Unique, Unconventional, and Underappreciated

Rating: 9/10 (15 December 2017)

I've seen many people take to their podiums in the past 24 hours and attempt to stretch their vague and empty reasonings behind why this film is "The worst Star Wars EVER". No film is perfect, but the "imperfections" being pointed out in this film are mostly unjustified. Yet it seems many of those in the Star Wars fanbase are unwilling or even incapable of understanding the subtleties that make The Last Jedi a genius landmark film for the franchise.
Though JJ Abrams succeeded in reigniting a franchise set to teeter by the generally hated prequel trilogy, Rian Johnson has done an exemplary job in accomplishing what Abrams was unable to achieve. Johnson takes everything that we know as being Star Wars and turns it upside down in the best of possible ways. It seems that's where a lot of the negative feedback is coming from. Everyone had their own expectation of what The Last Jedi should have been, and Johnson ignored those expectations and boldly took the film into a completely different direction. Thus altering the tone of the franchise drastically. Maybe I shouldn't be so surprised, but it's human nature to resist change. Oh boy, do I see a lot of resisting change with this film.
Claims like, "the characters were one dimensional" and "the script and plot went nowhere" among many other claims against this film are very easy to say, yet hold little to no water. Unlike the rest of the plot driven franchise, The Last Jedi succeeds in an area only achieved by one other film in the franchise, The Empire Strikes Back. The films forward momentum is driven by the emotional development of the characters and the moral ambiguity that has been severally lacking in other Star Wars films. Abandoning the ideas of black and white good verses evil, the film not only reworks the Force as a moral grey area, but implements those ideas into the writing of the protagonists and antagonists alike. Certain situations and decisions made by the characters in the film may seem one dimensional on the surface, but once you realize there are different strings pulling every character in multiple directions, the woven tapestry of the script brings the characters and situations to life.
Somehow though, I hear people complaining about the "clunkiness" of the film and how it's a disgrace to the originals. As a self proclaimed Star Wars enthusiast, I will always go to bat for every Star Wars film. Yet, I'm perfectly aware that every Star Wars film is a glorified, mistake ridden, Hollywood flick. Whether it be A New Hope, Attack of the Clones, or Rogue One, each film has it's own set of mistakes. Poor writing, underdeveloped characters, clunky dialogue, and of course, the blaring plot holes that even exist behind the nostalgia fueled facade of the original trilogy. Though each film has its own set of technical problems, to just vaguely state The Last Jedi has problems without addressing even worse problems in previous installments is ignorant.
To conclude my review and rid off the hive of sum and villainy other reviews, don't expect to go into this film and feel the warm blanket of nostalgia that most Star Wars films strived to deliver in the past. It's a very unconventional and unique take on Star Wars that requires an open mind to truly understand what Rian Johnson was trying to achieve. I whole heartedly believe that when future generations view this film, it will be received with great praise and viewed as the start of a necessary new direction for the Star Wars franchise.