“Star Wars: The Last Jedi” blasts into theaters

One of the most anticipated blockbusters of the year is finally here and doesn’t disappoint

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Samuel Murphy, Content Editor

The newest installment of the popular, generation-spanning series, “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” has finally arrived after two long years of anticipation.

After months of hype and build-up, along with trailers which gave viewers conflicted feelings on the movie, the newest addition to the series never disappointed. That is a lot to say considering it was the longest installment to the series yet, with a runtime of 2 hour 32 minutes. So many storylines are happening at once, yet none of them drag on for even a second, keeping the audience on edge for the entire film.

The main cast delivers in every way from the first episode of the new trilogy and only builds on it. Fans of “Star Wars” will be pleased to see the return of Daisy Ridley (Rey), John Boyega (Finn) and Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron) return to the screen. The trio is becoming as lovable as the original protagonist trio of Luke, Leia and Han from the original trilogy.

Adam Driver (Kylo Ren) delivers arguably the best performance of his career, playing the antagonist about as good as anyone has in the “Star Wars” series. Andy Serkis (Supreme Leader Snoke) plays a much larger role than the first episode and is great alongside Driver as the bad guy duo of this trilogy. The good vs. evil element is as powerful as ever in the “Star Wars” series with both sides being played by such strong actors.

The late, great Carrie Fisher (Leia) also captivates the screen when she arrives with her first appearance just under a year removed from her passing. Rest in peace Carrie, you’ll always be the fans’ favorite princess.

Fans should also be ecstatic to see Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) put on one of his best performances and take on a much larger role in the film. They were certainly pleased to see him make an appearance at the end of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” however, seeing him throughout the film brings a bit of nostalgia to the long time fans of the series.

New additions to the cast, such as Laura Dern (Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo) and Kellie Marie Tran (Rose Tico), come onto the scene with key roles in the film and should instantly capture the hearts of everyone in the audience.

Other additions of new weapons, planets and animals are as good as, if not better than, they have been in the series. One of series’ greatest accomplishments, regardless of the movie, is their ability to truly make the audience feel like they are visiting a different planet. The scenes from Ahch-To, Canto Bight and Crait are truly breathtaking and amazingly realistic. The porgs are the newest animals to the series and deliver small, but great, comedic relief throughout the film.

Overall, this is one of the best additions to the “Star Wars” series and only adds to the greatness and potential of this trilogy. Fans at the premiere and other screenings should leave totally satisfied and only wanting the final installment even more.

Be sure to get out there this weekend or in the coming weeks to see the film with your friends and family during the winter break. Drive safe, and may the force be with you.