“No, it’s not The Empire Strikes Back”

A cavalcade of erudite, learned film critics couldn’t be wrong… could they?

The film opens with the Resistance fleeing after their secret base has been discovered by the First Order

With Episode VII — The Force Awakens, the story tethered new characters to old favorites while echoing the familiar beats of the ’77 movie, playing more like a soft reboot than a straight sequel […] The Last Jedi ditches the galaxy far, far away for uncharted territory: the future

(Matt Patches, Thrillist)

Star Destroyers appear in orbit

The Last Jedi isn’t a mirror image of The Empire Strikes Back

(Matt Oakes, Silver Screen Riot)

Star Destroyers chase Resistance ships through space

Unlike The Force Awakens, which felt like a replay of A New Hope, this one is a new story

(Julian Lytle, Idobi)

One of our heroes recuperates in a watery medical pod

TLJ is a Star Wars film that doesn’t follow traditional conventions and offers a daring new take on the Star Wars franchise

(Drew Ludwig, Geek Buzz)

Following the loss its superweapon in the previous film, the First Order has constructed a Super Star Destroyer

The new writer-director, Rian Johnson, isn’t an impersonal technician (or a rote imitator, like Abrams)

(David Edelstein, Vulture)

Aboard the Super Star Destroyer, the leader of the First Order gives commands via imposing hologram

The franchise is in safe hands, with Johnson crafting a bold, new vision for the saga unlike anything we’ve seen before

(Doug Jamieson, The Jam Report)

Meanwhile, confounding expectations, our hero finds a lush but desolate world home to the galaxy’s last Jedi. “Strange place to find a Jedi Master”

I think it all boils down to “The Empire Strikes Back.” It’s no secret that for many of us, “Empire” is the best of the bunch, and “The Last Jedi” is, in essence, the “Empire” of this new sequel trilogy

(Allen Adams, The Main Edge)

We find the Jedi Master living in a primitive hovel; he initially refuses to train her

Luke literally did the same exact thing that Yoda did

(Film Crit Hulk, Observer)

Trying to persuade the old Jedi, our hero rashly promises they won’t fail

While many agreed that The Force Awakens was good, it did feel very similar to A New Hope. The Last Jedi is nothing like Empire Strikes Back

(Kaitlyn Booth, Bleeding Cool)

The old Jedi Master reluctantly agrees to teach our hero

Rian Johnson chose a different path than many of the films that came before

(Alan French, We Bought a Blog)

In the first lesson, the Jedi Master describes the Force as an energy field between all things

Lovers of Star Wars are incredibly lucky to have Johnson at the helm, who is clearly a super-fan of the saga. He took the stories, archetypes and mythology, and expanded and enhanced it in nearly every way

(Leslie Combemale, Cinema Siren)

Our hero (briefly) succeeds at lifting rocks using the Force…

Force Awakens is more nostalgic and an homage to the original from JJ Abrams, and while The Last Jedi also still has to tread on familiar grounds, it somehow feels fresh and new

(Ruth, Flix Chatter)

…before becoming aware of a mysterious and unsettling cave nearby

Yes, it’s wildly different… and that’s a good thing

(Samuel R. Murrian, Parade)

The Jedi Master poetically explains that it is a place strong with the dark side

The Force Awakens had an almost slavish reverence to the past, but The Last Jedi elegantly unburdens itself from such reverence in order to stake out its own identity […] Writer/director Rian Johnson is a risk-taker

(Rhys Tarling, Isolated Nation)

Ignoring all warnings, our hero cautiously explores the cave…

Whereas its predecessor was criticised by some for seeming too safe and by-the-book, ‘The Last Jedi’ dares to be much bolder and more surprising

(Charlie Lindlar, HuffPost)

…where they experience a strange vision, which ultimately only reflects their own face back at them

“Let the past die,” says Kylo Ren […] Through him Johnson smashes some of the repetitive fan service of The Force Awakens (usually literally) and makes clear that he understands what Lucas understood — the only way a long form story can survive is if each edition is intentionally different from the others

(Joshua Starnes, Vital Thrills)

Later, our hero discovers that she is able to communicate with her erstwhile enemy through the Force

Rian Johnson is clearly one with the force, as his bold, fresh and ingenious ideas shine through

(Cameron Frew, FrewFilm)

Our hero has another vision — this time of the future — which convinces her to abandon her training and rush away to face her enemy…

‘The Last Jedi’ Is Not More Of The Same In ‘Star Wars’ Franchise

(Bob Mondello, NPR)

…amid assertions that the Skywalker boy is the last hope for the galaxy

“The Last Jedi” is no copycat

(Sara Stewart, New York Post)

The Jedi Master pleads with her not to go: visions of the future seen through the Force are unreliable. Our hero ignores such warnings and departs

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is unlike any of the previous instalments

(Bill Gibron, Film Racket)

On the other side of the galaxy two other heroes are on their way to a futuristic, utopian world seeking help

In the weeks leading up to the film, predictions flooded social media about what The Last Jedi would feel like. Were we in-store for a shot-for-shot remake of Empire Strikes Back? Well, Johnson crafts an interesting and complicated tone, which makes the film decidedly his own

(Kimberly Pierce, Geek Girl Authority)

The city is dazzling, but does it have a dark secret?

