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December 11, 2017

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Standing ovations for new Star War movie

Source: AP | 00:01 UTC+8 December 11, 2017 | Print Edition

There were cheers, gasps, droid photo opportunities, casino games and more than a few standing ovations at the crowded world premiere of “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” on Saturday night in Los Angeles.

Rian Johnson, the writer and director of the eighth installment of the franchise, dedicated the night to the late Carrie Fisher, who died after filming had completed.

“She’s up there flipping the bird and saying, ‘Don’t bring this night down with solemn tributes’.” Johnson said on stage at the Shrine Auditorium.

It was in that spirit that Johnson introduced his cast, including Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley and Oscar Isaac. Hamill and composer John Williams, who Johnson called one of the “greatest living film composers,” were among the few who received standing ovations.

“Let’s watch a Star Wars movie,” Johnson exclaimed as the cast took their seats, the lights dimmed and the yellow Star Wars logo and iconic scrawl appeared on screen to signal the start of the film. The audience laughed and cheered throughout much of the two-and-a-half-hour film. One audience member even shrieked “What” at a key scene.

The premiere featured a massive assault vehicle and a procession of Stormtroopers and droids that preceded the first showing of the film before its release on this Friday. The mood was joyous and pregnant with anticipation for the highly guarded film, which sees the return of Hamill’s Luke Skywalker and Fisher’s final performance.

Formal reviews will not be released for a few days, but journalists and others at the screening who shared their initial reactions online said “The Last Jedi” packed the adventure expected in a Star Wars film, but took it into new territory.

J.J. Abrams, who directed 2015’s “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and will return to direct Episode IX, said the film was “great” and that “Rian killed it.”

“Logan” director James Mangold also praised the film’s director, calling the movie “a great chapter of a blockbuster franchise” that also had Johnson’s “voice shining through.” Producer Adam Goldberg wrote that the film made him feel like a child again.

Entertainment Weekly’s Anthony Breznican said the film “will shatter you and then make you feel whole again.”

Many who posted online about the premiere said they were still processing the film.

Attendees at Saturday’s premiere were the first people outside the cast, filmmakers and top executives at Walt Disney Company and Lucasfilm who had seen “The Last Jedi.” Director Edgar Wright, Patton Oswalt, Greta Gerwig, Gaten Matarazzo and Constance Zimmer were among the attendees on Saturday.

At the after-party, which was modeled after Canto Bight, a casino-based city in the Star Wars galaxy seen in “The Last Jedi,” attendees could play blackjack, roulette and craps to win commemorative Star Wars pins.

“The Last Jedi” is one of the year’s biggest releases. The film was expected to rake in US$200 million for its opening weekend.

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