Debuting on Disney Plus today is Soul, Pixar's second animated release this year following Onward. Soul is about a junior high school teacher named Joe (Jamie Foxx), who dreams of making it big as a jazz pianist. One day when he gets an incredible gig to play that night it finally seems like his dream is about to come true...that is, until he hits a bit of a snag. Joe's soul is sent to another dimension after he falls into an unexpected coma. With the help of another spirit known simply as 22 (Tina Fey), he must find his way back to earth to make it home in time for his gig, all the while showing 22 the joys of being alive. Soul is an easy movie to admire because there was so much creativity that went into crafting it. The film tackles a lot of difficult themes and overall has a really beautiful message to share. That said, the film bites off way more than it can chew. Pixar really seems to be forgetting who its audience is with this one as it delivers a film that seems way too high concept to appeal to the attention spans of children. Inside Out was great because it appealed to something kids understand: emotions, but I can't think of many kids that are wrestling with existentialism. Soul ultimately just has too much going on. It is definitely missing the simplicity and charm of Pixar's earlier works. While there is certainly an audience for this movie, especially as it already seems to be loved by many, it just wasn't for me. RATING: 6/10

Wonder Woman 1984 is out in select theaters and streaming on HBO Max today. So far it seems to be polarizing audiences in its ability to live up to its predecessor. Some had fun with it, while others were completely turned off by its campiness. The story here is simple. We meet up with Diana (Gal Gadot) in 1984, where she's spent quite a few decades grieving over her lost love Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) while occasionally saving the day here and there. Through work, she meets Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig), an awkward loner who quite literally wishes she could be as cool as Diana. Little did she and Diana know, she happened to make that wish on an actual wishing stone that their organization had obtained, a stone with power to grant wishes but to take something in return. So Barbara is granted with Diana's power at the cost of her humanity. Meanwhile, Diana too makes a wish on the stone which brings her lost love Steve back to her. But the stone has captured the eye of a broke mogul named Max Lord, who steals the stone for himself and then wishes to become the stone. Diana must save the world and stop these wishes from destroying mankind from itself. While the plot is pretty silly, it's almost trying to mimic the simplicity of action/adventure films of the era in which the film is set. The 80's weren't really known for complex plots in blockbuster movies, so I have no issue with the cheesiness and often cartoon nature of the film. Would this have been the sequel I wrote for Wonder Woman? No, it would not. I definitely think there were other decades that would have been a lot more fun to explore and see her save the day in, but seeing Gal return in the role here set in the 80s and having so much fun is just fine with me. Pedro Pascal hams it up while Kristen Wiig is surprisingly great (a lot of people felt she was miscast for the role.) Chris Pine is charming and he and Gal continue to have great chemistry. Wonder Woman 1984 as a whole, but especially it's incredibly earnest ending, is almost a test of a viewer's cynicism and ability to endure suspension of disbelief. For some, it will be too much to handle and they'll laugh it off, for others it will be just another comic book movie and they'll be able to enjoy it just fine. I'm among the latter in that I believe Wonder Woman 1984 is harmless popcorn fun, and not something to take too seriously. RATING 7/10

Okay guys, it's finally here. I've finally settled on my favorite movies from last year. I still haven't been able to see everything I wanted to see, but I feel pretty good about getting behind the following movies as solid, entertaining movies that endeared themselves to me in one way or another. Let's not waste any more time, here's my top ten from 2015. 