Settle in folks, this one covers a lot of ground.
Anyone who knows me, even a little, knows that I love Star Wars. Ever since I was five years old, when I saw the '97 re-release of the original trilogy, I've loved everything about it. I've read all the old books and comics, I have the toys, the games, multiple versions of all the films, and even though I can be a bit of an original trilogy purist (Han shot first), I even like the (objectively not very good) prequel trilogy. I also love the direction of the newer movies, both in the main trilogy and the one-offs like Rogue One, and up until recently, I assumed most Star Wars fans felt the same way, based on my experiences with them.
And then "The Last Jedi" came out.
Pardon my French, but holy shit, have you ever seen a fandom implode so quickly and so completely? Not only that, but for so long? I mean, the arguments had started with "The Force Awakens", but those were small time, just fringe "fans" talking about how much it sucked, but this was like the big bang of fan anger. The only reason I even feel the need to write this is that the arguments are still going on. It seems like the Star Wars fandom is separated into two sides at the moment: One side thinks TLJ is either a great or perfectly fine Star Wars film that brings a new vision to the series, and the other, seemingly, wants everyone involved with the film to die (I'm not joking, so much of the hate I see directed at this movie makes some mention of Rian Johnson or Kathleen Kennedy winding up dead in some way).
Now, me personally? I think it's one of the better Star Wars films in general, and certainly the freshest thing to happen to the series since "Empire Strikes Back", and while I'm not here pretending to be a movie expert, or to tell you that you have to agree with me, I would like to give my complete thoughts on this movie, including why I agree or disagree with certain popular criticisms leveled by the fandom.
I will not, however, be addressing the faux concerns regarding the new series being "sjw propaganda", a "safe space", or any other played out, over-used buzz words that regularly get tossed around by the more narrow-minded and insecure members of this fandom. With that out of the way, let's get to the important stuff.
Full spoiler warning in effect.
The Overview
I think The Last Jedi is a phenomenal Star Wars film. An intimate, character focused experience that might stumble a bit here and there, but is overall one of most well-put-together films in the franchise, and the first film in decades to take the series in a new direction. It felt great to experience a Star Wars movie that, for once, had twists and turns that I didn't see coming, leaving me brimming with excitement over where the franchise could go from here, something I hadn't felt since seeing the re-release of Empire Strikes Back in 1997. We see interesting new planets, battles like we've never seen before, and get the most human characters that Star Wars has given us since the original trilogy, and I applaud Rian Johnson's vision, especially in the face of the ridiculous vitriol he's had to put up with since the films release.
The stuff that works (but people seem to have a problem with):
Luke
The portrayal of Luke Skywalker in this movie is a breath of fresh air, as far as I'm concerned. First off, the idea that seems to have spread through comments section like wildfire, that Jedi don't run away from their problems, is just silly. Judging by every previous Star Wars film, running away from problems they created is more or less the Jedi retirement plan. As for the "this isn't the Luke I know" crowd...well, I can't help but feel that that's kind of the point of his characterization in the movie. Luke isn't the hero we remember because he couldn't live up to his own legend, instead allowing his rash actions (something Luke should be famous for) to create a terrible villain and, again, rashly, exiling himself for what he believes is the good of the galaxy, because that is exactly the kind of dramatic, terribly thought out plan we've come to expect from the Skywalker men (as much as I might like Luke). Was I disappointed that I didn't get to see badass, unstoppable Jedi master Luke like the rest of the fans seem to have wanted? Nope, not at all. You know why? Well one, because I already got to see that in the original expanded universe books and games, and two, because not only wold that have been boring and predictable, it would have gone against everything that this movie is trying to establish as the new direction of the Star Wars universe: You don't need to be from a special bloodline or a royal family to be important or do great things, and you can make mistakes along the way, as long as you care enough to make a difference. Which brings me to my next point.
Rey's parentage
Now provided this doesn't get retconned in the final installment, Rey's unassuming upbringing is probably the single biggest change in the Star Wars universe that these movies have attempted, and possibly the most important. Rey is making a difference, not because she's a Skywalker, not because she was born into the resistance, and not because the First Order wronged her personally in some way (at least at first). She's doing it because it's the right thing to do, and she has the power to do it. And that's really all there is to it. If you're upset because you feel like her lineage was somehow teased in the previous film...I don't know what to tell you. The hype train surrounding the perceived mysteries of this new trilogy was so far off the tracks by the time TLJ came out that fan outrage over the "lackluster" answers was inevitable, but the fact remains that not everything has to be connected. And what a great segue to...