As the dust settled, it became clear than J.J. Abrams had basically remixed A New Hope for a new generation without bringing new ideas to the fore […] Considering this development, concerns over The Last Jedi being another Empire Strikes Back weren’t unfounded.

Enter Rian Johnson

(Jorge Ignacio Castillo, Planet S)

There they find an apparently trustworthy ally

Rarely, if ever, does anything in The Last Jedi feel predictable

(Sean Mulvihill, Fanboy Nation)

However, they end up imprisoned

The Force Awakens was as formulaic as Jurassic World and never really strayed far enough from its predecessors to make a lasting impact. […] Rian Johnson had the opportunity to bring something really unique and essential to Star Wars fans with The Last Jedi and the results are more than satisfactory

(Chris Sawin, Reel Rundown)

After escaping, they discover all is not as it seems in the glamorous metropolis…

After viewing The Last Jedi, I think it’s fair to say that the film exceeded and circumvented my expectations all at the same time. Now just so you know, Star Wars The Last Jedi has a ton of surprises and twists […] the Last Jedi does not become a modern day version of The Empire Strikes Back

(Emmanuel Noisette, The Movie Blog)

…and also learn that their new ‘friend’ has made a deal, and betrayed them to the enemy

What makes Episode VIII outstanding is that since “A New Hope” and “The Empire Strikes Back,” no other movies in the “Star Wars” universe have hypnotized audiences with such unexpected surprises and didn’t-see-that-coming plot twists.

(Colin Covert, Star Tribune)

Update: Mr Covert’s 2017 review at the Star Tribune now links to the following statement:

We recently discovered that over the past decade, Star Tribune movie critic Colin Covert has written some film reviews using the same unique language of writers for other publications, without attribution.

Covert, a staff writer at the Star Tribune for more than 30 years, has resigned.

Meanwhile, our Jedi hero has handed herself in to the First Order with the belief that she can turn her Dark Lord enemy to the light side of the Force. She is handcuffed and they travel to the Supreme Leader’s throne room by evil elevator

It’s a valedictory entry, as obviously patterned on The Empire Strikes Back as The Force Awakens was on Star Wars (1977), though Johnson plays more tricks on long-term fans who think they can detect where character arcs are going

(Kim Newman, Sight & Sound)

The pair enter the throne room

One of Johnson’s strengths here is also one of his weaknesses. It oftentimes feels like he doesn’t want to hew that closely to the stories that came before

(John Hanlon, John Hanlon Reviews)

The Supreme Leader nonchalantly removes her handcuffs using the Force

Johnson doesn’t mine Star Wars history as extensively as Abrams did

(James Berardinelli, ReelViews)

The Supreme Leader is protected by a loyal band of Red Guards

Unlike the soft reboot of Abrams’ 2015’s The Force Awakens, which leaned a little too heavily on its source material […] The Last Jedi doesn’t repackage old threats or shoehorn in Star Wars fan service at every opportunity.

(Karl Puschmann, New Zealand Herald)

The Supreme Leader mocks our hero for thinking she can turn his protege

It’s a madder, trickier vision than what J. J. Abrams devised for The Force Awakens, eschewing the nostalgic retreads that made that movie a little too familiar for its own good. The Last Jedi decides to chart its own path, oftentimes into territory this franchise has barely dipped its toe in

(Tomas Trussow, The Lonely Film Critic)

Our Jedi hero looks on through a window helplessly as the Resistance fleet is destroyed

The Force Awakens was an artfully curated exercise in weaponized nostalgia designed to reintroduce a beloved mythology to brand new audiences. It mixed the old and the new well enough to function, but JJ Abrams was tasked with recontextualizing A New Hope more than he was with creating something brand new […]

The Last Jedi actually is New Star Wars

(Dominic Griffin, Spectrum Culture)

After being relentlessly mocked, she makes a desperate lunge for her lightsaber where it rests on the Supreme Leader’s throne (on the right hand side, to be exact)

The force is strong with Rian Johnson. The writer-director honors the canon, but he isn’t content to merely imitate it (looking at you, “The Force Awakens”) […] In a pop culture universe teeming with derivative reboots, “Jedi” actually feels unique

(Karen D’Souza, The Mercury News)

In vain, she attempts to strike down the Supreme Leader

The Last Jedi — Episode VIII of the Star Wars saga — is simply stupendous, a volcano of creative ideas in full eruption

(Peter Travers, Rolling Stone)

The Supreme Leader encourages the young Skywalker to fulfil his destiny and murder his enemy…

“The Last Jedi” is not a crude predictable entry to the series

(Blake Howard, Graffiti With Punctuation)

…yet is killed himself in a completely unexpected twist

Visually stunning and narratively shocking, Rian Johnson challenges expectations in the latest instalment

(Owen Richards, The Arts Desk)

At the 1 hour 50 minute mark our Jedi hero is told the shocking truth about her parentage…

There are countless moments in “Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi” where writer-director Rian Johnson could have shown reverence for the past, whether it’s 2015’s “Episode VII — The Force Awakens,” which helped restart the idling sci-fi franchise, or the previous four decades of Star Wars lore.

