Review of Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) by Theprion — 10 Jan 2018

I knew something was wrong when I reached for my watch and thought "this is taking too long". Never before I felt this way while watching an entry of my favorite movie saga ever. Up to that point I was mildly entertained - lots of eye-candy - but the over-the-top humor and a growing length that for some reason wasn't paying off were already red flags. When the credits rolled I was confused out of my mind.

Since then I don't go a day without thinking how bad the whole experience was, and I just had to come over and join the almost three-thousand voters' consensus.

One could point three main reasons why The Last Jedi is atrocious: 1) It's technically an awful movie: bad writing, bad pacing, bad acting, bad dialogue, bad decisions, gaping plot holes, no character development, no real journey, no accomplishments, disjointed plot; 2) It actually strives to spend the maximum screentime as possible delivering political undertones that have nothing to do with it's universe at all; and 3) shamelessly disrespects and disregards the saga's lore, world-building and legendary characters.

I never thought it would come to this, since The Force Awakens was a serviceable nostalgia ride and Disney usually manages to keep the quality standards in their projects. But it's not just about nostalgia, as most of the critics are bashing the disheartened fans. The changes they defend about The Last Jedi are not thoughtful steps forwards that build on the saga's foundation. They're market-calculated decisions designed to appeal a smartphone-dumbed and twitter-minded younger audience, coupled with really shallow and trendy moviemaking. And to that merit, Episode VIII accomplishes it infamously.

Also, that is where The Last Jedi does feel like closure, at least to me. I'm disgusted enough to have paid a cinema ticket to watch it, and I'll not indulge this Coca-Cola-ish brand anymore. I'm not part of the target audience that enjoyed this catastrophe and is willing to pay for more. I've lost interest in many other beloved franchises before, but never felt so conned and so betrayed like this. As time passes though, comes indifference, and I just can't be bothered. Like many others have expressed, I've no more room for Star Wars in my entertainment, be it past or upcoming features. An X-Wing replica still sits on my desk, but it feels strangely distant now. The Last Jedi is a bitter full circle, and I'm done with Star Wars.