Deeply, Deeply Disappointing

Rating: 4/10 (19 December 2017)

There are two sides to my review: The Last Jedi as a film on its own, and as part of the Star Wars saga. The former is more objective, the latter more subjective. I found this film disappointing on both levels but want to give as even-handed a review as I can.
Firstly, how good is The Last Jedi as standalone cinema? It's hard to find the right word, but I found it to be a surprisingly messy, clumsy piece of storytelling saved to some extent by a few big, shocking, spectacular scenes. Do those scenes cover for the lackluster connective tissue? To some extent, but not nearly enough to merit a rating higher than 7/10 maximum. Significant portions of this film could have and should have been edited out. They serve purely to give screen time to certain characters, but are largely superfluous otherwise. There is also the matter of humor used in extremely counterproductive ways, i.e. appearing at the wrong moments. That aspect of The Last Jedi puzzled me.
There are other points of criticism, but overall being objective I'd give this 6.5/10 on its own merit. It's not as well-made a film as either The Force Awakens or Rogue One, although it is more complex and interesting in some ways. But if I was to have described a Star Wars film to you, a year ago say, by saying that it was complex and ambitious but kind of a storytelling mess full of cringeworthy dialogue and watchable primarily for a few big fight scenes, what would that bring to mind? The early prequels, of course. Yes, those are the films that The Last Jedi has the most in common with, from a technical standpoint.
On to the second point of perspective, TLJ as a Star Wars film. Here, I'd have to be feeling very generous to give more than 2/10. I'll get it right out of the way: I feel that this film assassinates the character of Luke Skywalker. I've waited decades to see him in action again, and never in my wildest dreams imagined that I could be so profoundly disappointed. I feel betrayed, and more than that, insulted. I know, that's strong language, but many of the choices of story, direction and dialogue in this film feel not simply like interesting subversions of expectations, but rather sadistic stabs at me as a longtime fan, as someone who took The Force Awakens as a hopeful indication of the new trilogy's approach, and as someone who has always found inspiration and something special to take away from Star Wars, even the lesser stories. I left the theater after this one feeling sick to my stomach, disillusioned and again, betrayed.
Beyond the character of Luke Skywalker, TLJ largely makes good on its motto of letting the past die. This film doesn't just take a few pieces off the board; it very nearly burns the whole board down, and what's more, seems to take a really perverse pleasure in it. I can't fathom how this film made it past the much talked about censors at Lucasfilm. This neither respects nor feels like Star Wars, and I mean that as a bad thing. There are ways to move beyond the past without trampling it, to do the unexpected without insulting the expectations. Rian Johnson either did not care to do so, or has what I would say is a very weird and twisted notion of what Star Wars is.
Circling back to the prequels, I'm no great lover of them aside from being fond of Revenge of the Sith. But I want to clarify that my comparison of The Last Jedi to either The Phantom Menace or Attack of the Clones is not meant to insinuate that either of those older films left me feeling bleak and disgusted the way that TLJ did. George Lucas may have lost his touch. JJ Abrams may have played one too many nostalgia cards. But I'd take either of them back in a heartbeat after seeing Rian Johnson's work. I'm not sure what Abrams can do with Episode IX or indeed if I can bring myself to go and see it, but right about now I yearn for the days when some minor disappointments about TFA's plot were the extent of my grievances. TFA promised great things; TLJ delivered something else entirely, for better or worse. I say, definitely for worse. Overall, 4/10 for a roughly made and contextually abhorrent movie.