‘The Last Jedi’: First Reactions Suggest the Saga Has ‘Changed Forever’

Kim Taylor-Foster
Star Wars
Star Wars

The first reactions to Star Wars: The Last Jedi are in, and the response is overwhelmingly positive. Phew! The film, which is Episode VIII in the phenomenally successful franchise, premiered in LA at the weekend and was dedicated to the late Carrie Fisher, who died last December at the age of 60.

Fisher, of course, played Leia in the franchise and finished her work on The Last Jedi before her untimely passing. Director Rian Johnson introduced the film at the screening, and led the tribute to the much-loved — and much-missed — actress, encouraging fans to “have a blast… for Carrie.” He also said, “I want to dedicate tonight to Carrie, who is up there right now flipping me the bird, saying: ‘Damn it, Rian — don’t you dare make this night a solemn tribute'”.

Here are some of the best reactions to the film from the people who’ve seen it:

Some well-known names chipped in to offer their two-penn’orth, including Alan Tudyk who played droid K-2SO in Rogue One and just had to Tweet a spoiler…

And Black Panther himself, Chadwick Boseman, who shared his succinct response:

Chewbacca actor Peter Mayhew posed with composer John Williams and praised the film’s music:

While A Wrinkle in Time director Ava DuVernay called the film a “total joy-ride”:

And Logan director James Mangold labelled it “dazzling”, “spectacular” and “unpredictable”:

Star Wars veteran Warwick Davis, meanwhile, praised its “humour”, “action” and “starwarsiness”:

And in the interests of balance — and The Last Jedi is all about balance, or so we’re led to believe — these posts are slightly less enthusiastic in their praise:

Part VIII of the epic space saga sees Carrie Fisher bow out as the iconic General Leia and picks up the story of former-stormtrooper-turned-good-guy, Finn, and the Force-sensitive hero from Episode VII, Rey — who was last seen atop a mountain having tracked down an elusive Luke Skywalker. Here’s the official synopsis:

In Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the Skywalker saga continues as the heroes of The Force Awakens join the galactic legends in an epic adventure that unlocks age-old mysteries of the Force and shocking revelations of the past.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi hits screens in the UK on December 14 and in the US on December 15.

Kim Taylor-Foster
Kim Taylor-Foster is Entertainment Editor for Fandom in the UK. She was raised on an unsteady diet of video nasties and violent action flicks.