Something that likely came as a shock to many fans is the identity of Rey's parents. Confirmed by both Kylo Ren and Rey herself, she is not a Kenobi or Skywalker, like some fans theorized. Rather, her parents were junkers and drunks, who dropped her off for drinking money. While we didn't learn her last name, I was relieved she was her own character. It felt right and was a nice way to begin the separation from the Skywalker family saga. Although I will admit, I am disappointed the last of Anakin's family legacy is Kylo Ren.
Another shock for fans was Snoke. The shadowy leader of the First Order ended up being his own character, rather then being perhaps Mace Windu or Darth Plagueis. What surprised me more, however, was his personality. What fans saw in The Force Awakens was a mysterious villain with little more than a name and a scarred face. In The Last Jedi, however, we see a powerful, arrogant being with immense Dark Side powers. With little more than a flick of his wrist, he was seen tossing around both Rey and Kylo Ren, and even used Force Lightning for the first time in the sequels. So, when he was rather easily killed by Kylo Ren cutting him in half with Anakin's lightsaber, my jaw dropped. The shock factor of the scene, including what seemed to be Kylo Ren's return to the light and the fighting with Snoke's Praetorian Guards, left me on the edge of my seat.
Following Snoke's death, I assumed the Kylo Ren had indeed returned to the Light Side of the Force, and I could not have been more wrong. There were moments in the film that echoed the originals (especially the elevator scene with Kylo Ren and Rey which included a few lines taken directly from Return of the Jedi). I incorrectly thought that Ren would follow in Darth Vader's footsteps, but instead of restoring peace, he took control of the First Order with Rey refusing to join him. Throughout the movie, Ren and Rey had spoken at length and the movie sold me on his redemption. Yet, this turn of events pleasantly surprised me by taking a different route than the originals.
The Last Jedi introduces a plethora of brand new Force abilities we have yet to see in the franchise. Snoke, in an attempt to destroy Rey and Luke Skywalker, formed a mental bridge between Ren and Rey, allowing them to see each other while in different parts of the galaxy and speak. Kylo Ren was even seen by Luke while they spoke, insinuating that only Force users could see what was happening between the pair. The ability to project your image on a different planet was a new thing for me, though when Luke did so to stall Kylo Ren on Crait, it took too much energy and Luke Skywalker became one with the Force. This may have been touched on in Star Wars: Rebels and Star Wars: The Clone Wars but now fans know for certain: Force users can survive for a short period of time in space. Carie Fisher's Leia Organa demonstrated this after a missle launched at the bridge killed Resistance leaders by sucking them into space. And Force Ghosts. Master Yoda was a beautiful addition to the movie, and he showed just how powerful he still was by summoning a strike of lighting to destroy the last of the Jedi writings. Director Rian Johnson was certainly inventive, and he showed he had the creativity to direct a new trilogy.
For those who supported a romance between Finn and Rey: sorry. The two are still just friends. A sweet, if awkward friendship began to form between John Boyega's Finn and Katie Marie Tran's Rose Tico that ended in a one sided kiss from Rose after stopping Finn from sacrificing himself to save the Resistance. Again, it was very awkward at times but it felt real between them and rarely, if ever seemed forced. Romance, however, was not at the forefront of the film, which was a huge relief. If anything, it was as Carrie Fisher stated, "It's about family and that's what makes it so powerful."
While there is so much more I can discuss, I believe I made my point clear. The movie was shocking, inventive, powerful, and though awkward at times, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Johnson's Star Wars film was certainly deserving of the title and it left room open for a brand new movie or even a trilogy, perhaps with the Force sensitive child we saw on Canto Bight. As I stated in my spoiler-free review, I would give this movie a nine out of ten stars.
