Disapointing but not without merit

Rating: 4/10 (28 December 2019)

As the most divisive piece of media in modern Star Wars, The Last Jedi is a film that is both praised widely and critisised harshly by fans on both sides of the fence, both of whom have valid points to make about the film.
The comedy in the film falls flat, action scenes feel poorly choreographed, character arcs are repeated from the previous film and b-plots go absolutely nowhere, serving no purpose to the story. Coupled with bizzare occurances that will make even die-hard fans lose their suspension of disbelief, such as Leia's ability to breathe in space and survive a missile strike at point-blank range, this film really asks a lot of the audience when it comes to accepting the events it presents us.
And yet for all that, this is certainly a movie made with passion. Not a single thing feels lazy about this film, even its most grevious flaws I would call misguided and poorly executed before I ever accused the film makers of a lack of trying. The passion of Rian Johnson shines through the direction and cinematography, which I believe made this one of the prettiest films of 2017. The set design, particuarly of Snoke's throne room and of the planet Crait are truly inspired, and the visual effects are probably better here than anywhere else in the franchise. And, as previously stated, although the action could be better choreographed, it is at least shot in a way that is coherant and clear (a blessing in this era of shaky-cam action movies). For these reasons I truly believe the movie deserves more credit.
However a pretty sugar coating isn't enough to save misguided writing. Classic characters such as Luke and Leia consistantly act out of character, while new characters like Fin and Poe are given little to nothing of consequence to do throughout the film. Because of this the movie really hangs on the relationship and new-found link between Rey and Kylo Ren, who proves to be the most intriguing character of the movie, to hook the audience. Despite easily being the most engaging part of the film, even this is not enough to distract the audience from the other silly subplots that go without reason or meaning by the end of the film.
Although incredibly beautiful in presentation with awe inspiring visuals, The Last Jedi lacks substance in writing that will leave viewers largely disapointed in the long run. Although I believe that much of the hate towards this movie is very over-exagerated, it is not without reason. But neither is the love it receives from the side of the fans who do enjoy it.
I do recomend watching this movie to form your own view on it. But I, personally, won't be rewatching it again any time soon.