A Bold Direction

Rating: 8/10 (17 December 2017)

The Last Jedi is a bold exercise on character-driven storytelling and subverting audience expectations. It's not a perfect movie, but it quite literally subverts the 'mystery box' set-up in The Force Awakens, which is both refreshing and shocking.
Set right after TFA, TLJ illustrates a disheveled resistance trying to find a strong foundation, a unique perspective on the Jedi and the Force, and a growing connection between two unlikely characters. It has some of the most beautiful moments in the entire saga, and some of the most cringeworthy.
The most interesting arc is that of the force. The way TLJ utilizes a fresh perspective on the force to develop some of the characters is quite captivating. It leaves you wanting more, and almost regretting that there isn't more to show in the movie. The other story arcs aren't as compelling, they are slow and boring at times. They are filled with exposition through dialogue instead of visual storytelling, which stalls the story a bit. The problem with the resistance arc is that the character foundation never gives me a reason to particularly care for those characters, so the excruciatingly slow arc is uninspiring.
One major issue with this movie is that the force story is so very compelling and powerful that the other stories simply pale in comparison. This difference is jarring most of the time and tends to take you out of the movie, anticipating the next scene of the force arc. I highly recommend Disney and Lucasfilm focus on the force story for episode 9. Most people seem to find it absolutely intriguing and are craving for more of that dynamic.
On the whole, this movie definitely grows on you after a few viewings. I'll admit that I wasn't particularly impressed after the first viewing, but I found myself deeply intrigued and pleasantly surprised during the next two viewings. I would highly recommend people see this movie more than once. It's a different experience the second time.