He does no such thing. […]

This is what the Star Wars universe needs: fresh ideas

(John Wenzel, The Denver Post)

…and the Skywalker lightsaber is lost. Oh no!

JEDI certainly is not a riff on THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

(Mike Vanderbilt, Daily Grindhouse)

At her lowest ebb, our hero is rescued by the Millennium Falcon, and the film clearly explains how this happens

Director Rian Johnson injected a healthy dose of unpredictability into The Last Jedi

(Gavia Baker-Whitelaw, The Daily Dot)

First Order officer that displease the Dark Lord are liable to be Force-choked

This isn’t a nostalgia trip through another film’s highlights

(A.A. Dowd, The A.V. Club)

On a gleaming white planet in front of their hidden base, the Resistance prepares for ground assault

The Last Jedi now stands proudly alongside The Empire Strikes Back as one of the greatest sci-fi movies of all-time

(Josh Wilding, Comic Book Movie)

First Order Walkers are spotted through binoculars

What is so extraordinary about The Last Jedi is that this is the first post-Lucas Star Wars film that feels free to dance to its own beat […] this isn’t just a trace-over job; The Last Jedi, truly, is its own movie

(Jordan Hoffman, The Guardian)

Lines of Resistance soldiers in trenches prepare for battle

J.J. Abrams’” The Force Awakens,” took some stabs at creating a more vital and singular vision, but it achieved that goal largely through unapologetic homage and refashioning the original formula. Now we have Rian Johnson’s “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” — and finally, we can see the future […]

It all builds to another face-off, of course, but even the most devout Star Wars fan won’t be able to guess how it gets there

(Eric Kohn, IndieWire)

Walkers begin firing on the Resistance

Johnson makes sure that Jedi is bursting at the seams with knockout fun surprises, marvelous adventure and shocking revelations that will leave your head spinning […] Just when you think you know where this movie is going, Johnson pulls the rug out from under you.

(Peter Travers, Rolling Stone)

“The shield will be down in moments”

Where “The Force Awakens” felt like a rehash of “A New Hope,” “The Last Jedi” feels a lot different from “Empire Strikes Back”

(Kirsten Acuna, Insider)

Resistance speeders manned by our heroes fly toward the Walkers

Much of this sounds like The Empire Strikes Back retreaded, but Johnson constantly upends expectations in a way that constantly keeps you guessing […]

In the final battle sequence, the salt planet serves as an incredible backdrop for the rebels’ last stand. It’s that kind of visual innovation that the series lacked in The Force Awakens, which just felt like more of the same

(Karl Delossantos, Smash Cut Reviews)

The Falcon appears and swoops into a fissure, in an action crucial to the plot

With Star Wars: The Last Jedi, writer-director Rian Johnson takes the Star Wars saga into uncharted territory. Johnson resists fan service at nearly every turn

(Chris Evangelista, Slashfilm)

The old ship flies through an impossibly narrow space…

Star Wars: The Last Jedi launches the franchise to another level of action and humor thanks to incoming writer-director Rian Johnson, whose imagination seems boundless as George Lucas’ 40 years ago

(Steve Persall, Tampa Bay Times)

…emerging into a vast subterranean cavern…

It is a triumph of storytelling for director Rian Johnson

(Allan Hunter, Express)

…before exploding back out to the surface

It all feels thought through, natural, and not unnecessarily showy […] rather than like gratuitous excuses to show action

(K. Austin Collins, The Ringer)

Our heroes bravely take on the mighty First Order

So much of Star Wars: The Last Jedi is about eliminating the past, about starting over

(Sean O’Connell, Cinema Blend)

Sadly, Resistance pilots are hit

No, it’s not The Empire Strikes Back

(Stephen Rebello, Playboy)

Even one of our heroes crashes; he pushes up his cockpit door to escape

Rian Johnson did not give us Empire Strikes Back 2.0

(Sheraz Farooqi, ComicBookDebate)

And we end with a tender kiss

“The Last Jedi” is a fun movie, and writer and director Rian Johnson (“Looper,” “Brick” and “Ozymandias,” one of the great episodes of “Breaking Bad”) hasn’t made a rehash of “The Empire Strikes Back,” thankfully.

(Bill Goodykoontz, USA Today Network)

The climactic duel is won decisively by the elder Force user who doesn’t even need to fight

Rian Johnson’s directorial Star Wars debut comes at a crucial time for the future development of the franchise. Get it wrong and it’s potentially a cycle of diminishing returns […] Luckily, Rian Johnson manages to just about pull it off…

(Mark Newbold, Starburst Magazine)

“I just had the weirdest feeling of déjà vu”

I want to be shocked, I want to be surprised, I want to be thrown off-guard… What I’m aiming for every time I sit down in a theater is to have the experience I had with Empire Strikes Back

— Rian Johnson

No kidding.