10. Kingsman: The Secret Service I saw a screening of this early in the year, about a month before it came out and was absolutely blown away in entertainment. It would have been easy for me to put the more sophisticated Spotlight in this spot, but I had to be honest with myself on which movie I really enjoyed more. I came out of Kingsman on an absolute high and couldn't wait to tell everyone I knew to check this movie out. This movie is so much fun and a perfect homage to the spy genre. In a year packed with movies from that genre, nothing ever topped this one. Original review HERE. 9. TIE: Steve Jobs My initial reaction to Steve Jobs was that it was the "not as good" version of The Social Network. And while I still agree with my initial assessment, there's still so much to really like about it (and hey, in my mind comparisons to The Social Network are NEVER a bad thing.) I LOVE the format of this film, and as always Aaron Sorkin's script is top notch. Dropping in on a character at three different product launches in his life, was a brilliant approach and was sold beyond convincingly by Michael Fassbender (possibly at his career best.) Fassbender becomes Jobs, and it's fascinating to watch. 9. TIE: Sicario Right from the beginning of Sicario, you know this movie will have an impact on you. Though I found the film to be unable to keep that constant pace that was set by the beginning there were still quite a few moments that grabbed a hold of me and wouldn't let go. They haunted me. The last twenty minutes is probably the strongest finale of any movie I've seen this year. Emily Blunt is terrific as usual, but it was Benicio Del Toro who really blew me away. 8. The Revenant The spectacle of The Revenant is certainly enough to get you caught up in it. If you know anything at all about filmmaking, you have to admire the sweep and scope that Inarritu was able to achieve the way he sought to achieve it. I'm a sucker for visual filmmaking, and there's certainly a visual factor to The Revenant that lifts it above other movies made this year. But it's not just a pretty movie to look at (in fact, on many occasions its quite the contrary,) the story itself is quite engrossing too. While some fat could definitely be trimmed, I was honestly never bored in the proceedings. The actors always kept me engaged in what would happen next. There are the classic tales of betrayal, survival, and revenge, but in the end, it is the choices the characters make in the end that interest me the most. 7. The End of the Tour One of my favorite film series is Richard Linklater's Before movies, which basically are two hour long conversations turned into their own films. The End of the Tour, like those movies, scratched me where I itch in presenting rhetoric that constantly blew me away. This is essentially the bromance version of the Before series, as Jesse Eisenberg and Jason Segel had a crazy camaraderie type chemistry and all they did was discuss everything they could possibly discuss. When the core of a movie revolves around a simple relationship and its progression (no matter how short a time it existed,) it becomes the best kind of movie for me. 6. Ex-Machina Ex-Machina is the type of science fiction I wish more people tried to make. This is the Frankenstein type of sci-fi, where moral dilemmas are everything and human nature is at the root of all. The movie is great in making you think it will go one way, and then turning those expectations on their head. But best of all, its cast (which the story falls pretty much on three characters only) is fantastic. Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander and Oscar Isaac each give their all to this movie and their efforts easily made it one of my favorites of the year. 5. Mad Max: Fury Road There's really not much more to this movie than an exciting chase in the dessert...but oh what a chase it is, and oh how entertaining it is. I'm not going to pretend there's a ton of hidden depth here (though you're welcome of course to disagree,) but I can't deny how incredibly well made this movie is for what it is. The cinematography is stunning and the way everything is staged is absolutely superb. Plus I must say, Charlize Theron's Furiosa is a heroine that any girl can really root for. She and Tom Hardy are just grand. 4. Love & Mercy I'll be honest, other than knowing some songs here and there, I didn't know a lot about the Beach Boys, let alone their lives. Love & Mercy specifically follows the tumultuous life of lead singer Brian Wilson during two different periods of his life. Paul Dano plays the younger Wilson, while John Cusack plays him twenty years later. The two look incredibly different physically which threw me off at first, but I loved both of their performances so much I became lost in the film and it didn't matter. This movie stayed with me for a long time after it ended. I found myself often in the mood of listening to their tunes and thinking about how much artists put themselves through for the sake of their work, for the sake of something that will last much longer than them. 3. Me & Earl & The Dying Girl This film seems to get a lot of hate from some cinephiles who object to its tweeness and perhaps find it manipulative. The first time I saw the film at Sundance last year, I myself was hypersensitive