Not the disaster everyone is making it out to be

Rating: 8/10 (15 December 2017)

The Last Jedi is not The Force Awakens. Some words I would use to describe the latter are conservative, safe, familiar; the former by contrast is complex, surprising, unnerving, and at times just plain weird. It's not the Star Wars we're used to, but I would argue, unlike most of the reviews I've seen thus far, that in most cases - but not all - Rian Johnson's new take on the Skywalker saga is effective and compelling.
The story picks up with the Resistance evacuating their base yet again - a callback to the abandonment of Hoth in Empire Strikes Back (the last scene on Crait is also very similar to Hoth in a lot of ways, with the giant door and the AT-AT walkers and what not). The ensuing space battle with Poe Dameron at the helm is exciting and checks all the boxes for Star Wars space tech nerds - the Resistance throws just about every piece of hardware they have at the First Order, who are also sporting an incredible new B2-bomber-esque star destroyer. From there we get some weird power struggles between Poe, whose verve and determination in the face of authority border on caricature, and Leia along with new addition Vice Admiral Holdo, played by a badass, purple-haired Laura Dern in one of the most enjoyable performances of the film.
Meanwhile, Rey is met by a reluctant and reclusive Luke Skywalker, who immediately ruins the dramatic tension of the final scene of The Force Awakens by tossing his lightsaber over a cliff as soon as Rey hands it to him. Mark Hamill's performance is brilliant, no doubt, and I was completely enthralled by this much older, wiser, and "you can tell I've lived by myself for thirty years" version of Luke. But the exposition of Rey's desire to be trained in the Force and Luke's behavior towards her were confusing, muddy, and inconsistent. Is Rey really being beckoned by the dark side? What is Luke's real reason for not wanting to train her? What really happened with Ben Solo and the Knights of Ren? None of these questions are answered in a good hour's worth of screen time for the two of them. Rey and Kylo's Force "conversations" were also a little weird, but I think in the end they made sense. Their dynamic in this installment is believable and much more nuanced - both are being called by the light and dark sides of the Force, and in the end we still don't know where either of them are headed going into Episode IX.
A third subplot revolves around Finn and his newfound Resistance friend Rose, played by Kelly Marie Tran in another strong performance (I was shocked by how low she was in the billing order during the end credits). This was where things got really off track. They make a random galactic Skype call to Maz Kanata - completely unneccesary - who tells them to seek out a "codebreaker" at a casino. Weird? Very. The ensuing sequence at said alien casino is almost as cringey as the diner scene with Obi Wan in Attack of the Clones - painfully derivative of something you might find on Earth, and not very timeless at all. They also weave in a weird anti-capitalist undertone as they tear up the place with alien versions of race horses. Benicio del Toro's character is honestly a waste, as he later betrays Finn and Rose to Captain Phasma and leaves without a hint of where his very gray morality actually lies. Phasma, for her own part, once again has a pitiable throwaway role, but instead of getting thrown into a trash compactor, Finn whacks her across the face and then she falls into a fiery chasm. Nice knowing you, Chrome Dome.
So yes, I do have my gripes about some parts of the story and characters. But beyond this, I'd say a good 80% of the film is downright awesome (thus my rating of 8/10). The dynamic range of emotion and action is far greater than in The Force Awakens, and I loved it. It pushes the boundaries of what we're used to in Star Wars, usually to great effect. The entire scene with Kylo and Rey facing up against Snoke was a pure adrenaline rush. The set design here was incredible - the solid red backdrop and the masterful choreography made it almost feel like a scene out of Kill Bill. Was Snoke getting sliced in half Darth Maul-style slightly cheesy? Yes, but still awesome. The shot of Rey pulling Luke's lightsaber through Snoke's torso and into her hand across the room took my breath away.
There were also so many more fun and touching scenes than in The Force Awakens. We get moments with Luke and Yoda (who was animatronic, I think? Or at least rendered in CGI to look animatronic. Kudos to ILM), Luke and Leia, hell, even Rey and Kylo - that plumbed an emotional depth unreached by Abrams, or arguably by any previous Star Wars film (maybe Rogue One but in a very different way). Rian Johnson isn't afraid to play with our expectations and oftentimes completely reverses them - whiplashing us between drama and comedy, seriousness and folly. Snoke the supreme leader? Nope, just some dude in a chair. Rey the daughter of Luke? Nice try. This is the majority of what the critics are upset about, and I think it's a nuance they'll come to appreciate with time.
The film ends on a very strong note. Vice Admiral Holdo's heroic hyperspace sacrifice was shocking and touching. The battle on Crait is breathtaking to watch - I absolutely loved the idea of the salt flats with the red sand underneath, the trench-style warfare, and the old rust bucket fighters. Not only was it really cool visually, but it played a huge part in the overall symbolism between light and dark. The lightsaber battle between Kylo and "Luke" was thrilling; the throwback to the binary sunset scene at the very end was heartwarming and very emotional. It was time for Luke to go - he knew that the Jedi texts (seen briefly nestled safely in a drawer onboard the Falcon in a later scene, which many people probably overlooked) were in Rey's possession, and in doing so he would not be "the last Jedi," as he himself reaffirmed. I think the end of this film sets up a perfect conclusion in Episode IX - we know Rey and Kylo will have to come to terms with their conflicted moral tendencies, the Resistance will either meet its demise or (more likely - come on, it's Star Wars) the allies in the outer rim will band together and come up with a way to defeat the First Order, and everybody will live happily ever after. Except Leia, I suppose. I really do hope they give Ms. Fisher a proper farewell.