“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” directed by Rian Johnson, furthers the story of intergalactic war between the First Order and the Resistance with a new generation of fighters led by the characters we know and love. The movie brings viewers of all ages on the edge of their seats, but to understand the plot, viewers should make sure they’ve seen the seventh movie.

The originality of the plot in this episode squanders any concerns of the new trilogy following the original too closely. Johnson adds to the classic saga with new moxy, while maintaining the feel of a true Star Wars movie, allowing avid fans to return to their beloved galaxy naturally.

The first hour of the movie was frustrating at times, due to certain plot choices that created issues and failed to add to the storyline. The plot, while original, felt unnecessarily complicated at times; issues brought up throughout the movie had more simple resolutions than those presented. This lag, however, did not stop the viewers from being sucked into the plot.

The balance present between new and old characters keeps the film rooted in the original trilogy while allowing it to add to the series. New members of the galactic family are, for the most part, brought in organically, still giving old characters room to shine.

The acting in this episode was of much higher caliber than in past episodes, particularly from the newer characters. Adam Driver, playing Kylo Ren, redeemed himself with an emotionally-charged performance proving his multidimensional abilities unseen in the last episode. Daisy Ridley’s performance, however, proved passable, but not memorable.

The movie brings about a surprising amount of humor, more than other episodes, but it does not detract from the viewing pleasure. Overall, the comedic elements add a new refreshing layer to the evolving franchise.

The film balances awe-factor and emotion: the masterful use of computer-generated imagery (CGI) and special effects amaze, while the well-executed acting pulls at the emotions of the viewers. Neither element overpowering the other.

Overall, the newest episode of the Star Wars franchise brings sincere character development, beautiful cinematography and light-hearted comedy, causing the 153 minutes to fly by at nearly light speed.

With a combination of the action-packed fight scenes we expect from the Star Wars franchise, touching callbacks to old scenes, and moments of comedy, the sum of the new Star Wars movie, “The Last Jedi,” is greater than its parts.