of whether or not I found the film to be calculated. I couldn't love it immediately, but the more I thought about it, and the next few times I saw it, the more I loved it (sorry not sorry haters.) The main character Greg can be selfish and unlikable, the film abruptly switches in tone from funny to heartbreaking, the filmmaking is far too whimsical....bla bla bla. But guess what? I love it. I love all of it. And I don't care who knows it. And honestly? I think the movie works because of all of those things. For more in-depth thoughts, check out my original review HERE. 2. Bridge of Spies Bridge of Spies really took me by surprise. I really had no interest in seeing this movie, but saw it because I felt like I should. Honestly and truly, I really wasn't prepared to like it as much as I did. This type of movie is pretty much all but extinct. Characters with this much integrity that are just pure, strong and good rarely exist in cinema. Tom Hanks's James Donovan was as close to an Atticus Finch character I've seen in a very long time. He's not invincible or perfect by any means, but he strives beyond all to do that which is right. This felt like a classic feel good movie that Frank Capra would have made, not something I expected from Steven Spielberg in 2015. It was quite the delightful surprise for me. 1. Room Room completely and utterly destroyed me. I felt more emotion in just the first half of the movie than almost every other movie I saw in 2015. I felt the highs, I felt the lows, and I felt so much tension in one small sequence that I legitimately had a physical reaction of shaking constantly in my seat. While in film we often end with a triumph, we rarely see the aftermath of what the end of a situation would really bring. I loved how much Room explored of its simple concept and the damaging effects it would have to all involved. Though Room would still be effective if it only examined the tragedy the characters faced, it's the moments of hope that really moved me and resonated with me. Room was a fantastic film for everyone involved filled with Oscar-worthy performances, and while it doesn't have the bravado it takes to be a best picture winner, it was one of the most deeply personal films of 2015, and my favorite. Honorable mentions: Spotlight, Queen of Earth, Inside Out, The Martian, The Wolfpack, The Final Girls. Honorable mention because my teenage self would be very upset if I didn't mention the movie I spent the whole year thinking about and looking forward to: Star Wars Episode VII The Force Awakens. You were a crazy flawed movie that got WAY too much praise. Critics did me no favors in not helping me lower my crazy high expectations, and because of that disappointment, there was no way I could include you in the actual numbering (though for the record, I was saving my #1 spot for it.) In subsequent viewings, I've come to appreciate it a lot more....though am still inclined to agree with my brother's summation that it was "nothing special." So your honorable mention here is basically the mere fact you have Star Wars in your title, and after a couple viewings I learned to like you more.

Another year of the Sundance Film Festival has come and gone, and unfortunately this year I didn't keep up with my review writing on a timely basis to give coverage while the fest was going strong. So instead of giving you a bunch of late reviews now that it's all over, I decided instead to rank all the films I saw this year and condense all my thoughts in one post. This year has been decried by many writers as a slow year for Sundance, with few standouts. But at the same time, I heard so many films being raved about, though not all movies I was able to get a chance to see (The Tale, Sorry To Bother You). While the films I selected ended up being pretty hit or miss, the hits were probably stronger than the majority of what I ended up seeing last year. I usually like to build anticipation for my top pick until the end of a list, but this year I find myself so eager to talk about the best films that I just can't help myself. 