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Here's a look at the new movie I saw this week.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Starring: Daisy Ridley, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Laura Dern, and Adam Driver
Synopsis: It's been 40 years since "Star Wars" debuted in theaters. In that time, it's become a huge part of the cultural landscape. So many people remember what it was like seeing "Star Wars" for the first time. I was not yet born when "A New Hope" debuted, but I can remember watching "Star Wars" on video from an early age, setting up my toys and acting out the battles. And I remember the feeling of seeing those original films in 1997, upon their re-release. There was magic in the lights coming down and those words crawling across the screen. And it's that magic, and those childhood experiences, that have drawn many to these new films. In 2015, "The Force Awakens" spoke to that sense of nostalgia with a movie that felt very much like an update of "A New Hope" that followed the exact same formula. With the latest installment, "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," which opened Friday, reverence for the past is the last thing on Rian Johnson's mind, as he boldly takes the story in a new direction. And it's brilliant. The new film picks up shortly after "The Force Awakens" ended. Rey (Ridley) has found Luke Skywalker (Hamill), where she hopes to receive training and coax him back into the fight. That proves more challenging than expected. The Rebellion, meanwhile, faces an uphill battle. After a fight sidelines General Leia (Fisher) for a bit, Poe Dameron (Isaac) clashes with Vice Admiral Holdo (Dern) about the best path to take. Meanwhile Finn (Boyega) and a new friend Rose (Tran) hatch a plan to protect what's left of the fleet. Elsewhere Kylo Ren (Driver) tries to maximize his skills and please Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis). In other words, there's a lot going on in this film, which runs 152 minutes. It's impossible to talk about "The Last Jedi" without acknowledging that it's perhaps the most polarizing "Star Wars" film. There have been many strong reactions. Some love it and some hate it. I fall squarely in the former category, as I think it might be one of the best. For me, "Empire Strikes Back" remains the gold standard among "Star Wars" films, but "The Last Jedi" is a strong second for me. (I've seen it twice so far.) But it's not that I don't understand those that didn't love the film. I think it has to do with the nostalgia of those original films, something that was a big part of "The Force Awakens," and a reason so many long-time fans loved that film. I liked it, too, but it didn't move me and excite me the way "The Last Jedi" did. "The Last Jedi" is a film that was completely different than I expected, and beautiful in many ways. Those that went in thinking it would be an homage to "Empire Strikes Back" are likely the ones who were disappointed with how the story went. As Luke says at one point, "this is not going to go the way you think." He could easily have been talking to viewers. Like most middle chapters in a trilogy, this one is daring, it moves the ball forward, and it's dark. The middle chapter is free from the burden of building the world and setting the stakes, which occurs in the first installment. Instead, it gets to deepen the mythology and take the story in a new direction. But it's not the end, so the misery and stakes often increase while the door is left open for that more hopeful resolution in the final installment. "The Last Jedi" very much mirrors that quality. It explores threads left dangling in "The Force Awakens," takes the narrative in a new direction, and certainly casts a pall over our heroes at times. But it's also a beautiful film in that it honors the past while making clear that it's time to move beyond that, something we didn't get in "The Force Awakens." Johnson has a clear vision for the story he wants to tell, and where to take these characters, and he executes that brilliantly. All the little beats work, and the film has a unique a beautiful cinematic style. It also has a rich emotional core tied to this next generation. The performances from Ridley and Driver are exceptional, and are the heart of the film. Their bond, and conflict, is something I very much look forward to seeing explored in a final installment. And Hamill, who was an ever-present shadow on "The Force Awakens" but didn't have a single spoken line, gets to shine here, as well. It isn't the Luke Skywalker I expected, but that turns out to be a beautiful thing. And also, likely, one of the points of contention for those who didn't love this film. This year has delivered some fine and interesting films. There are many I've liked but not many I've truly loved; films that grabbed a hold of something inside and stirred me emotionally. This did. It was moving, funny, exciting, and sometimes bittersweet. More than anything, it was beautiful. It's my favorite film of the year so far, and one that opens the door wide open to a world of possibility in a galaxy far, far away.
Rating: PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action and violence.
Verdict: Four stars out of four.

Upcoming Releases:
Wednesday, December 20 - "The Greatest Showman," "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle"
Friday, December 22 - "Pitch Perfect 3," "Father Figures," "Downsizing," "The Post"
Monday, December 25 - "Molly's Game," "The Phantom Thread," "All The Money in the World"