Star Wars: The Last Jedi Spoiler-Free Review

It's big. It's shocking. It's inventive. It's Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

For those who have not yet seen the movie, firstly, go out and see it. Those who still haven't, do not worry about reading any spoilers here. We will be posting another review that will involve "spoilers" as well for fans who wish to read that review as well. EDIT: This review reflects the opinion of one admin, Echo. Other admins may disagree or agree.

It has been two years since The Force Awakens first aired in theaters and ever since then, fans have been asking questions and answering them with a large amount of out-of-this-galaxy theories. While not all of my questions have been answered, I will say this; I walked away very satisfied.

Perhaps one of the best things about this movie is director Rian Johnson's daring story line. Although there were times where the plot was slow or seemed forced (pun certainly not intended), it kept me guessing into the very beautiful end. There were multiple twists and turns where my jaw literally dropped, my eyes started to water, or I started laughing. The plot was definitely dark at times, but it was so much more. There was humor, anticipation, hope, and sadness, especially during Carrie Fisher's scenes. Be sure to go with an open mind, however. As Luke Skywalker said in the trailer, "This is not going to go the way you think."

Ever since A New Hope premiered in 1977, Star Wars has always had stunning visual effects (yes, I do count The Phantom Menace). The Last Jedi is no different. From the shocking red earth on the salt planet of Crait to the gorgeous crystal fox, it seemed as if I could reach through the big screen and touch the movie. For fans of the television shows Star Wars: Rebels and Star Wars: The Clone Wars, there are visual nods if you can catch them. And the lightsabers were beautifully done. 

Overall, I would rate the film nine out of ten stars, only because the story seemed too slow at first and it was forced at times and we did not see enough of Nien Nunb. However, the characterizations were incredibly well done, visual effects were stunning, there were nods to not only the originals, but the prequels and the television series, and it left me in awe. Never before has a movie made my jaw drop, and The Last Jedi made mine drop at least six times. This was most definitely a movie worthy of the title Star Wars.

Rumor: Star Wars: Episode VIII To Include Two Female Lead Characters.

Speculation has been rampant recently about the film casting a new Female Lead, with a shortlist of actress including Tatiana Maslany, Gina Rodriguez, and Olivia Cooke allegedly auditioning in chemistry tests with John Boyega for the role of a female lead for the movie—but now a new rumor purports that another actor has been added to the list: Gugu Mbatha-Raw.

According to Latino-Review, Mbatha-Raw has not just joined the shortlist, but auditioned for the role already—and more interestingly, that the shortlist is no longer just for a single female role, but two substantial and important female roles in the film. No clue whether these two prominent female characters are heroes or villains.

As ever, treat this all as rumor until anything is acknowledged officially.

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Rumor: Hayden Christensen May Return As Anakin Skywalker In Episode VIII

By: Justin Marsh

Ever since "Star Wars Episode VIII" was announced, there have been several rumors about the movie. Latest rumor from Making Star Wars suggests that Hayden Christensen, who portrayed young Anakin Skywalker in previous "Star Wars" movies, will make an appearance in the eight episode of the sci-fi movie series.

A "fully operational" chest piece for the villain as well as his iconic helmet are apparently being developed for Rogue One. As for Christensen's potential appearance in Episode VIII, speculation ranges from an Anakin-centric flashback to a full-blown resurrection of Vader.

According to the site, "a team in the U.K. are soon heading to the U.S. to begin training Hayden Christensen for a 'Star Wars: Episode VIII' appearance of some sort." While the rumor has not been confirmed yet, people speculated that Christensen might appear as Darth Vader in a flashback scene. Otherwise, he is resurrected by Kylo Ren, who is obsessed with him.

The site also includes additional information about the first installment of "Star Wars" anthology movie "Rogue One". It is believed that Vader will also appear in the movie as "a fully operational Darth Vader chest piece along with the helmet made it to the creature shop for the next film."

If Christensen is in fact set to appear in Star Wars: Episode VIII, how do you think he'll be incorporated into the film? Be sure to sound off with your thoughts in the comments. "Star Wars Episode VIII" is directed by Rian Johnson and is produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg. The movie is scheduled to arrive in the U.S. on May 26, 2017. As for "Rogue One", it is directed by Gareth Edwards and will be released Stateside on December 16, 2016.

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