1. HEREDITARY Toni Collette gives a jaw dropping performance as a woman trying to keep her sanity (as well as her family's) after the loss of her mother. Hereditary follows in the Sundance horror footsteps of The Babadook and The Witch of being absolutely terrifying and bound to be one of the best horror films of the year. I thought I had this movie figured out early on, and then it did something utterly amazing: it shocked me. It shocked me to my core. From that point forward, I sat back and let the movie surprise me, and horrify me. And horrify me it did. Hereditary might just be one of the scariest horror films in years, and it does so not necessarily by being revolutionary, but by being traditional. Hereditary takes tried and true formulas and makes them fresh and new again. It's a remix of old school horror, but it works so well due to first time director Ari Aster's perfect execution. Hereditary is an absolute must see for horror buffs. RATING: 9.5/10 2. AMERICAN ANIMALS American Animals is the stylishly told true story of four college boys who set out to rob their local college's special collections library. Director Bart Layton artfully mixes documentary and movie to tell this story with the real life versions of the characters popping in to add their recollections here and there. American Animals accomplishes the incredible feat of managing to be funny, tense, thrilling and even sobering all at once. Half the fun is how creatively told it all is, and it's easy to get swept up in their plan without thinking of the actual life consequences...until the real counterparts ground you back to reality. There's more to American Animals than just a heist movie, it's about the moral boundaries we cross and the repercussions to our humanity. RATING: 9/10 3. WILDLIFE Paul Dano gives an amazing and accomplished directorial debut with Wildlife, a Richard Ford novel adapted by Dano and longtime companion Zoe Kazan. Wildlife is mostly seen through the eyes of a fourteen year old boy named Joe (Ed Oxenbould,) whose recently unemployed father Jerry (Jake Gyllenhaal) leaves his family to fight a nearby wildfire. Joe's mother Jeanette (Carey Mulligan) does not take the departure well and finds the burden of having to provide for her son to be unbearable, as well as an undeniable strain on her marriage. Dano favors a simple and sensitive approach, pulling thoughtful performances from all three of his leads. The film relies strongly on Oxenbould's young shoulders and he is definitely up to the task in a challenging role that requires less in word, and much more beneath the surface. Joe is soft spoken and not too eager to interject himself; he's a constant observer. While Joe only sees glimpses of who Jeanette really is and the listlessness of her life, Carey Mulligan is still able to imbue a selfish character with desperate humanity. Gyllenhaal has the least screen time of the leads, but is dependable as always. Wildlife is a quiet simple story, but a very effective one. RATING: 8.5/10 4. BURDEN Director Andrew Heckler spent 20 years trying to bring the true story of former Ku Klux Klan member Mike Burden (played by Garrett Hedlund) to the screen. Burden was raised in the Klan and considered them family. But one day his life changes when he meets and falls for a single mom named Judy (Andrea Riseborough in the first of many Sundance movies on this list) who eventually issues an ultimatum for Mike that he leave the KKK, in order to protect her son from the Klan's influence. But leaving the Klan isn't so easy, and Mike finds an unlikely ally in the local Reverend (Forrest Whitaker) who has always been at odds with his former family. I would have liked to see more scenes that truly convinced me of Mike's conversion, but I still think that this was a powerful story and a story worth telling. Also Garrett Hedlund and Forrest Whitaker give their all to this film and were incredible. I may have even shed a tear or two. RATING: 8/10 5. NANCY Andrea Riseborough appears again in the story of Nancy, a woman who has a terrible habit of catfishing everyone around her. When she discovers a couple on tv whose missing kidnapped daughter is roughly the same age as herself and whose age projection photo looks just like her, she reaches out informing these strangers that she believes she could be their daughter. Nancy is a fascinating film where the main character not only cons those around her, but also the audience into whether or not we can trust her. The film is intriguing throughout and Riseborough definitely makes an unlikable character fascinating enough, but with such a shady lead you always feel the film keeping you at arm's length. The biggest problem, though, is the ending is left far too vague. I understand there can sometimes be a value to a "write your own adventure" ending, but in this case it just seemed lazy. RATING: 7/10 6. MANDY It's been over a week since I've seen Mandy and I still don't even know how to feel about it, other than being able to label it with certainty as one of the most bizarre movies I've ever seen. The first half is a straight up drug fueled crazy nightmare, while the second half is an over the top absurd Nicolas Cage revenge fantasy. It's hard to recommend this to anyone but truly patient fans of bizarre cinema, but it certainly had it's share of unforgettable moments, including a Nicolas Cage performance at its most unhinged and ridiculous. It also left me speechless more times than one at its sheer ludicrousness. RATING: 