What makes Star Wars unlike any other Movie?

Rating: 8/10 (18 December 2017)

Star Wars has become bigger than media. It's bigger than just a movie. When a Star Wars movie comes out it's an event not just another day at the theater. Only Harry Potter compares on a similar level (marvel and DC are getting there), but even that doesn't really compare. Star Wars is so ingrained in our culture, so beloved by so many people, I find it's almost become it's own worst enemy.
The expectations for these films are almost unattainable and I feel bad for anyone who tries to handle one of these movies. The backlash can carry a painful sting I'm sure. I have loved Star Wars since I was a little kid. Watching A New Hope so much my VHS tape broke twice and we had to buy new ones. These new films will never compare to those originals. How can it? I feel people love those movies so much it makes it too difficult to enjoy the new ones sometimes. But there is still magic in these movies. Hope. Good vs Evil. Doing the right thing. Friendship. It's all still there and in my opinion it is worthy to follow those films I have loved since I was little. And here is why I say that.
When I first saw the trailer for Star Wars TLJ I knew that there would be many who would be upset by the final product. The trailer clearly showed a damaged Luke Skywalker haunted by his past and the decisions he's made. His actions, much like other Jedi's before him (Obi-wan and Yoda for instance), caused him to run into exile where he punishes himself for the things he cannot forgive himself for. (Keep in mind Yoda disappeared after losing to Darth Sideous. He never came out for exile to help the Rebels. He could have. Much like Luke does in this movie)
At first viewing of The Last Jedi it's hard to see the correlations between the original trilogy, but it follows everything that happens in Empire Strikes Back more than people want to believe. It changes enough to be it's own movie, but we've seen this before. We have the rebels being pursued by the First Order just like the Empire was chasing the Millenium Falcon with Han and the gang. Rey travels to find Luke hoping he'll train her just like Luke went to Yoda to get help training. There are slight differences sure, but the biggest one is that Luke is in more pain then Yoda and Obi-wan were. But it's still the same. Yoda doesn't want to help Luke at first, he resists. Ultimately he does help but Luke is brash, head strong, and stubborn. He doesn't want to listen and refuses to believe in much of what Yoda has to say. Yoda has to constantly prove himself with moving X-Wings and explaining the force. Luke goes into the jungle with his weapon even though Yoda tells him not to. Does he listen? No not Luke. He then refuses to finish his training despite Yoda's pleading with him and runs off to save his friends from Vader and the Empire. Just like Rey runs off to try and turn Kylo Ren at the hands of the evil Supreme Leader Snoke. Luke of course handedly gets his butt kicked by Vader, doesn't save his friends at all, and learns the horrible truth of his father. Empire was not well received when it first came out either. Many were upset at how dark it was compared to the first. They complained that it ended on a sad note which prompted Lucas to have a more upbeat finale with Return of the Jedi. Yet now it's mostly considered to be the best of them all.
When Luke returns in the Return of the Jedi he never does finish his training. Perhaps this is the biggest reason he falls so far from his path and helps create Kylo Ren much like Obi-wan helped create Darth Vader. Luke is just like Obi-wan and Yoda and refuses to help at first but ultimately he can't help but teach young Rey. He still has too much good in him no matter how hard he fights it. Luke is a little more grim then Yoda and Obi-wan was but that's just like his character. Brash, head strong, and unwilling to listen to reason until it smacks him in the face just like in the original trilogy. For those that say this Luke isn't in line with his character at all I would argue that's not the case. Wasn't the reason the Jedi Order fell in the first place because of their overconfidence and (as Luke put it in his brilliant speech in TLJ) too vain thinking the Force belonged only to them? They didn't think the dark side could ever grow strong enough to stop them which is why Palpatine was able to do everything right in front of them? Luke in Return of the Jedi is so full of himself at the end that he stands against the Emperor and Vader and tosses away his Lightsaber because he's now a Jedi. Had Vader not intervened the Emperor would have killed him. It makes sense that same overconfidence would extend in his teachings to Ben Solo.It also make perfect sense that Luke wouldn't blame Ben Solo but instead put the full blame on himself. This is Han and Leia's son after all. The weight of is failure is too much for him to bare. The stubborn Luke isn't capable of handling that weight.
There are many who will be upset that Snoke dies too soon, that Leia should have died on the bridge, that Kylo Ren is not a strong enough villain or even that the Jedi do not have the abilities that Luke uses in the movie (haven't we always seen a progression with Force powers? Vader reads mines in Empire then we learn the Emperor can shoot lightning from his hands in Jedi). Some will probably even say the plot is stupid or that there are too many unanswered questions. I'm betting many will also be mad that Rey isn't of a strong background like the daughter of Ben Kenobi. I would argue that these are more to do with heightened expectations and wouldn't make the movie better or even more compelling. Darth Maul was a cool villain sure, but he just looked cool and fought well. Snoke was menacing but beyond that what was he? He created his own downfall the way he used Kylo Ren. I argue that Kylo is a better villain having killed his master.
The new Trilogy we are witnessing is not about Han or Luke or Leia. All three of those people are now dead in one way or another and their story was already told. The trilogy was never supposed to be about the Skywalkers. They are in the movie sure, but this trilogy is about Rey, Poe and Finn fighting the First Order and Kylo Ren. Personally I'm happy to see we won't have to go into the next movie with the teasing of whether Kylo Ren will turn or not. We saw that already. We got that answer already. He's not turning. In fact I argue that Kylo Ren has turned into a fantastic villain. We saw how powerful Snoke was, how Rey was no match for him, but he was killed by Kylo. Someone who was devious enough to trick his master like most Jedi who turn to the dark side do. He's stepped out of the shadows of Darth Vader. He was smarter than his master. He no longer has Luke Skywalker to deal with now that he's dead. He has taken over the First Order. He'll hunt down Rey and the Rebels with a furiousity that will be compelling and powerful. We've seen Kylo murder without thought, without hesitation. How interesting would it be to see Kylo still Snokes lapdog in the next movie? I look forward to the next movie and enjoyed the Last Jedi. It surprised me on a number of levels. It's ok if you didn't like it, but consider the similarities and try to rethink it. It's better than you think.