The old man gave it to you.
Poe Dameron: It’s very hard to understand you with all the…
Kylo Ren: Search him.
[the Stormtroopers make Poe stand and search him]
Stormtrooper: Nothing, sir.
Kylo Ren: Bring him on board.
[Poe is taken away]
Captain Phasma: Sir, the villagers?
Kylo Ren: Kill them all.
[the villagers starts screaming as the Stormtroopers get ready to kill them]
Captain Phasma: On my command. Fire!
[Poe sees this as he’s being escorted to the Ren’s ship]
Poe Dameron: No!
[we Stormtrooper FN-2187, unable to bring himself to kill the villagers, Ren senses this and turns to stare at FN-2187 for a moment before walking off]
Stormtrooper: Nothing here! Eliminate it!
[BB-8 watches in sadness in the distance as the village is destroyed before taking off]
[back on thes ship, FN-2187 goes into a quiet corner, takes off his helmet, looking clearly upset when Phasma finds him]
Captain Phasma: FN-2187, submit your blaster for inspection.
Finn: Yes, Captain.
Captain Phasma: And who gave you permission to remove that helmet?
Finn: I’m sorry, Captain.
Captain Phasma: Report to my division at once.
[Phasma turns and leaves after which FN-2187 puts his helmet back on]
[on Jakku, we see scavenger Rey, after scouring for spare parts go trade in for food portions]
Unkar Plutt: What you brought me today is, hmm, worth one quarter portion.
[Rey reluctantly takes the portion and leaves]
[Rey prepares her food, eats it and watches the sun go down, suddenly she hears a noise, she goes to investigate and sees BB-8 being captured by another scavenger, she helps to free him]
Rey: That’s just a Teedo. Wants you for parts. He has no respect for anyone. Your antenna’s bent.
[she kneels down and fixes BB-8’s antenna]
Rey: Where do you come from?
[BB-8 beeps his reply]
Rey: Classified, really? Me too. Big secret. Niima Outpost is that way. Stay off Kelvin Ridge. Keep away from the sinking fields in the North or you’ll drown in the sand.
[Rey gets up and starts to walk off but BB-8 starts to follow her]
Rey: Don’t follow me. Town is that way.
[BB-8 replies clearly wanting to stay with her]
Rey: No!
[BB-8 beeps again clearly indicating he’s scared he’ll be captured again so Rey reluctantly agrees that he can come with her]
Rey: In the morning, you go.
[BB-8b beeps his thanks]
Rey: You’re welcome.
[back on the First Order ship Poe is strapped to a chair]
Kylo Ren: I had no idea we had the best pilot in the Resistance on board. Comfortable?
Poe Dameron: Not really.
Kylo Ren: I’m impressed. No one has been able to get out of you what you did with the map.
Poe Dameron: You might want to rethink your technique.
[Ren tortures Poe using the Force]
Kylo Ren: Where is it?
[Poe tries to resist]
Poe Dameron: The Resistance will not be intimidated by you.
Kylo Ren: Where is it?
[Poe still trying to resist yells in pain]
[Ren leaves Poe’s torture chamber and goes over to General Hux]
Kylo Ren: It’s in a droid, a BB unit.
General Hux: Well then, if it’s on Jakku, we’ll soon have it.
Kylo Ren: I leave that to you.
Rey: Don’t give up hope, he still might show up, whoever it’s you’re waiting for. Classified. I know all about waiting
[BB-8 beeps his reply]
Rey: For my family. They’ll be back, one day. Come on.
[Rey along with BB-8 go to visit Unkar Plutt]
Unkar Plutt: These five pieces are worth… Let me see… One half portion.
Rey: Last week they were a half portion each.
Unkar Plutt: What about the droid?
Rey: What about him?
Unkar Plutt: I’ll pay for him.
[Unkar slams downs portions of food to Rey’s shock]
Unkar Plutt: Sixty portions.
[Rey goes to grab the food portions when suddenly she stops and looks over to BB-8]
Rey: Actually, the droid is not for sale.
[she takes her on half portion and leaves with BB-8]
Rey: Come on.
[as Rey leaves Unkar contacts someone on his walkie-talkie]
Unkar Plutt: Follow the girl and get that droid.
[FN-2187 finds Poe tied down in the torture chamber being watched over by another Stormtrooper]
Finn: Ren wants the prisoner.
[the other Stormtrooper releases Poe and gives him over to FN-2187 who marches him down a corridor]
Finn: Turn here.
[they enter an empty chamber]
Finn: Listen carefully. If you do exactly as I say, I can get you out of here.
Poe Dameron: What?
[FN-2187 takes off his helmet]
Finn: This is a rescue. I’m helping you escape. Can you fly a TIE fighter?
Poe Dameron: You’re with the Resistance?
Finn: What? No, no, no. I’m breaking you out. Can you fly a TIE fighter?
Poe Dameron: I can fly anything. Why? Why are you helping me?
Finn: Because it’s the right thing to do.
Poe Dameron: You need a pilot.
Finn: I need a pilot.
[Poe smiles]
Poe Dameron: We’re gonna do this.
