What The Last Jedi did right and wrong.

Rating: 7/10 (11 April 2018)

***WARNING CONTAINS SPOILERS FROM NOT ONLY THIS MOVIE BUT ALSO PREVIOUS STAR WARS MOVIES***
Firstly, I would like to go on record saying that I am a die-hard Star Wars fan. I, like all fans, love the original trilogy and I even found the prequels, for the most part, enjoyable. The Force Awakens was in my opinion a great comeback after the prequels, that appealed to audiences of all ages.
As a result, I was really looking forward to watching The Last Jedi, but like many fans walked out of the cinema last December feeling a little disappointed. Therefore, I wanted to wait until I had watched it a second time before I posted this review, as I felt The Last Jedi did have some merits that had been overlooked with all the bad fan reviews.
First off Rian Johnson, who has been slated for the direction he took this film in. I feel that he was a good choice for director and the overall plot was well paced and generally made sense. The main criticism he has received has been due to not answering a lot of the questions that were left hanging after The Force Awakens and having an overall comedic tone that many felt didn't fit in this type of movie. Now while I agree on these two points I think it's worth noting that if he had answered all the questions for example who Rey's parents are and who and where Snoke has come from, there would be no point in Episode IX. And I will come back to these two points later. The comedy in the feel at times feels too much. Star Wars has always had comedic moments the back and forth between C-3P0 and R2-D2, and things like Han chasing Stormtroopers only to turn a corner to find many Stormtroopers who then in turn chase him. These elements never really changed the tone of the films, and only briefly made you smile for a moment before getting back to the story. The Last Jedi I think tried too hard to introduce a 'Marvel style' humour into a film that it didn't suit.
Snoke's untimely death, was a shock to all, and has been one of the main criticisms of The Last Jedi. Some think that someone as powerful as Snoke should not have been killed off so easily, and others wanted to know who he was and how he came into power. If Science Fiction, and even Star Wars has taught us anything, it is that no one ever dies! Darth Maul was cut in half, and yet he returned with robotic legs in The Clone Wars. Likewise, Yoda, Obi-wan and Anakin all died, and they were all resurrected as Force Spirits. Perhaps this is not the last we have seen of Snoke? It would be interesting to see a dark side Force Spirit.
Rey' Parents, were widely speculated and to a lot of people's disappointment it seems she has no relation to any major character. Why she needs to be related to anyone is beyond me, and I'm sure if she did have some relation to Luke or Snoke then many fans would have said that the filmmakers were just copying The Empire Strikes Back. The fact that she is a nobody, I think makes it more interesting. But I do think that this leaves a bigger question that people seem to have missed. Could she be the fabled 'Chosen One' who will bring balance to the Force? Although it was thought to be Anakin, it's not definite that he was the Chosen One.
Luke Skywalker, his characterisation, his death and his reluctance to return to fight. His overall characterisation I felt wasn't quite right, many feel that he would not have just given up and retreated into solitude. But I think that if you take into consideration his advanced years, and his living in solitude for so long. It does kind of feel right. Look at what happened to Yoda while on Dagobah. His reluctance to return to fight, again seemed strange on first view, but again after a second viewing, made sense if you think about it. He feels he failed, not only as a teacher, but failed the galaxy, again much like Yoda did, and thus removed himself from the galaxy until the time was right. But then wants to remain in solitude perhaps as a way of testing Rey? Then ultimately his death towards the end of the film, feels like a bit of a disappointment, but from a storytelling point of view, the old characters need to make way for the new characters. A final battle between Rey and Kylo Ren would be much more interesting than if Luke were to get involved. And besides he will most likely return as a Force Spirit. A lot of these points about Luke also stick with George Lucas's fondness of foreshadowing, and how history tends to repeat itself. He is now the old Jedi Master making way for the new apprentice, who is impatient and keen to take the fight to their enemy(much like he and Obi-Wan), he hides in solitude (like Yoda) until the time is right and becomes a Force Spirit (like Obi-Wan) while Rey and the Resistance escape.
The last main issue that many felt was wrong with the film was Leia's float through space. Now while any other character would have met their demise at this point. I think that a lot of people are forgetting that she is Luke's sister, and daughter of Anakin Skywalker. Hence, she is also strong with the force. It is established in Return of the Jedi that she has a connection to the Force. And what happens in the years between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens is unclear. But, knowing that she has the Force, she could well have protected herself from the vacuum of space for a short period before she pulled herself back aboard the ship. Granted, this is a little far-fetched, but in a galaxy far, far, away. Anything is possible.
Furthermore, highlights of The Last Jedi: Poe's story arc, the end battle and Luke vs Kylo Ren were all fantastic Star Wars moments, with Oscar Isaac, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley and Laura Dern all play their parts well. Although Mark Hamill, John Boyega and Domhnall Gleeson all acted their parts well, for me their characters were far too different from previous episodes for their characters to remain consistent.