Not the franchise film you're looking for.

Rating: 7/10 (17 May 2020)

When The Last Jedi first came out I, like many, had... opinions on it. Despite any initial thoughts I had however, I decided to hold off on cementing them until the conclusion of the trilogy, since it is only a piece of a whole after all. Now, having recently seen "The Rise of Skywalker" and the end of this saga, I can confirm that... Disney, and Rian Johnson to a lesser extent, botched it.
On its own, "The Last Jedi" actually has some pretty interesting ideas. The expansion of the Force and the recontextualization of some of the events of the previous films to challenge our preconceived notions are both interesting ideas that were worth exploring to prevent this series from getting stale. Some of the twists that defy what the genre typically does were exciting. The problem with these things is the film they're happening in, the middle portion of a story whose bookends are not interested in the same ideas.
This battle between directors is the greatest disservice to both "The Last Jedi," and the sequel trilogy as a whole. Johnson all but disregards the plot threads that Abrams had set up in "The Force Awakens," wrapping up the lingering questions that movie left in a neat little bow. The problem with this is that he really doesn't set up all that much of his own for the next movie to go off of.
Thematically, this isn't a terrible thing. "The Last Jedi" sets up some questions, and it answers them. This is how stories are supposed to operate. For the literal plot though, there still needs to be an engine to keep things running if you know the story isn't over, and this movie simply doesn't provide that. It's not conducive to long-term storytelling at all, which is why I think the ideas it explores would've fit better in a standalone movie.
That's probably the most unique thing I have to say about this movie that's been discussed to death. My other opinions about it can be found anywhere you look about this movie. Rose and the whole Canto Bight subplot? Obviously terrible. The political correctness is too heavy handed. On the positive side, this is the most visually interesting Star Wars has been. I found the action to be strong and exciting. Just look literally anywhere on the internet if you want to hear about these topics in-depth.
"The Last Jedi" is probably bound to always be divisive. Now, in light of the completed trilogy, its legacy to me is that of the franchise's biggest monkey wrench.