Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi is one of the greatest films of all time.

Rating: 10/10 (10 September 2019)

I will never forget the excitement I had going to see Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi. First of all, I loved Star Wars Episide VII: The Force Awakens, and I could not wait to see how that story continued. Also, I have loved Rian Johnson since the beginning of his career and was anxious to see what he can do with a Star Wars film. I walked out of the theater very conflicted on how I felt about the film, but I also knew that the movie gave me a feeling that no film had given me before. After subsequent viewing I have realised that Rian Johnson has made a masterpiece. Let's break it down.
1. The opening space battle is the most character driven space battle that we have ever seen. The jokes in the beginning don't feel like they belong in a Star Wars film. This is presented to indicate that this will be a different type of Star Wars film than what we have seen previously. Also, seeing Poe Dameron doing burnouts in an X-Wing is awesome. The tension that's built in one sentence ("You're the only bomber left it's all down to you. ") put me on the edge of my seat like crazy. The fact that Poe Dameron made a decision that resulted in characters dying showed that his character has flaws. That great character development.
2. The last thing we see in Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens is Rey holding out the Skywalker lightsaber to Luke Skywalker. That lightsaber became the represtentation of all of our fan theories on what would happen next in Star Wars Episide VIII: The Last Jedi. When Luke Skywalker takes the lightsaber and throws it over his shoulder, it acted as a symbol to let the audience know that we should throw all our theories, hopes, and expectations out tje window. Rian Johnson is steering the ship now and he does nothing shy of making sure his voice comes through in this film. We then see that much like the character of Poe Dameron, Luke is also not without flaws. This allows the character to relate to the other characters in the film and it also allows the audience to take an older version of Luke more seriously.
3. Rey and Kylo Ren had to communicate in this film in order to build tension throughout without it having to be done with constant action sequences. Everything about this manages to do something we haven't seen before. The fact that Rey and Kylo Ren are connected through the force is a shock to the audience because it shows a side of the force we have not seen before. The same thing happens when we see Leia use the force pull herself to the ship in space. Rey and Kylo Ren's relationship works because you don't know whether or not they hate each other or are infactuated with one another. Not only do Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver have incredible chemistry on screen, but they perform the scenes they have together unbelievably well. Rey is being pulled to the dark and Kylo Ren is being pulled to the light. This allows the characters to appear more human and act as dual protagonists. The dramatic conflict that comes between these two is emotional and powerful. We see the hero and the villain of our story breaking off an intimate connection they have with each other all because the both fall on different ends of the political situation going on in the galaxy. Rey being nobody is an awesome twist that shows that anybody can step up amd be a hero. That's a great message.
4. Finn and Rose Tico's adventure is not only fun, but sends the message that every cloud has a silver lining. Even though the two fail on there mission they gave the ring with symbol of the Resistance on it to a slave boy. This tells the audience that it's the little things that count. At the end we see the child use the force and hold that symbol to the sky with a look in his eye that says nothing less than, "I'm inspired and ready to join the fight! " The symbol of the Resistance acts as a symbol of hope to the child. Also, Finn grows as a character when DJ explains to him that everything isn't black and white, but that there is a grey area that exists.
5. Holdo's sacrifice is one of the most important parts of the film as it ties together Poe, Finn, and Rey's storylines. If Holdo hadn't rammed into those ships Then Rey wouldn't have been able to escape Kylo Ren, Poe wouldn't have seen what it really means to be a leader by putting your needs over your wants, and Finn and Rose would have been executed. This is also the moment the Skywalker lightsaber split in half. There's a lot of schism like imagary in the film to let the audience know that it's okay to be conflicted about this movie and that it may take multiple viewings to appreciate. Another example is the image of Snoke being split in two right before the brilliant lightsaber sequence with Rey and Kylo Ren. I love everything involving lightsabers in this film from Rey's training to the fight sequence against Snokes guards. Rian Johnson decided to set the camera down and let the actors do the stunts allowing the action to just play out. The lightsaber moments feel more grounded and realistic.
6. Finally, with all the main stories tied together, there is still one more to go. Luke Skywalker is struggling with age when he realises that he may have not only failed one student, but two. Yoda shows up to tell him thay failure is okay as long as you learn from it. This allows Luke to finally be at peace causing him to give everything he has to the force in order to project himself on to the battlefield on Crait to act as a distraction while the resistance escapes. When the twist was revealed that Luke was a force projection throughout the entire Crait sequence, I jumped out of my seat with applause. The battle of Crait includes slme of the best cinematography in the entire franchise with the way is blend the red and white colors. In the end Luke becomes one with the force in a beautiful death sequence involving him once again staring out at the twin sons. He left the way he arrived; being a hero.
In the end, I understand that this film is very devisive and has left a lot of folks disappointed. To those who are satisfied, have a conversation with those who are upset and see if you can bring them to the light side of the force. To those who are upset with the film, please hear the rest of us out. If you are a Star Wars fan you should be looking for reasons to love a Star Wars film instead of nitpicking until you hate it. I wish that those of youho are upset would listen to those who understand this film and all it's wonderful layers. In close we just want you to see what it looks like from our end because the result is happiness.