As Kylo said, let the past die

Rating: 8/10 (24 December 2019)

"Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi" is a 2017 science fiction film directed by Rian Johnson starring Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver. Back when I was a kid, this saga was a key element of my daily life. I had dozens of shirts and tons of merch and considered myself as a hardcore fan. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole six films (yes, even the prequels) and was always sad when the credits for Episode VI rolled, knowing there will never be a continuation. Years later, after Disney bought the franchise, my wish became reality. I was so hyped to see what the next generation would achieve in this beloved franchise of mine. In 2016, I finally had the time and chance to experience the seventh installment and although I thought it was great, it was still a bit disappointing as the people around me considered it as the best of them all. Since then, I lost the interest in the whole universe, especially after realising that there were way too many projects in this saga. Star Wars films became mass products and I disliked that a lot. But now that the final conclusion hit the theatres, my brother told me how great the sequel trilogy is and actually caught my curiosity, but before I get to watch the series finale, I had to check out the probably most hated entry of the saga, abhorred by the fans and praised by the critics. So, after four years of literal abstinence, I finally revisited the galaxy far, far away and it made me feel like a kid again. First of all, the film looks beautiful from start to finish and the modern technology enable the creators to create something that is way beyond phenomenal. The scenery and especially the aliens and animals are well designed and reminded me of the good old times. The other thing I noticed was how the film (like the MCU films) had instances of humour in it. I had mixed feelings about it, to be honest, on one hand it was kinda enjoyable, but on the other hand unnecessary. Furthermore, I als noticed the things that bugged the hardcore fans the most, but I considered them as so small and irrelevant that I even enjoyed most of them. The problem most fans had with this entry was probably that the director didn't follow the usual pattern of how SW films were made in the past. He went in his own direction and made some decisions that wouldn't appease all the fans, but this is what made this film so good for me. Nobody expected Smoke to be killed of in this film, that's what makes it so interesting, because they tried to do something all new. Also, many fans complained that Luke wasn't in the main focus of the film. He was never supposed to. All characters from the original trilogy only play supporting roles and are only there to pass the torch to the new generation. In my humble opinion, the only logical decision one could make. They already played their part, that's it. Now it's about Rey, Kylo Ren, Poe Dameron and Finn, the first two being two of the most interesting characters in the franchise that ever existed. Both actors are extremely talented, Adam Driver even is one of my favourite actors of the current generation. There's no black and white anymore, they both rank somewhere in between the old balance and that was one of the best decisions Johnson ever could have taken. There doesn't need to be an all bad guy anymore, but therefore people need to get out of their comfort zone. Next to this, it still had enough connections to the original trilogy: Luke and Leia reappearing, R2-D2 reuniting with his owner and most importantly, my favourite moment of the film, the appearance of Master Yoda. It gave me goosebumps to see the old puppet in action again, it tried to make such connections without losing its originality and it succeeded with this. Also, it had enough epic moments in it (the tag team fight, the face off with Luke) and even the side story of Finn and Rose was kinda enjoyable (still don't understand the hate towards her character) and in general it had a well thought out plot and story. It combined multiple story lines and it never became boring, not even a single second. A movie that runs more than two and a half hours never appeared so short to me. Of course they could have gotten deeper in the Grey Jedi philosophy, but I wouldn't consider it as a wasted opportunity, instead they did something no-one has seen coming, and I applaud for this brave decision. The death of Luke Skywalker had a meaning and it was a magnificent farewell to this character, as I said, he played his part. All in all, this installment is a surprisingly terrific entry in the saga. It's not what people expected, hence the sheer amount of hate for it. What others dislike is what I personally cherish, it tried to do something all new and went in a direction that nobody expected and that's what deserves my respect. As I said, I have been gone from this galaxy for almost four years and had zero expectations about it and that's probably my advantage. In the end, the general rating is low, because we all know that nobody hates Star Wars more than Star Wars fans themselves. As someone who enjoyed most of the films, I had no problem with it and it even made me curious about the final episode. An enjoyable film for those who go into it with and open mind. Don't expect anything, free yourself from frantic expectations and enjoy a film that finally brought fresh air into an old saga. Disney didn't ruin the franchise, they resurrected it greatly. It's an unpopular opinion, but I'm standing behind every single word and that's what makes me happy, because it made fun from start to finish.