6/10 7. DON'T WORRY, HE WON'T GET FAR ON FOOT Gus Van Sant's latest features a couple of great performances by Joaquin Phoenix and Jonah Hill in particular, but its lack of focus in what it wants to be and meandering nature left me underwhelmed overall. The film follows the story of cartoonist John Callahan (Joaquin Phoenix) and his battle over his addiction to alcohol. He finally hits rock bottom when he gets paralyzed in a drunk driving accident but through the help of his AA group, he tries to find a life worth living again; a life filled with love and a career he can actually obtain and be passionate about. All the while, he must come to terms with how his life lead him to this point and what he needs to learn from it. This movie definitely had its moment, and as I already mentioned, had terrific performances. I just wanted more from it and less at the same time: less meandering and more focus. RATING: 6/10 8. TIE: SUMMER OF '84 & ASSASSINATION NATION And finally, my two least favorite films I saw this year both came from the horror section of the festival, both have teen leads, and both were incredibly mixed bags for entirely different reasons. Summer of '84 was completely uninspired and unoriginal. Basically taking the plot of The 'Burbs and setting it to the backdrop of Stranger Things...except this time the characters personalities consist solely of being obsessed with porn. The film is completely predictable and holds no surprises...that is until the last ten minutes which actually were pretty good. But by then it's a little "too little too late." But bonus points for using my last name as their suspected serial killer's name so I got to hear constantly of how awful and evil Mackey really was. Assassination Nation on the other hand felt more fresh, but within the first 5 minutes I thought I could possibly have walked out of the film and not cared. Assassination Nation is like The Purge meets an episode of Black Mirror, meets Mean Girls...except all the characters are bland and two dimensional (two in particular are completely devoid of personalities.) It gets better in the second half and there are truly some stylish and well executed sequences to be found here. Plus I did kinda dig that the whole movie was basically a personification of the mob mentality of internet culture...I just wish it were a little less obnoxious. RATING: 5/10 And that's a wrap...until next year that is. But in the meantime, we can all look forward to these films hopefully coming out within the next year. I know there are many I'm still very eager to see and can't wait til they hit theaters.

Imagine a world where scientific proof of the afterlife has been discovered. Such a world is where the film The Discovery takes place. Human life has considerably altered since the discovery, as many people's views on suicide have evolved. Pure curiosity has enticed people to take their lives, not to end them...but to see how they continue on another plane of existence. Jason Segel plays Will, the son of the acclaimed scientist Thomas Harbor (Robert Redford) who changed the world with his findings. Will has always been skeptical on whether or not his father's evidence should be accepted as fact, and when he meets Rooney Mara's Isla, his beliefs are put even further to the test. Several films that came to the festival this year had really cool premises, but The Discovery might have explored theirs the very best. The world director Charlie McDowell creates is a fascinatingly bizarre one, yet somehow seems simultaneously seems like a plausible one. He masters the tone of the film in keeping it mysterious enough that the audience isn't sure whether to doubt along with Will or to believe like everyone else. He poses a lot of questions in the film and the joy comes in waiting for the answers. Jason Segel and Rooney Mara make a strange pair, and occasionally it's hard to buy. Fortunately, though, both actors were dedicated enough to make it work, and their efforts were not in vain. But The Discovery isn't so much about the characters as it is about the journeys they take. I'd heard some mixed reception to the film before I saw it about how they didn't care for the ending, but when I saw it I felt that it only made everything stronger. The Discovery is an interesting film that takes a concept and explores several different facets of it and does it well. Thankfully for those clamoring at the bit to see this film, it will debut in March on Netflix...so you won't have to wait all year to see it. RATING: 8.5/10

If it wasn't enough to read all my thoughts on the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, now you can hear them too. I paid the boys of Baconsale a visit and let them know about each and every film I saw at the fest. Listen below!

