Science-fiction and fantasy films come with their own baggage – they are over-reliant on SFX, the plot is rather predictable, the climax is left open-ended for the studios to cash in on the franchise’s popularity and leaves little scope for an actor to display his/her acting abilities; unless of course, you are a fan of the genre. But there’s one more serious downside to it too – films of this genre are too dependent on their prequels. The eighth edition of the franchise which launched the inter-galactic wars – now in its 40th year – is upon us. Resuming from the ‘Episode VII- THE Force Awakens’ (2015),  this latest one, written and directed by Rian Johnson gives us the backstory in the opening frames – the First Order (the bad ones) outnumbering their eternal quarry – the Resistance (the good ones).

The film opens with a Nazi-type commander barking orders to vanquish the Resistance. And with spaceships – some of them monstrous and hideous – each the size of ten football fields, and lightsabers, the stage is set for the VFX guys to take over. Rey (Daisy Ridley) the warrior takes it upon her to put up a semblance of a fight against the Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) led band of stormtroopers. Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) plans to call it a day and refuses to mentor Rey. Any more of the plot and it would probably cease to interest the filmgoer.

Seven decades ago The Star Wars franchise had carved a niche of its own. The interest and hype – for fans of George Lucas created characters – fortunately remains unabated. The technical wizardry has grown bigger and bolder, if not better. John Williams, who’s mastered the art of the background score in science-fiction films and made this genre his very own, returns with a resplendent score once again. The climax too is astutely crafted to pave the way for one more awaited sequel.