Everything you love and hate about Star Wars, and why you should not trust critics sometimes

Rating: 8/10 (16 December 2017)

Saw the premiere on Thursday and my expectations going into it were a bit tempered. With Disney flooding the market with everything, and given that I've grown very weary of the MCU, this would hopefully be a nice reprieve from the superhero genre. For better or worse, The Last Jedi is a good Star Wars experience for new and old. However, that does not mean the movie is without faults, and some are big enough to almost ruin the film.
WARNING - Huge spoilers from here on out. You have been warned.
Starting with the negatives, The Last Jedi's biggest Achilles' heel is character development. The film has been marketed to seem that the trio of Rey, Poe, Finn and Kylo would be the focus of the films, which is great. Previous films have set up lovable characters to follow through the trilogy. TLJ does this beautifully with Rey and Kylo, but the other two are tossed to the side, Finn being the worst. Poe is reduced to a rebellious teenager and Finn is relegated to forced comic relief trying to be Han Solo. Disney needs to realize that comedy does not replace character development and cheesy dialogue, of which there is a lot of in TLJ. Characters are also killed without hesitation, such as Laura Dern's character and Snoke. Going in a darker direction is fine, but don't kill characters because you are trigger happy. Also, Leia flying??? I know she is supposed to be force sensitive and this would carry some juicy plot if Carrie Fisher was not dead in real life. I just do not see where else they can go with this moment that could be considered jumping the shark for the saga. SHE GOT SUCKED INTO SPACE. Even a jedi could not escape that fate. The casino planet scene could have also been reduced to 5-10 minutes.
While these are some crippling factors, do not be mistaken...the moments that really hit are everything you love about Star Wars, especially the beautifully shot space scenes and final battle. Rey, Kylo and Luke are the stars of this film, as the story is taken in new directions that analyzes the relationship between master, former student and pupil. The moments Rey and Kylo have in their force conversations (for lack of a better phrase) are the best, and Luke's hatred of the force now compared to what it was brings an interesting dynamic to his character. The crowning achievement of the film comes with Snoke's death and the battle that ensues, which is every Star Wars fan's wet dream, and shows a new Supreme leader taking over in Kylo Ren.
I am a Star Wars fan, but in no way would I label myself as die hard. I've had problems with the films in the past, and TLJ unfortunately includes a lot if them. However, when given the opportunity, Rian Johnson delivers, and his story writing really shines in this, at least the plot between Rey and Kylo. Johnson created a great sci-fi flick in Looper, but maybe Star Wars, a film that requires a larger scope, does not particularly give him more opportunities to show his creativity, especially since Star Wars is owned by Disney now.
I think everyone needs to stop comparing this film to Empire and lower some expectations. Yes, the film is/never was going to be Empire, but was everyone really asking for another one? The new films are trying to be different, and we can know what to expect from a Disney run Star Wars movie, but TLJ gives me hope that the films will be trying new things. The story does have some cringe worthy moments, but don't let that take away from the fact that the film has moments that make this a worthy entry to the legendary saga. People just need to stop being picky and open their eyes to new possibilities for the saga instead of always comparing it to the original three.
I think we all have some Disney hangover and need a break, but The Last Jedi is a fun, intense ride that will suit Star Wars fans old and new. However, do not be fooled by the MetaCritic and Rotten Tomatoes ratings, as they will most likely give you a preconceived notion that will just lead to disappointment.