An Exceptional Chapter of a Less-Than-Stellar Franchise

Rating: 9/10 (16 December 2017)

Force awakens, what's with all the hate on this film? I thought it was an outstanding movie and I can't wait to see it again. "The Last Jedi" was an improvement on Abrams' hole-filled new chapter, and an exceptional episode to what has been -- less face it -- a less-than-stellar movie franchise.
The story takes off with fantastic action, the right touch of humor, deeper-than-usual characters, a few throw-back references, and a fair share of twists. The sequence of events is confusing, and too many things happen out of convenience to the plot. This is mostly due to lazy writing, and Abrams' episode was guilty of it as well.
Otherwise, I'm not real sure why people are dumping on this movie. Most of the reactions are various colors of "Bad! Awful! What a joke!" But let me venture a guess that's a little more probing. This was a chapter about preservation, not confrontation. It pulled away instead of pushed forward. And maybe that's what has everyone so upset.
Almost the entire plot of "The Last Jedi" doesn't make much of a dent in the current story-arc. Don't get me wrong: all of the action and humor and character elements are there, as I said. But outside of one or two events, you could skip Episode VIII and not lose anything. But that's actually the point. Rey says, "Help me find my place in all this." Her place is in less-than-epic events that still make a difference in people's lives. Those events still touch hearts and frustrate enemies.
The things she discovers in her quest to find answers are not amazing. Her backstory is disappointing, even to her. A vision she had of the future was manipulated by someone else. She has talents and abilities she has no idea what to do with, and the one person that can help her won't. At the end of the movie, this nobody from no where is still nobody from no where.
Nonetheless, she makes the most of what she has. That's not just true for Rey. It's the case with everyone in the movie. It's the case for you and me. One of the best lines in the film is delivered by a new and loveable yet largely forgettable character. More is lost than acquired by the end of this film. No one really gains anything. But that's not because the point was dropped. It was the point to be made.
When you take your Star Wars glasses off, you have to admit: the series has not been great. The prequels were all terrible, Rogue was flat, and Return was a pathetic conclusion to the original trilogy. There's only one exceptional Star Wars film, and that's Empire: an incredible story, effects ahead of its time, contains one of the most iconic moments in cinema history, and quite possibly has the best score ever composed. Nothing will ever beat Empire.
But dare I say it, "The Last Jedi" was up there. "The Force Awakens" was a safe movie, a high-budget fan-film, and I thought it was a little over-applauded. "The Last Jedi" was much more daring. It dared to retreat. And that was perfect.