Snoke
We were never promised anything regarding Snoke. His character was never built up as some mystery, not a single person in The Force Awakens questioned who he was or where he came from, and the fact that we don't know his backstory before he dies does not make him a let down. I'm not sure why fans decided that we were entitled to some massive backstory for Snoke, as Emperor Palpatine was introduced and subsequently killed in Return of the Jedi, and we didn't know very much about him at all until the prequels were released. The reason we don't need to know more about Snoke is that he's already served his purpose in the story. Which brings me to...
Kylo Ren's Arc
I'll be honest with you, I'm not sure where the outrage comes from on this one. Kylo Ren's arc was more or less outright stated by JJ Abrams at the outset to be that of a complete villain, not a Darth Vader redemption story. The fact that Snoke is just a red herring, who ends up as just a stepping stone on Kylo's rise to power, is a fantastic fake out, as is the "he might turn" moment that serves to show us his true colors: This dude is unbalanced and straight up evil. Honestly, it's refreshing to get an honest to goodness villain arc; Kylo didn't turn bad because he wanted to save his pregnant wife, or because he was disillusioned with the Jedi Order. He just wanted power, and he was willing to do whatever it took to get it. Don't believe me? When confronted by Luke Skywalker during the finale, and asking if Luke had come to save his soul, Luke, the man who risked his life because he saw goodness in his child-murdering father, says "no". Rian Johnson might as well be stamping "he is not redeemable" in big block letters on the screen.
The Action
Not really a whole lot to say here. The duel involving Kylo, Rey, and Snoke's guards is hands down some of the best lightsaber work we've gotten in a Star Wars film, absolutely stunning. The battle of Krait is sufficiently fast-paced and tense (with some wonderful cinematography), and it goes without saying that the hyperspace kamikaze is (if my midnight showing was any indication) literally breathtaking. Great stuff all around.
The stuff that doesn't work so well (that I still believe has been blown out of proportion):
Canto Bight
So, Canto Bight is a perfect example of intent vs. execution. On paper, it's great; we take a break from the Jedi drama and tense fleet chase to follow Finn and Rose on a journey to the seedy, wealthy casino planet of Canto Bight for a great lesson about the evils of capitalism and war profiteering. This lays the groundwork for the "regular people" uprising that is the new rebellion, gives Finn an ideological reason to join the Resistance, and preps Rose for her position as the human face of her factions ideologies. But that's all on paper. In practice, this section of the movie absolutely murders the pacing of the film. It's laden with exposition (this is why you're taught in film school to show, not tell), boring, cgi heavy action, and borderline slapstick bits that come out of left field. While it doesn't bother me that the story here doesn't necessarily resolve what it set out to (making human mistakes that aren't necessarily going to lead somewhere in the end is a recurring idea in this movie), it does bother me that it's so poorly handled. This is not helped by...
Finn
This movie doesn't seem to know what it wants to do with Finn (I'll try to keep this section basic without getting into the backstory of Finn outside of the films). We get the shadow of a great character arc here, with Finn finding a reason to stop running and join the Resistance outside of being where Rey is, which almost culminates with him sacrificing his life to protect the fleeing Resistance fighters. However, what we get is a confused characterization where Finn already seems to have decided that he's part of the Resistance, is willing to risk his life for it, and has his big sacrificial moment ripped out from under him by Rose (followed by hands down one of the worst lines ever to be in a Star Wars movie). Finn is basically running in place for the entire film, and while John Boyega is still entertaining enough to carry the part, it's a shame that they haven't found something more for Finn to do, and speaking of characters who need more to do...
Rose
Rose, like Finn, has the fundamentals of a great character arc, but, to be frank, is criminally underwritten. Kelly Marie Tran is given next to nothing to work with regarding this potentially great character, and it's to the movies detriment that Rose isn't much more than a walking wake-up call for Finn the entire time.
So there you have it, I think that covers all of my thoughts regarding the more common criticisms of The Last Jedi.
I'd like to make clear that I didn't make this list to say that anyone's opinions are stupid, or wrong. I made this list because I'm passionate about movies, especially Star Wars, and I have strong opinions regarding this movie. I would love nothing more than to discuss the merits of this movie with people who feel equally passionate about it. Think it was the best Star Wars ever? Or the worst thing to happen to the franchise? Let me know, let's talk it up! And as always, thanks for reading.
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