Every time a new adaptation of a well loved (but oft filmed) literary classic makes its way to cinemas, the question is often asked "is a new version really needed?" But every few decades it seems to happen like clockwork. Following fresh off the heels of Greta Gerwig's take on Little Women, newcomer Autumn de Wilde saw fit to give us another version of Emma. Emma's most famous adaptation comes in the form of 1995's Clueless and is almost universally loved by all. Fresh off of Clueless's success a more traditional adaptation was made a year later in 1996 with Emma starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Toni Collette and Jeremy Northam. As a huge Jane Austen fan I really loved both, but wondered if there was room in my heart for another version. When you get attached to one movie's way of telling a story you love, it's hard not to compare any other movie afterward that tries to do the same. As such, I couldn't help but compare this Emma to all the others, though I tried as hard as I could to be objective. Anya Taylor-Joy plays Emma, our high society regency heroine who has a hobby of matchmaking. After successfully wedding one friend, she is determined to find love for another, a young woman named Harriet Smith (Mia Goth.) Things get complicated when Emma finds herself entangled in all of the setups. I love Anya Taylor-Joy but she played Emma with all of the cattiness and none of the genuinely good heart the character possesses. She just comes off as a very cold, aloof Emma and not really how I picture the character. Ultimately the whole film kind of comes off as a Cliff's Notes version, as each plot point is lightly covered but you don't really get the full impact of any of it. But the biggest blunder comes during one of the film's climactic scenes, which I shall not spoil here, but suffice it to say it should be a great moment when two characters get together...not how they do it here. But hey, visually the film is beautiful to look at. The colors are bright and the landscapes are lovely. However, when I'll be needing my Emma fix in the future I'll be sticking to Clueless and Emma '96. RATING: 6.5/10

New on Netflix today is Holidate, a fluffy little rom-com starring Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey about a pair of strangers named Sloane and Jackson, who meet on boxing day at the mall whilst attempting to exchange Christmas gifts. The two commiserate over their terrible holiday and the fact that neither of them have dates for the impending New Years Eve, so they concoct a scheme to be each other's dates for every holiday of the upcoming year. They set some ground rules to keep it strictly platonic and both agree to not ever get physical. And since this is a romantic comedy, things get complicated when they start falling for each other. Hollywood romantic comedies are so rare today, they almost feel like spotting a unicorn. But now with the rise of streaming platforms they're making their comeback again...albeit at perhaps reduced quality. As far as rom-coms go, you could do a lot worse than Holidate's premise...in fact I'd go so far as to even say the idea is fun! But the concept certainly needed to be in more talented hands all the way around if it ever wanted to be anything more than forgettable. Less crassness certainly would have helped a lot too. Emma Roberts plays Sloane as neurotically single and hopelessly pining over her ex-boyfriend...but not necessarily likable. Meanwhile, Luke Bracey mostly relies on his Australian swagger to do his legwork as a leading man. The two have some sparks of chemistry here and there, but nothing electric. RATING: 5.5/10

Poor The New Mutants, the movie that has been delayed since the beginning of time. I remember years ago when I saw the teaser and it conveyed a new way to make an X-men movie: as a horror movie. I thought it was a great concept and a fun new twist on the genre, and I couldn't wait to see it. Little did I know I would wait and wait and wait. By the time it did finally make its way in front of audiences, any horror elements that had been in it had been watered down to basically nothing. The New Mutants follows Dani, a girl with special powers who wakes up one day in a special facility and discovers other teens like her. They don't get many answers to their questions about how long they've been there, why they are there, and why can't they go. Together they must utilize their strengths and work together to find a way out. It's hard to know what went wrong with The New Mutants. Was it always destined to be this way because it just wasn't good, or was there just too much studio interference before and after the merger of Fox into Disney. Whatever the case may be, the movie we're left with just isn't good. I say that as someone who generally really likes Fox's take on X-men and who has even been forgiving of some of the duds they've done already. Sadly, while the idea of a horror superhero film intrigued me, this one was not it. FILM RATING: 5/10

