They had a two-year long wait from the Force Awakens. But going by Star Wars: The Last Jedi’s 45 million, second-biggest-Thursday-preview, trekkies don’t seem to have minded one bit, especially going by the massive buzz on social media.

Warning: This review is filled with spoilers. 

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is the VIII film of the Star Wars franchise. Directed and written by Rian Johnson (of Looper fame) it promises a visual and auditory feast – epic battle scenes, severely disfigured villains with raspy voices, adorable and gooey creatures and John Williams usual soundtrack magic.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi starts exactly where it left off – Rey finding Luke Skywalker in the mysterious, rocky yet beautiful mountain island of Ahch-To – filled with a whole lot of light, darkness, balance, energy, life, death, decay (according to Rey), covenant looking caretakers, and the adorable porgs that had audiences oohing and cooing in their seats every time they made an appearance.

Rey begs and pleads with Skywalker, the last Jedi Master to be the hero she believes he is. Maybe she thought presenting him with his long-lost lightsaber would do the trick and have him jumping with her and Chewie in the Millennium Falcon and speeding away to save the day – in this case,  save the quickly diminishing Resistance from the First Order.

After she follows him constantly – morning, noon and night, and after she hears some ghostly whispering from Ahch-To’s library hut, Skywalker realizes that Rey must be special. Her training starts at dawn (like all training sessions in all movies). So at the crack of dawn, student and master head to the training circle – which happens to be a rock. The first instruction, sit cross-legged on hard rock (Sukhasana style) and close eyes and focus on surroundings.  Thankfully her training circle had the best view on the hill unlike Skywalker’s own training session with Master Yoda in Dagobah. Remember the misty covered swamps, bogs, and creepy crawlies?  But sadly for Rey, her master didn’t have a sense of humour or was a motivational speaker like Master Yoda (but at least she didn’t have to take him piggyback up the hill!)  In her first training session itself, the grouchy and resistant master realises that his student possesses a little too much power for his liking – her power actually has him running back into his stone hut for cover.  Training session two, master Skywalker seemed content to watch his student’s lightsaber moves from a distance.  Did Rey’s perfect times thrusts and parries remind you of a certain Stark from GoT?

Meanwhile, there is lots of cool stuff happening in different parts of the galaxy. The Resistance fighters led by General Leia (the sight of the recently deceased Carrie Fisher brought tears to many eyes) trying desperately to save their vessel from the evil clutches of the First Order led by the overconfident and cocky General Armitage Hux. There are some nerve wrecking, nail biting, and reaching for tissue scenes but the movie is so fast paced that the next scene takes you somewhere else.

Somewhere else happens to be the luxury casino Canto Bight where Finn and newcomer Rose Tico, a maintenance worker from the Resistance are headed to find a person of interest that is vital to their mission.

While the good guys are busy scuffling about trying to save themselves and their friends, viewers are taken into First Order’s Supreme Leader Snoke’s throne room. Snoke’s constant ridicule of Kylo Ren has the latter smashing his helmet and revealing his identity to one and all. Kylo and Rey have a special psychic-like Force connection – they have the ability to look at each other’s past and future. Rey is not afraid of wicked and evil Kylo who murdered his own father, she believes that she can reach Ben that is hiding somewhere in Kylo’s power-hungry dark soul. Kylo believes the exact same thing – Rey will join him in his quest in taking over the galaxy. So who convinces who? May the more powerful lightsaber wielder win.

The Best of Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Every screen moment with Luke Skywalker is a treat, even though he was sullen and somber throughout. He doesn’t have much to say, but when he does you know it is important, “ I only know one truth, it’s time for the Jedi to end.” Ouch. Poor Rey’s long and tiring journey to the crag. It was a lightsaber fest – every lightsaber duel was amazing and powerful.  Like with all Star War movies, the last few battle scenes be it of Admiral Amilyn Holdo taking on the Finalizer – sans any lightsabers or the epic final battle on the old Rebel base is epic.

For me personally, the scenes on Crait, the mineral planet that bled red was my favorite. The Resistance believe that they are finally safe and send an SOS beacon to their allies across the galaxy. While we are waiting to see who responds – the newly self-appointed Supreme Leader along with General Hux, the Imperial forces and some of the meanest looking warfare machinery land up on their doorstep.  The ice dogs and everyone else within the mountain start to tremble and start looking for a way out.  Will they find it before Kylo brings the mountain down on them?

So don’t miss the intergalactic action, catch Star Wars: The Last Jedi today

I rate Star Wars: The Last Jedi 8/10