Finn: Yeah?
[FN-2187 and Poe make their way to a TIE fighter with FN-2187 pretending to be holing Poe prisoner]
Finn: Okay. Stay calm, stay calm
Poe Dameron: I am calm.
Finn: I’m talking to myself.
[as they enter into a TIE fighter]
Poe Dameron: I always wanted to fly one of these things. Can you shoot?
Finn: Blasters, I can.
Poe Dameron: Okay, same principle. Use the toggle on the left to switch between missiles, cannons and mag pulses. The sight on the right to aim, triggers to fire.
Finn: This is very complicated.
[as they are about to fly off the ship stops as it’s still attached to it’s anchor cord]
Poe Dameron: I can fix this!
[in the First Order ship headquarter]
First Order Officer: We have an unsanctioned departure from Bay 2.
Colonel Kaplan: Alert General Hux, and stop that fighter.
[after they manage to fly out of the station]
Poe Dameron: This thing really moves. Alright, we got to take out as many of these cannons as we can or we’re not gonna get very far!
Finn: Alright.
Poe Dameron: I’m going to get us in position. Just stay sharp. Up ahead! Up ahead! Do you see it? I got us dead centered. It’s a clean shot.
Finn: I got it.
[FN-2187 manages shoot at the weapons ahead]
Finn: Yeah!
Poe Dameron: Yes!
Finn: Did you see that! Did you see that!
Poe Dameron: I saw it!
Poe Dameron: Hey, what’s your name?
Finn: FN-2187.
Poe Dameron: F… What?
Finn: That’s the only name they ever gave me.
Poe Dameron: Well, I ain’t using it. FN, huh? Finn. I’m gonna call you Finn. Is that alright?
Finn: Finn. Yeah! Finn, I like that! I like that.
Poe Dameron: I’m Poe, Poe Dameron.
Finn: Good to meet you, Poe.
Poe Dameron: Good to meet you too, Finn!
[back on the First Order ship]
First Order Officer #1: Sir, they’ve taken out our turbo lasers.
General Hux: Use the ventral cannons.
First Order Officer #1: Yes, sir.
General Hux: Bringing them online.
[Ren enters]
Kylo Ren: General Hux, is it the Resistance pilot?
General Hux: Yes, and he had helped from one of our own. We are checking the registers now to identify which Stormtrooper it was.
Kylo Ren: The one from the Village, FN-2187.
First Order Officer #2: Sir, ventral cannons on.
General Hux: Fire.
[the cannon start firing missiles at the TIE fighter that Poe and Finn are in]
Poe Dameron: What’s coming towards you? My right, your left. Do you see it?
Finn: Hold on. I see them!
[Finn starts firing at the missiles]
Poe Dameron: Nice shot!
Finn: Where’re we going?
Poe Dameron: We’re going back to Jakku, that’s where.
Finn: No, no, no! We can’t go back to Jakku. We need to get out of this system.
Poe Dameron: I got to get my droid before the First Order does.
Finn: What? A droid?
Poe Dameron: That’s right. He’s a BB unit, orange and white. One of a kind.
Finn: I don’t care what color he is! No droid can be that important!
Poe Dameron: This one is, pal!
Finn: We need to get as far away from the First Order as we can. We go back to Jakku, we die!
Poe Dameron: The droid has a map that leads straight to Luke Skywalker.
Finn: Oh, you got to be kidding me! I…
[suddenly their ship is shot down and it hurdles toward Jakku]
[back on the First Order ship]
Captain Phasma: FN-2187 reported to my division, was evaluated and sent to reconditioning.
General Hux: No prior signs of nonconformity?
Captain Phasma: This was his first offense.
First Order Officer: General. They’ve been hit.
General Hux: Destroyed?
First Order Officer: Disabled. They were headed back to Jakku. The CIS projected the crash in the Goazon Badlands.
General Hux: They were going back for the droid. Send a squad to the wreckage.
[Finn wakes up to find himself crashlanded on Jakku with a part of the ship’s wreckage, Poe is nowhere to be found]
Finn: Poe! Poe! Poe! Poe! I got you.
[Finn finds Poe’s jacket]
Finn: Poe! Poe!
[Finn watches in shock as the ship sinks into the sand and is destroyed, he then takes the jacket and walks in the desert until he sees a town in the distance]
[back on the First Order ship]
General Hux: Supreme Leader Snoke was explicit, Capture the droid if we can, but destroy it, we must.
Kylo Ren: How capable are your soldiers, General?
General Hux: I won’t have you question my methods.
Kylo Ren: They are obviously skilled at committing high treason. Perhaps Leader Snoke should consider using a clone army.
General Hux: My men are exceptionally trained, programmed from birth.
Kylo Ren: Then, they should have no problem retrieving the droid, unharmed.
General Hux: Careful, Ren, that your personal interest not interfere with orders from Leader Snoke.
Kylo Ren: I want that map. For your sake, I suggest you get it.
[Finn enters the town in Jakku and scrambles around to find water]
Finn: Water. Water. Water. No.
