Star Wars returns, but the magic is missing

Somewhere between a space western and an overfunded Saturday serial, this film arrives carrying the burden of an exhausted empire.

- Troy Ribeiro

Not the Galactic one, but the cultural fatigue surrounding the once-invincible Star Wars universe. The film knows this. One can almost hear it panting beneath its polished armour, trying desperately to remind audiences why they once queued up like pilgrims outside theatres for lightsabers, destiny and rebellion.

Directed by Jon Favreau, the film behaves less like an operatic cinematic chapter and more like a particularly expensive streaming binge stitched together for IMAX. Yet, despite its uneven pulse, it remains watchable, occasionally charming, and intermittently thrilling.