The following article contains spoilers for 'The Last Jedi'. Read at your ain risk!

This is not an article meant to bash The Final Jedi, then if that's what you're looking for you won't find it here. Being a big Star Wars fan doesn't hateful you can detest on a new film/its director or overly criticize the fact that Benicio Del Toro wasn't revealed as Ezra or Rey wasn't confirmed a Kenobi. Every bit fans, we're supposed to get excited about what went right, and alsohave the rightto thoughtfully criticize and question when things may not have gone so dandy, confused us, or didn't live upwards to the hype (in our practiced fan opinions.)

Allow me begin past saying I'thousand a MASSIVE Star Wars fan. I host a Star Wars podcast with my brothers/married man, my dad had us watch these films growing up, and I dress upward like this for every Star Wars moving picture premiere:

Now that my street cred has been established, allow's candidly talk near what went correct and what went wrong inThe Concluding Jedi. I'g skipping a lengthy intro and just diving right into it.

First, let'southward answer "What makes a skilful Star Wars moving picture?"

Starting off on a positive annotation, at that place were some great moments in The Last Jedi. We tin't truly define what's keen and what's bad about this motion-picture show, though, until we define what nosotros mean by each.

What makes a good Star Wars picture show? Lite sense of humor, tight storytelling, a dramatic climax, heartwarming moments, an overall theme (i.e, "hope"), and of class—a kickass lightsaber battle. In Empire the climax was Vader revealing he was Luke's begetter, and we had some solid lead-up to this (which is why it's the best Star Wars film to engagement. I'm confident in that claim.) In every other Star Wars moving-picture show, we've had amazing lightsaber battles (see them all here). While these elements were present in The Last Jedi, many fans can't help but feel these desired moments were lost in the several other storylines of the picture show.

Here's what The Final Jedi got right.

BB-8

Not only was the humor timely and hilarious for all, the droid basically saved the day. On the what seemed like pointless mission to Canto Bight (more on that in a infinitesimal), BB got Finn and Rose off the planet, and then saved them over again when The First Guild'southward ship was blasted by Laura Dern. Give me more than of this droid, because I freaking love it.

Rey

This character is so needed, so powerful, and so damn awesome. She's vulnerable, feminine, and as strong as always. She'southward relatable in her want for answers, significant, purpose. This was played out beautifully in the film, and it'll be crucial to nail the side by side phase in her development in Episode IX. As much as I'd love to see a Dark Side Rey (check out this insane fan art), I'd prefer for her storyline to brand sense in where she goes adjacent and what trials she faces.

Yoda

His appearance was campy and silly—equally it should be. Yoda is loved for these reasons, and his scene with Luke gave fans the nostalgia they were craving.

Strength Ghost

Fans accept always idea this ability was glossed over, and it'southward a pretty sick f*cking ability. I straight-up loved how Luke went full-on Jedi-badass and appeared in front of Kylo and Co. Information technology almost made upward for the fact that there wasn't a proper lightsaber battle.

Side note: While the scene with Snoke's Praetorian bodyguards was awesome, I nevertheless found myself craving a good-quondam-fashioned lightsaber-on-lightsaber battle. The Kylo/Rey fight over Anakin's lightsaber and the Luke/Kylo fight felt a lilliputian Harry Potter to me.

Here's what went wrong in The Last Jedi.

While the "what went right" are quick highlights, I can't dive into more of what was dandy virtually the film without adding some criticism. When I first saw the film, I came out needing to digest everything. Instead of, "Wow, what a great picture show!" I kept thinking, "wait, OK, and so what exactly did this and that mean…wait, I forgot about that part…" The latter tin can be a good thing, but in this case it prevented me from feeling the erstwhile in any fashion at all. Here's why I call back that is.

As absurd every bit it was, Canto Bight's screen time was likewise long, and it took away from the theme it was meant to support.

After seeing the film for a second time, I understand why Canto Bight was written into the movie (aside of an opportunity to showcase cool aliens, characters, etc.) Information technology was meant to aggrandize the universe and remind fans that at that place are "no ones" out there that believe in the Force, the Resistance, and fighting for the Calorie-free Side. At that place'south no way that Luke could ever be the terminal Jedi, or that Rey could be. Equally long as hope remains, little boys and girls similar the Oliver-Twist-looking joker on Canto Bight will use the Forcefulness to do right.

WITH THAT SAID, at that place was so much going on, that theme felt cheesy and forced (especially with the whole broom-looking-similar-a-lightsaber thing at the end.) Why is this? Possibly information technology was considering Rose—every bit much equally I actually, really wanted to love her—felt like a forced and unnecessary character. Yes, she was meant to show Finn that his fight should be grounded with love—not detest—and to fight because it's the correct thing to do… but didn't Rey already practise that in Episode VII? Peradventure I'm way off here, but it seemed similar a repetitive storyline for Finn's development, which is why I found myself getting frustrated with him in this film. I rewatched Force Awakens (after I saw The Terminal Jedi for the second time) and loved Finn. He deserved more than a one-minute fight with Phasma and a pointless trip to a cool planet.

Luke'south big twist

While the twist was awesome, I felt like I had a delayed reaction to its reveal. I wasn't sure when the climax was in the flick because there was then much going on, so it didn't feel like an "oh shit" moment. After watching the moving-picture show a 2nd fourth dimension I liked the reveal more, but it was just after I checked out during the Canto Bight scenes, knowing I didn't have to pay extra attention and find something crucial to the story at that place. One time I did that, Luke's unfolding made a lot more sense.

Why fans need to appreciate what happened to Luke in The Final Jedi

I'yard catastrophe this article on a positive note virtually the motion picture. When Luke Force-ghosts to the mineral planet to face Kylo, it'southward then much more a moment to show off how badass the Forcefulness-ghost power is. When Kylo tells Luke he'll kill him (earlier he realizes he's a Forcefulness ghost), Luke says, "No, you won't, because you'll carry that with you forever" (or something along those lines.) It wasn't until seeing the film for a 2nd time that I realized how important this moment was for Luke.

InA New Promisewhen Obi-Wan sacrifices/gives himself to the Force while fighting Darth Vader, he does it and then Vader doesn't kill him. Meaning, he saves the last bit of lite in Vader'southward soul. If Vader murdered Obi-Wan—who was like a brother to him…

(I couldn't aid myself)

…information technology would have truly eaten him alive and kept him on the Dark Side with no chance of render. (Of course, you'd think Club 66 would be enough to put someone on the Dark Side forever, merely that's a whole other argument.)

To quote Princess Leia/Full general Organa inThe Last Jedi, Luke "chose to protect the low-cal instead of be a hero." The funny thing is, by doing what he did, he was the hero—saving what was left of the Resistance to fight another day.

Yeah, I'm catastrophe on a cheesy note, because while The Last Jediwasn't my favorite moving picture, I still f*cking dearest Star Wars.

Featured image: Disney