[he suddenly notices a massive creatures drinking from a water well and he rushes over to it and start drinking from it even though it tastes awful]
[Finn notices some thugs trying to beat up Rey and take BB-8, he rushes over to help them when Rey knocks the thugs out, BB-8 then spots Finn and recognizes Poe’s jacket that he’s wearing and thinks he’s stolen it from Poe]
Rey: Him?
[Rey suddenly chases after Finn, as Finn is running off he suddenly gets knocked down by Rey]
Rey: What’s your hurry, thief?
Finn: What? Thief!
[BB-8 gives Finn and electric shock]
Finn: Ow! Hey! What?
Rey: The jacket. This droid says you stole it.
Finn: I’ve had a pretty messed up day, alright? So I’d appreciate it if you’d stop accusing me…
[BB-8 gives him another electric shock]
Finn: Ow! Stop it!
Rey: Where did you get it? It belongs to his master.
Finn: It belongs to Poe Dameron. That was his name, right? He was captured by the First Order. I helped him escape, but our ship crashed. Poe didn’t make it.
[BB-8’s head slides down in sadness]
Finn: I tried to help him but I’m sorry.
[BB-8 rolls off in sadness]
Rey: I don’t know your name.
Finn: Finn. What’s yours?
Rey: I’m Rey.
Finn: You don’t know a thing about me, what I’ve seen. We all need to run.
Supreme Leader Snoke: There’s been an awakening. Have you felt it? The Dark side, and the Light.
Supreme Leader Snoke: There’s been an awakening. Have you felt it?
Kylo Ren: Yes.
Supreme Leader Snoke: Even you have never faced such a test. It is time.
Rey: They were stories about what happened.
Han Solo: The force. It’s true. All of it. The Dark Side. A Jedi. They’re real.
Han Solo: You sure you’re up for this?
Finn: Hell, no.
Poe Dameron: All teams, give it everything you got!
Finn: We’ll figure it out, we’ll use the Force!
Han Solo: That’s not how the Force works!
[as they are running away from the explosion trying not get caught]
Finn: What about that ship?
Rey: That one’s garbage!
[the ship they’re running towards is blown up]
Finn: The garbage will do!
[they run towards the other ship which we now see is the Millennium Falcon]
Han Solo: Chewie, we’re home.
Rey: This is the Millennium Falcon! You’re Han Solo!
Han Solo: I used to be.
Han Solo: I’ve got a bad feeling about this.
[Rey and Finn]
Han Solo: Escape now; hug later.
Maz Kanata: Han Solo! Where’s my boyfriend?
Han Solo: Chewie’s working on the ship.
Maz Kanata: Who are you?
Rey: I’m no one.
Maz Kanata: The force, it’s calling to you. Just let it in.
Maz Kanata: I have lived long enough to see the same eyes in different people. I see your eyes. I know your eyes!
Maz Kanata: You must face them, fight them!
[trying to use her Force powers on the Stormtrooper]
Rey: You will remove these restraints and leave this cell with the door open.
Stormtrooper: What did you say?
Rey: You will remove these restraints and leave this cell with the door open.
Stormtrooper: I will tighten these restraints, scavenger scum!
[Rey tries again]
Rey: You will remove these restraints and leave this cell with the door open.
Stormtrooper: I will remove these restraints and leave this cell with the door open.
[he removes the restraints and walks out of the cell leaving the door open]
Rey: And you will drop your weapon.
Stormtrooper: And I’ll drop my weapon.
[as he’s walking off he drops his weapn]
[talking to Vader’s burnt helmeet]
Kylo Ren: Forgive me. I feel it again, the call from light. Supreme Leader senses it. Show me again, the power of the darkness, and I’ll let nothing stand in our way. Show me, grandfather, and I will finish what you started.
Leia: You know, as much as we fought, I always hated it when you left.
Han Solo: That’s why I did it, so that you’d miss me.
Leia: I do miss you.
Finn: Hey, Solo. I’m not sure what we’re walking into here…
Han Solo: Did you just call me Solo?
Finn: I’m sorry, Han. Mr. Solo. You should know I’m a big deal in the Resistance, which puts a real target on my back. Are there any conspirators here? Like First Order sympathizers?
Han Solo: Listen, “big deal”. You got another problem. Women always figure out the truth. Always.
Finn: I was raised to do one thing, but I’ve got nothing to fight for.
[referring to Chewie as he tries to tend to his wounds]
Finn: I need help with this big hairy thing!
Kylo Ren: Look how old you’ve become.
Lor San Tekka: Something far worse has happened to you.
Kylo Ren: You know what I’ve come for.
Lor San Tekka: I know where you come from, before you called yourself “Kylo Ren”.
Kylo Ren: The map to Skywalker. We know you found it. And now you’re going to give it to the First Order.
Lor San Tekka: The First Order rose from the Dark Side. You did not.
Kylo Ren: I’ll show you the Dark Side.
Lor San Tekka: You may try. But you cannot the truth that is your family.
Kylo Ren: You’re so right.
Leia: Hope is not lost today, it is found.
Total Quotes: 50
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