Ecstatic and teary-eyed South African film critics walked out of the cinema yesterday evening after Disney’s closely guarded press preview screening for the latest Star Wars film, The Last Jedi, unable to contain their emotions and excitement with comments ranging from "shit, that was amazing", to "I enjoyed that the most since Empire".
Directed by Rian Johnson, The Last Jedi picks up where Star Wars: The
Force Awakens ended in 2015, with Episode VIII that will likely become
the 4th biggest
film opening of all time, and definitely the biggest film earner of the year, including South Africa.
While American and United Kingdom reviews are
out and available online since late Tuesday, TVwithThinus that has seen the film along
with all other South African print and online publications are under an embargo and can only publish online reviews on Thursday 14 December from 10:01am.
Reviews of The Last Jedi in South Africa may
only appear in print from Friday.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi opens in South African theatres on Friday 15
December with Disney Africa that has created a dedicated, special website, www.thelastjedi.co.za
for South African audiences.
It stars returning cast
members Mark Hamill, the late Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley,
John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, and Andy Serkis and will introduce new
planets, hew characters and several new creatures ranging from crystal foxes to
penguin-like porgs.
While reviews are strictly forbidden until
Thursday and critics have been requested not to include spoilers in reviews so
as to keep the many twists and surprises a secret for cinema-goers, the insta-reactions
of film critics to the film as they leave cinemas can be reported.
On Tuesday South African critics got their
first glimpse at the next installment in the Lucasfilm story set in that galaxy
far, far away.
In Cape Town, a Disney staffer, aptly named
Luke (but not Skywalker), told the gathered critics before the preview started that
the Southern African Federation Against Copyright Theft
(Safact)
is present and monitoring.
Luke said he himself wouldn't
be watching the preview screening; Disney staffers are all getting together on
Friday to watch The Last Jedi together.
Critics were sternly told that
cellphones need to be packed away and that any person seen with even the
smallest light from any device will immediately be escorted from the cinema,
the device checked and content, if any recorded, immediately deleted.
Two and a half hours later, chattering
critics emerged from Cinema 2, with several looking emotional.
Some stood around in groups in
the Ster Kinekor Nouveau lobby at the V&A Waterfront, momentarily huddling and
not dispersing – as if to first recollect themselves and to get somewhat of a
grip on what they’ve just seen and experienced.
"Shit, that was amazing!" was
one critic's immediate reaction, while another said "I enjoyed that the most
since Empire [Strikes Back]; every single scene".
At least two critics looked
emotional, as if close to shedding physical tears. "Did you expect that?" one
asked the other.
"Nope," was the reply.
On Wednesday NASA confirmed
that The Last Jedi will also be shown in space.
Astronauts on the International
Space Station (ISS) will soon get to see the new Star Wars film when the film
will be beamed up as a digital file.
