Star Wars: The Last Jedi Review - 8 Ups And 1 Down

7. Its Ability To Surprise

"This is not going to go the way you think."

We heard that line from Luke Skywalker in the official trailer, and while he may have been speaking to another character, he might as well have been talking to the audience. Star Wars has long been open to all kinds of theorising and discussion: everything is pulled apart, examined, glued back together and then second-guessed, and that's only intensified in the modern era.

The Last Jedi, though, is almost thoroughly unpredictable. Sure, there are some bits that the marketing made clear - and not everything in there was misdirection - but Johnson's film consistently subverts expectations.There are shocks and surprises, twists and turns at every corner, and the film keeps you guessing, zigging when you expect it to zag and making a left when you're sure it's about to go right.

A lot of blockbusters, whether because of heavy marketing, overanalysis, or simply being part of the machine, can be predictable affairs, but with The Last Jedi you never quite know what's going to happen until you're watching it unfold, and when it does there are times you'll gasp with surprise or feel like whooping in delight.