As a desecration of everything this franchise stands for, "The Last Jedi" does not deserve to be called "Star Wars"

Rating: 1/10 (11 February 2018)

Disney pulled a bait-and-switch on the Star Wars fanbase. This isn't a Star Wars film, it's a dumb, dark drama with out-of-place childish humor that ignores all established Star Wars world-building and lore, not to mention rejects the mythological fantasy-based storytelling paradigm of the first six films in order to overtly push leftist propaganda.
This film is not only offensive, mean-spirited, and nihilistic, it's insulting to its audience's intelligence and goes out of its way to destroy the established character of Luke Skywalker, and degrade General Leia Organa (though this may not have been intentional, her character has an eye-rolling moment in the film that is much better left unseen). Luke is treated like a miserly old coward with no principles or drive to do anything. Leia is given very little screentime and not much to do but react to events in the film.
And don't even get me started on the new characters. After all the interesting setup and development in The Force Awakens, Finn is turned into a joke of a character who goes on the most pointless side-quest I've ever seen in a mega-budget film. Rey, the over-powered protagonist who had SO MUCH potential for a backstory, remains bland and is not challenged or tested by the plot, nor do her actions directly inform it. She is dragged along by the writing and has very little to no agency in this story. And Kylo Ren, though he's well-acted, is badly written, and his character also doesn't go anywhere. Poe Dameron is caught up in place in a subplot that does little else but waste the viewer's time and capacity to care.
There are plot holes galore as physics are thrown out the window and themes from the original trilogy and prequels are gleefully subverted and replaced by nothing more than cheap moral platitudes and "gotcha!" moments that may wow new viewers who are attracted to edginess and contrarianism, but don't amount to good storytelling. There is nothing cohesive about this film except in how swiftly it erodes what little goodwill Disney had left with longtime Star Wars fans. It is a travesty on every level and I honestly believe Lucasfilm needs a change in management. They ignored Mr. Lucas' own stories at their own peril.
When you are making a sequel to an established franchise of 40 years, you ignore the established lore, themes, genres, influences, and writing of the previous films at your own peril. If "Fast and the Furious 9" began with Vin Diesel fighting alien space worms, you'd rightly say it was a "Riddick" film. You can't open up with "yo mama" jokes in "Star Wars" and expect that people who live and breathe this universe aren't going to call you out on it.
Check out my essay on Medium, "On the Character Assassination of Luke Skywalker". This film was not a work of art. It is a $300 million butchery of the most beloved franchise and intellectual property on the face of the Earth.