Gets way too much hate

Rating: 8/10 (23 May 2020)

The Last Jedi is seen as the most controversial Star Wars film to date, splitting Star Wars fans down the middle and emphasizing the toxicity of the Star Wars fandom. The Last Jedi acts as the eighth installment in the Skywalker Saga, and despite protests and signed petitions of fans, is going to stay that way.
The Last Jedi picks up right where The Force Awakens ends, a first for a Star Wars film. The films centers around Rey being trained in the ways of the force by Luke Skywalker, while the resistance flees from the first order's powerful fleet. As Rey travels to The Supremacy to turn Kylo Ren to the nightside, Finn and newcomer Rose to a chance of finding a "master codebreaker" to weaken the first orders hold on the resistance fleet and provide a chance of escape. The film ends with a battle between the massive first order army and the few remaining members of the resistance.
This film includes the best performances of the sequel trilogy. Daisy Ridley, Oscar Issac, and John Boyega all take their characters first introduced in the previous film and gives them new meaning, but the strongest performance comes from Adam Driver's portrayal of Kylo Ren. Rian Johnson took the quiet and monotoned villain that delivers no emotion hiding behind his mask and gives him intense and brutal scenes, really diving into the character and giving him more worth in the trilogy.
The cinematography of The Last Jedi is some of the best of the saga, easily separating it from the other films. Even those who aren't fans of the film can agree on the beauty that Rian Johnson was able to create. I will never forget when each story is at its climax and Commander Holdo uses her ship's hyperdrive to erupt through The Supremacy. Another example of the beauty this film generates takes place on the planet Crait. The resistance is flying their ski speeders towards the first order army in a perfect line, shooting the red planet surface into the air. The whole planet of Crait is very satisfying to watch with the white surface being splattered with red, every blast, every step, every track of a vehicle is being recorded on the planet surface.
One of the biggest issues the fans have with The Last Jedi is how Luke Skywalker was written. It's argued that the character is ruined in how he has run away and cut himself off from the force. What people don't seem to understand is that Luke's story didn't finish with Return of the Jedi. Luke's fear and ,mistakes prove that he isn't the legend the galaxy saw him as, but a human, like everyone else. Luke's character is redeemed by the end of the film, as he sacrifices himself to save the resistance. Fans wanted Luke to come back and just save the day with an epic lightsaber fight, but that wouldn't have progressed the story in any way. They complained The Force Awakens was too similar to the original trilogy and they complained that this film was too different. Luke already saved the galaxy in the original trilogy and now it was time for the new characters to have their story.
Another interesting aspect Episode 8 showed was the fall of Ben solo. Ryan Johnson showed this event through multiple points of view, giving the viewers a little mystery of who to believe and how the event actually went down. It's argued that it is completely unlike Luke to strike down Ben Solo in fear, and that's 100% true, Luke even knew it and that's why he couldn't kill his nephew. This gives meaning to Luke going into exile as he was ashamed by himself. Through these flashback sequences, we are able to learn more of why Kylo Ren turned and what makes him the person he is.
One of the coolest features of The Last Jedi are the scenes that highlight the force bond of Rey and Kylo Ren. These scenes of them speaking to each other in different locations are unlike anything we've seen before, and further the tension between the two. Kylo is certain he can turn Rey to the dark side and Rey is certain she can do the opposite with him. They are both being seen exactly what they want, and proves just how manipulative Snoke really is.
Snoke is another reason the movie receives so much whiplash by the fans is because Snoke is killed off before we can learn more about who he is and how he rose to power. People had no problem with Palpatine being killed in the original trilogy. Similarly to Smoke, it was only his second movie and we knew nothing about him. We later learn all about him in the prequels, and we even get to learn about Snoke in the Rise of Skywalker and we might even get more secrets uncovered in time to come. Just like Palpatine, Snoke's story is far from finished, and I am certain more will be uncovered as more Star Wars projects are made.
When it comes to the massive controversy surrounding The Last Jedi, there are many fingers being pointed at who should be taking the blame. Rian Johnson? Kathleen Kennedy? It is clear that the real blame is held with the fans. The fanbase has grown so toxic that no matter how amazing a film The Last Jedi could've been, it's impossible to please everyone, and with technology and social media at an all time high, those who aren't please we have no fear in sharing their opinion. This resulted in multiple actors going off of social media, the fanbase becoming split and even future Star Wars projects being cancelled.
The Last Jedi is the most debated and controversial film in the saga, and while certain parts of the plot are weak, the overall story, stunning performances, visual and audio effects, and magnificent score by John Williams quickly turn the film round into a complex and enjoyable ride for the audience. I am giving Star Wars: The Last Jedi a 7.8/10.