Movie Review: ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ embraces the battle between good and evil

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Manohla Dargis

In “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” Adam Driver returns as Kylo Ren, a charismatic villain who has modeled himself on Darth Vader. Credit Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

HOLLYWOOD---One of the truisms of the “Star Wars” series is that its battle between good and bad has always uneasily and sometimes openly mirrored the attendant struggle between good and bad filmmaking. Yes, the latest “Star Wars” installment is here, and, lo, it is a satisfying, at times transporting entertainment. Remarkably, it has visual wit and a human touch, no small achievement for a seemingly indestructible machine that revved up 40 years ago and shows no signs of sputtering out (ever). Evil is ascendant. The Resistance — an intrepid, multi-everything group whose leaders include a battle-tested woman warrior — has been fighting the good fight for years but is outnumbered and occasionally outmaneuvered. [More]