A More Mature Outing Mixes Things Up

Rating: 8/10 (18 December 2017)

Having just come from the theatre, the one thing I think tarnishes this film most is the product placement. The Disney overlords deemed it necessary to feature prominently cute groundhogs (also featured prominently in Toy departments). The other thing one would have hoped that we moved on from is having the Death Star as the big objective like the last umpteen Star Wars films. Lo, something shows up in the fourth act that uses Death Star as part of it's description.
Otherwise my reaction is that this film properly succeeds in all ways to what was setup in "The Force Awakens". Having all the characters on the chess board setup and ready to play, a bit of alternative strategies come up with interesting combinations. Not that is is a complaint, but part of the kabuki in Star Wars films is the storytelling pattern: "we have get to the gizmo on the starship that needs to be shutdown in order to let the rebel alliance escape." This time, however, the pattern is broken and gives the mature members of the audience a chance to enjoy some unpredictability in the script.
Story is big with this film. I read a few reviews before screening it and heard mumbles about the middle film keeping the wheels spinning but not getting anywhere. I felt the opposite. It feels like some of the storyline you would expect to occur in the 3rd installment of the new trilogy pops up in this film to give the audience some surprises. (Another major character gets offed). A good action film keeps in motion physically. This very long film accomplishes that. Even though the stakes have not changed, a good deal of running around expands the universe with other characters and locations. I really welcomed the homage to "Empire Strikes Back", which also was the more mature of the original bunch. Even with it's long running time, actual screentime for some of the major characters can seem fleeting. For instance, Carrie Fisher's on set illness is evident as she remains seated through most of the film, her character virtually disappears for a time early in the film. Luke, as expected, actually talks in this film, and is expected to play the Yoda part from "Empire". Again, things don't got exactly as expected, and leads to Luke vanishing from the screen for a time.
That leaves our main characters, Kylo, Rey and FInn and their separate paths as they fulfill their parts in the story. Rey, the confused Jedi-to-be is amazing to watch on screen. The energy in her eyes lights up the screen. Kylo is never happy, which leads to snap decisions that are dramatic to watch. Finn happily finds strength in character. His knowledge as a former member of the Empire works well.
As I write this, I looked over some user reviews that give this a 1/10. That is ridiculous. It reminded me of the same wave of hate when "The Force Awakens" came out. There were pages of 1 or 2 starred reviews back then as well. These type of ratings mean nothing if you are truly objective and scrutinize the film on it's merits, not because the filmmakers didn't make the film YOU wanted. No film ever earns a 1 or 2 stars unless it was made by someone unknown, incompetent, and inexperienced. I liked "Force Awakens" (and those who hated it, why did you watch this one?) Compared to that one, I found "The Last Jedi" story more interesting, and the characters more engaging. I gave "Force Awakens" a 7/10. I give this an 8/10 because if this movie tried to play it safe and stick to the mold, it would've felt more obligatory than entertaining. I was thoroughly entertained through the 2+ hours, invested from the previous movie into the characters and story, and left the theatre satisfied. Not a dull moment.