In Star Wars: The Last Jedi the Skywalker Saga continues under the direction of Rian Johnson. In it, Rey (Daisy Ridley) seeks out Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) to enlist him to help the Resistance save the galaxy. As Rey seeks out Luke’s guidance and involvement, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson) tighten the grip of the First Order on the Resistance as they prepare to finally destroy it. In Star Wars: The Last Jedi the future of the galaxy, the Resistance, and the Jedi themselves are threatened. Will hope survive or will it be snuffed out? There is only one way to find out, watch the most recent movie in the Skywalker Saga! While you are at it, watch all the bonus features included with this home entertainment release. And perhaps most importantly, watch this beautiful final performance by Carrie Fisher as the beloved General Leia.
Quality
The Star Wars movies have a legacy of having beautiful locations, epic battles, and some pretty incredible cutting-edge effects. Star Wars: The Last Jedi continues this legacy and takes it to the next level. There are some absolutely beautiful shots included in this film, some fantastic effects, and of course some awesome battles. The quality of the film could make or break all of these. If they didn’t look amazing, it would be an immediate distraction and detract from the movie. Thankfully, this film looks really awesome. Even the CGI character Snoke, brought to life by Andy Serkis, looks incredible. Couple this with a fantastic score by John Williams, a solid collection of sound effects, and a strong use of the surround sound, and this movie is the definition of a quality presentation. Both the video and audio are a treat to watch and listen to.
Extras
The extras included with Star Wars: The Last Jedi are solid and quality in every way. Each bonus feature that is offered is worth watching, entertaining, and also educational. There are lots of details to be learned, moments to be enjoyed, and emotions shared. They also add an incredible amount of depth to an already strong movie. Upon finishing watching these extras, I was ready to start the whole thing over and watch the movie yet again! Some of these extras are the most solid extras I’ve seen included with ANY home entertainment release. These extras alone are worth purchasing this movie. The extras included are:
- The Director and the Jedi – Go deep behind the scenes with writer-director Rian Johnson on an intimate and personal journey through the production of the movie—and experience what it’s like to helm a global franchise and cultural phenomenon.
- Balance of the Force – Explore the mythology of the Force and why Rian Johnson chose to interpret its role in such a unique way.
- Scene Breakdowns
- Lighting the Spark: Creating the Space Battle – Get a close-up look at the epic space battle, from the sounds that help propel the action, through the practical and visual effects, to the characters who bring it all to life.
- Snoke and Mirrors – Motion capture and Star Wars collide as the filmmakers take us through the detailed process of creating the movie’s malevolent master villain.
- Showdown on Crait – Break down everything that went into creating the stunning world seen in the movie’s final confrontation, including the interplay between real-word locations and visual effects, reimagining the walkers, designing the crystal foxes, and much more.
- Andy Serkis Live! (One Night Only) – Writer-director Rian Johnson presents two exclusive sequences from the movie featuring Andy Serkis’ riveting, raw on-set performance before his digital makeover into Snoke.
- Deleted Scenes – With an introduction and optional commentary by writer-director Rian Johnson.
- Audio Commentary – View the movie with in-depth feature audio commentary by writer-director Rian Johnson.
* Digital bonus offerings may vary by retailer.
This set of extras may not have been the biggest collection ever included for a home entertainment release. It was, however, one of the highest quality. Watch each and every one of these extras!
Final Thoughts
There is a lot to take in with Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Having now seen this film multiple time, it has been an incredible experience picking up more from each viewing. Add the depth that comes with watching the bonus features and this quickly becomes one of the very best Star Wars films. This is a movie that should be watched over and over again, analyzed, and then watched again. Rian Johnson and the cast and crew did an absolutely fantastic job carrying the Star Wars franchise into a new era with this new chapter. This is definitely one to bring home. It is worth it to be able to watch it over and over again, watch the extras over and over again, and then analyze and debate it over and over again. This one easily gets a hat tip and I have no problem endorsing it! Go out and get this as soon as you can!
