Take it easy geez!

Rating: 8/10 (18 December 2017)

So apparently I'm supposed to hate this movie, seeing as I'm a long time Star Wars fan but honestly I don't understand why everyone is so mad! I've have been watching these movies since I was really little, my father had the original VHS tapes and I watched them religiously! And I was lockstep with the rest of the fandom in tearing down the prequels, but nope no this movie. It's not perfect but nothing is perfect and I really appreciate that we weren't given what we expected. I feel like the film does a great job of distancing itself from previous films and still holding on to the charm of the Star Wars Universe that we all know and love. I personally believe the fandom is up it's own ass on this one, but that's my opinion. Feel free to tell me I'm not a real Star Wars fan but I have nothing to prove to you. I love Star Wars and I know seeing this movie made me feel like I was a kid again, I was giddy and excited while watching it and left the theater feeling a sense of wonder in the world.
SPOILERS!!! I want to tear down some criticisms. Those who criticize are not wrong to do so, your opinions cannot be wrong. I'm just offering a bit of counter-criticism.
So I just want to talk about Luke who was the best version of himself he's ever been here period. He was wise but still a bit selfish, blaming himself for everything that has ever gone wrong in the universe. That's the thing, the Star Wars universe really has a bad habit of hinging the fate of entire star systems on the Skywalker bloodline as if they are the most important characters in the universe (more on that when I talk about Rey). Luke threw away his saber because he was done with that life, done playing the hero, because he didn't understand how to fail and live with his own failure. He was The Hero that defeated the empire! And believed himself to be infalliable until Ben went dark side and everything changed. He collapsed, took it way too hard, and turned away from his hero status. That lightsaber meant nothing to him, why do you think Mas had it in her bar in the first place? He probably pawned it.
Also what did people expect him to do against Kylo? I've seen complaints that he didn't show off any lightsaber skills. That would've been dumb, as dumb as it was to see Count Dooley and Yoda leaping all about. Luke's projection power was so neat and well established throughout the film as much people want to believe he just pulled it out of nowhere. It's the same thing Kylo and Rey had been doing the whole film, projecting to each other as we saw when Luke saw the two of them in the hut. It's cool and fits in the canon. If you can make Firce ghosts that project beyond the veil of frigging death, I think we can allow force Holograms to be a thing
About Rey's parents: it's a good thing they aren't anybody!!! I'm so thrilled that we didn't have to deal with another "I'm your father!" Moment. The universe does not revolve around one friggin family! Sometimes incredible people come from nothing, a bloodlines are meaningless when compared to the heart and soul of a person. Let it go.
Also I'm glad Snoke is dead and turned out to be nothing as well, it was another thing where we speculated "oh man who's this guy?! I wonder if he's X dude from Y extended universe or if he's related to the blank stuff from the Old Reublic or..." just stop. So he doesn't matter... honestly it was surprising to see Kylo kill him and I was crowing when it happened because I was Surprised it happened! We need more surprises in films, less plot armor for people is always good.
And finally I want to address the "not telling Po" thing that Admiral Holden(?) did. She had no reason to trust Po, a man who was solely responsible for the deaths of dozens of soldiers only hours before. He would have rebelled no matter what her plans were, he is a trigger happy flyboy. I love app I really do but can you tell me he wouldn't have tried to make some crazy plan that wouldn't have gotten people killed? He would've said something like "ok well I'll round up a squad and we'll distract them while you guys evacuate" and more people would of died. If Po has just sat still and done nothing, no one would've died perhaps.
All in all I loved this new movie and yeah I have my criticisms such as I didn't like the whole casino planet nonsense. But it was a fantastic movie and I think people need to take off the nostalgia glasses and look forward into the rising twin suns of the future. Learn to be happy with being surprised as opposed to getting fed the same dynastic bloodline feuding and expected reveals.