The people who have created Star Wars films under Disney are not as talented nor creative as George Lucas was, and that is a problem. The question for the audience is whether they still want to see Star Wars movies when they are not as good as what we used to get?
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is the middle film of the third Star Wars trilogy. It divided the fan base because many fans liked it and many hated it.
After seeing Star Wars: The Last Jedi, I watched videos on YouTube every day where people complained about different aspects of this film. A large number of people hate this movie, but these are usually the die-hard fans who feel the movie strayed too far from its roots by slightly changing the Star Wars mythology. There are some plot holes. Furthermore, even though people were counting on it to fill in information missing from the previous movie, it only provides enough information so that the audience can follow along. There are questions that we may never get an answer to.
There are major complaints about this film. The first is in the way the character Luke Skywalker is handled because he is no longer a hero. After experiencing a major setback, Luke abandons his friends, the rebellion, the Jedi Order, and The Force. Even the actor Mark Hamill repeatedly complained about this. This is the main sticking point for die-hard fans. My position is that I am not the writer of the story, so it is not up to me to decide how Luke Skywalker should be portrayed. If Lucasfilm wants to make him a disenchanted Jedi, its their story. The bottom line for me is whether I find that story entertaining.
The second complaint is that the movie has too many moments of levity. It is not a comedy, but it really pushes the humor, most of which works, but some of it falls flat.
There are brief moments of hokey dialog and cringeworthy interactions between characters. Kelly Marie Tran is a good actress, but her character of Rose Tico has some bad dialog in this movie. A few fans actually expressed hatred, if not racism, toward the actress, which is unfortunate. Laura Dern is also a good actress, but her character of Vice-Admiral Holdo looks more like a Professor of Gender Studies than a rebel leader.
There has been a backlash. The Rotten Tomatoes Critics Score is 91%, down from an initial 93%, but the audience score is only 41%. That's a huge difference between critics and audience.
There is something special about seeing these movies a second time, because generally what happens is that any flaws that might exist become less noticeable or at least easier to ignore. In addition, you notice new things with each viewing. This was definitely true for watching Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which had a few problems, not the least of which was that the story was somewhat a remake of the original Star Wars film, and the movie is so stingy in providing the audience with information that it made it feel like it was full of plot holes. The other major complaint was that the main character, Rey, was so talented in everything that it made her feel like a "Mary Sue", which is a character that is so perfect in everything that the character becomes annoying or unbelievable. However, especially on my third viewing of the film, I began to understand Star Wars: The Force Awakens better and really appreciate what they were trying to do, even if it did have a few flaws.
Whereas Star Wars: The Force Awakens in many ways copies the original film, A New Hope, this movie contains some elements similar to both The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Having already copied many things from the entire first trilogy, the next movie might have to do something completely different.
Given all the negativity, I about convinced myself that Star Wars: The Last Jedi might not be worth a second viewing, despite feeling thoroughly entertained and emotionally moved the first time around. I was worried that the flaws would stick out too much.
I have never been so happy to be wrong. Sure the film has a few flaws, as many movies do, but the second time around is still very entertaining and emotionally moving. This drowns out any plot holes, political agendas being pushed, or confusion the movie has caused the audience about the characters.
The good parts outweigh the bad parts. Not everyone feels that way, but I certainly do.
The one thing that the film does well is to defy all audience expectations, and that makes it more entertaining. At one point Luke says to Rey, "This is not going to go the way you think." Well, that describes the entire movie, which is maybe why some people have a problem with it. To some extent, it breaks the mold of what a Star Wars movie could or should be, but the result is kind of special. It is also rich in texture; I noticed way more things on the second viewing. There is so much that happens that goes by very quickly.
In loving memory of our princess,
Carrie Fisher.
The movie could have ended one minute sooner than it did, but the final scene is like a bonus, involving a young boy we saw earlier in the movie. This scene is magical, but you can see the Disney influence in it.
Although Star Wars: The Last Jedi may stray a little from its Star Wars roots, every time it quickly returns to its roots making it feel like a pretty good Star Wars film. As a die-hard Star Wars fan, the movie very much appeals to me, but it seems also to have been designed to appeal to a much wider audience, and not just the Star Wars fanatics. As such, it is a very entertaining movie, but there are some noticeable flaws.
Rating: B+
P.S. On both viewings, the audience applauded at the end of the film, which says something.
The Last Jedi - Why I Loved It
The Last Jedi is amazing and you are all insane.
Why You're Wrong About Star Wars: The Last Jedi
I don't know anything about music, but I do know that John Williams' music is pretty incredible:
Star Wars - The Genius of John Williams
Star Wars - The Genius of John Williams
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