For those who don't recall my Star Wars history, let me give you a quick recap before getting into my review of the 8th installment in the Skywalker story (and 9th film overall in the franchise,) The Last Jedi. When I was ten years old the original trilogy was re-released for the 20th anniversary, and seeing it for the first time in theaters I instantly fell in love with this series. Throughout my teenage years the prequels came out, and the love for this series only grew stronger, even though others would ridicule me for including these films in my passion (and still continue doing so to this day.) In retrospect, those films weren't perfect, but I still love the story at the heart of them and will continue to defend them. I was happy for that to be the end of the series...and then George Lucas sold the rights to Disney. I had incredibly high expectations for The Force Awakens, because we were finally reuniting with these characters I loved. The story could be taken anywhere! They could have done anything! And then.....I sat and watched how JJ Abrams instead decided to just remake A New Hope while erasing the happy ending of Return of the Jedi and regressing all of our old heroes. I wasn't just disappointed. I was seething. A year later, I was able to enjoy Rogue One a lot more because it felt far more original and less like anything we had really seen in a Star Wars movie before. It had its flaws, but I wasn't sitting in the theater with anger. I declared that The Last Jedi would be the film that would make or break my interest in the saga going forward. It could redeem The Force Awakens for me. This was the film that had the opportunity to explain the head scratching decisions of Abrams. Will we find out why Rey is so powerful? Will we learn who the mysterious Snoke is and how he was able to sway Kylo Ren to the dark side and murder his own father? This time though, I ended up finding out the answers to those questions before I even walked into the theater, and boy it helped! If I hadn't, I probably would have been seething even more than I was two years ago. The Last Jedi picks up almost right where The Force Awakens left off. Except first there's a joke to start off the movie that feels so incredibly un-Star Wars (and right out of the Marvel playbook) that made me settle into my seat and worry what was in store. After that's over then we get back to Rey (Daisy Ridley) and her cliffhanger atop an actual cliff, where she meets Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and attempts to give him back his lightsaber. She wants to learn more about the force, but Luke has become disenchanted with it and feels instead that the Jedi have only caused more bad than good to the galaxy, and that it's time for their religion to end. But Rey's raw power both impresses and frightens him to possibly reconsider, especially as she's finding herself inexplicably drawn to Kylo Ren (Adam Driver.) Meanwhile, the rest of the gang fights with the First Order and desperately fights for the Rebellion's survival. The Last Jedi introduces the audience to several new characters, none of whom are really worth knowing. Finn's subplot is kinda cool in the sense of seeing a new environment in the galaxy, but it's also a little preachy and eyeroll inducing (also complete with weird CGI creatures.) Ultimately this subplot was better suited for the cutting room floor. His new counterpart Rose was incredibly miscast and I'm not really sure why any of the romantic angles they're pushing in this series are all completely devoid of chemistry. Honest to goodness, Poe and Finn really do have the most chemistry here of anyone. That or Poe & Leia. Heck, Oscar Isaac just has chemistry with anyone (even BB-8 for that matter.) Anyway, as for the rest of the cast, the standouts are definitely Ridley, Driver & Hamill. They're giving this their all and it shows in their scenes. There's an unmistakable (and ridiculous) Mary Popppins moment in this movie, so in that vein I shall just say "spoilers help the medicine go down, the medicine go down, the medicine go dowwwwwn." Luckily, already knowing the bad things helped me really appreciate the good this movie had to offer, because unlike The Force Awakens, a lot of this was new territory and did feel like a brand new chapter of Star Wars and not a total retread (though that's not to say that it doesn't have its scenes that do feel like a direct copy here and there.) But with that said, even though I knew them beforehand, there really are a lot of really puzzling decisions made in this film that might color the experience for you. Also, while I was hoping that The Last Jedi would make The Force Awakens a stronger film, I have to say that it really doesn't. The things that people kept saying "well maybe it will be revealed in 8 that such and such happened to make this make sense" never happened; so things just are the way they are in this trilogy without rhyme or reason. If anything, the decisions here only make that worse. Getting more specific would require spoilers, and I'm not gonna do that. So all in all, there were some true Star Wars moments here, mixed with a lot of baffling decisions that really don't validate this new Disney trilogy at all. Disney seems adamant to do away with the past and focus on a "anyone can be a hero!" theme as opposed to who we've been focusing on in the rest of this series. For a saga that's always had the Skywalker family at its heart, I'd much prefer you hold off on that theme until you make your own trilogy that doesn't build off on what came before. RATING: 7/10