"The Last Jedi": Flawed Greatness

Rating: 9/10 (2 January 2018)

First off: SPOILER ALERT!
Now, let me begin my review with the positive: I loved this film. Yes, upon first viewing I was so taken back by unexpected moments and emotion that once the credits finished, I was nearly unable to speak. And despite planning on going again later that night (we attended a 7pm preview night screening), I knew my brain needed a good 12 hours to process and think about what I saw before even thinking about going again.
This film has ALL the tropes and makings of a fantastic chapter in the STAR WARS saga: wonderful acting, endearing characters (including the return of "new" favorites and the closing chapters of some of our "old" favorites), an incredible score by John Williams (possibly his third-best in the entire eight-chapter story thus far), and the usual amazing special effects.
The film features just as many dark, unexpected moments as the best of the series (EMPIRE), and literally left my jaw hanging open on multiple occasions- during which I was unable to breathe, move, or do anything but stare wide-eyed at the story unfolding on the screen.
This Episode does our beloved characters justice, introduces new elements of the Force and expands on the preceding mythology ( I do NOT understand those saying this movie abandons everything that came before), offers some beautiful symbolism and lessons regarding OUR own world, and attempts to teach us a very valuable lesson about life (which basically amounts to the ultimate mantra of the Force)- something they've touched on since Episode I and a concept that ALL humans would be wise to learn: let go of the past and do not let it define you and color your world. Accept the past, move beyond it, and evolve as you do.
Now...that said: on with the negative. Specifically: I DO NOT understand all the hate this film is engendering, but, I'll attempt to address some of the complaints I've seen time and again.
First off: the fate of Snoke. WHY is it so hard for people to accept the fate of Snoke? They complain "We didn't learn anything about him!" And? Who cares? We knew what we needed to know in order for the stories of VII and VIII to work. Nothing more, nothing less. Before "Episodes I-III", we basically knew nothing of REAL substance about the Emperor. Yet people seemed content to let the story of the original trilogy work and hinge on HIS evil. Why should this new trilogy be any different in regards to Snoke?
As far as Luke: why is it hard to believe that Luke would follow in the steps of his predecessors (Yoda and Obi-Wan) and hide from his imminent destruction and the dark forces hunting him? He did nothing different than Yoda or Obi-Wan did in choosing to escape near-certain death. The filmmakers absolutely treated his character with the reverence and justice he deserved. After his conversation with Yoda and coming to grips with the TRUE lesson (that apprentices must learn from their Masters' failures and grow beyond what their Masters were and are) of the Force and Jedi, Luke went out on his OWN terms- he became one with the Force after delivering the ultimate sacrifice. And, in doing so, the filmmakers merged Luke's character and action with the icons of our greatest mythologies and religions in our time: he gave up his own existence on the material plane of life in order that his friends, family, and the Rebellion continue to live, exist, and thrive. How is that anything less than the purest, most unselfish sacrifice a human being could ever make?
Next: the "Skywalking" sequence. Why is it so difficult to buy into? Why do some have such troubles accepting the notion that Leia might be just as powerful with the Force as Luke...but with an untapped side? Were these elements truly that difficult to believe? Some say the visual of her floating in space is comedic. Any more so than any of the more far-fetched visuals from previous Episodes? In my opinion, absolutely not.
Is the film perfect? Absolutely not. But NONE of the Episodes are. They all feature plot holes big enough to fly a Corellian space freighter through. Even my favorites from the series have their own glaring flaws.
Yes, the story was, at times, disjointed and the screenplay surely could've benefitted from one more polish (perhaps from Kasdan?). But the editing (especially the seaming of visual matches- compositionally speaking -from one cut to the other) helped bring it all together in a way that I thought worked beautifully.
And, honestly, those saying this is "the worst STAR WARS ever": the filmmaking on display, the storyline, the writing, the score, and the acting are, in my opinion, some of the best in the entire saga. And even if you don't agree...how can you REALLY say it's worse than any of the prequels or even "Jedi", for that matter?
I suspect many of the negative reviews say more about the person critiquing the film than the actual film itself. This film features powerful women who are standing up, acting, and leading in the place of men who simply refuse to make the right choice for the world they live in. Guess what? It happens every day. Every. Single. Day.
That's not to say men can't actually lead...but they CAN grow by taking a step back and sometimes realizing that theirs is not the only voice. And every important male character in this film does just that: Finn, Poe, and, most importantly, Luke.
By facing a "certain point of view" offered to them by their female counterparts, these men grow into the leaders, heroes, and icons they always had the potential to become.
So Luke doesn't ride into battle and save the day in the way you expected. He does so in another, brilliantly-executed way that harkens back to some of the greatest showdowns in Asian (specifically Samurai) cinema.
So no one comes right out and says, "I have a very bad feeling about this." Is it that difficult to imagine that BB-8 does JUST that...in the very opening of the film? Leia herself echoes the sentiment on the comm with Poe. Use your imagination and...your beloved line is there. Just not in the way you imagined.
So they are closing the chapter of old heroes to move into new ones. The simple fact is...STAR WARS is moving on. It belongs to a new generation now. They're closing the book on OUR generation. Is it THAT hard to say goodbye? If so: you're missing the entire point of not only the film...but the teachings of the greatest Jedi himself: Yoda. Learn to accept the past and move on. Let go. Only then can you truly become what you are destined to be...by leaving the old guard behind.
NO ONE is saying that in order to move on to the future you must "DESTROY" the past. If someone is saying that is the case, they're simply NOT paying attention. Kylo Ren mistakes the true wisdom of the Force in that manner. Yoda teaches the truth meaning: you don't DESTROY the past... But you do learn to accept it, you LEARN from it, and you move on.
And that's the key: you move on. You say goodbye.
It hasn't been that difficult for me to say goodbye to Luke, Leia, and others. Sure, Han's death hurt, but that's because Ford means more to me than simply being "just another actor". And, yes, it hurt to see Luke fade out of one plane of being and pass/enter into another. But I understand: it's time.
I adored this chapter in the saga, would readily place it just below V, IV, and VII, and can happily and confidently say: bring on the final episode of the Skywalker saga.