Over the past few days and forever ago I have heard from a younger brother and people on Reddit that the movie doesn't make sense, has the returning OT cast act in ways they shouldn't, and that it sacrifices a good story for subverting expectations as well as it being a beautiful well-acted mess. While I think the criticisms are made in earnest, I think I can explain them away as not entirely accurate. I couch my own feelings in that I am mostly an OT-canon-onlyist with likes among the other two trilogies. However, I came to defend my post title, that the film is a good one.

The title of the film, 'The Last Jedi', is on the surface just a cool name, but as we shall see, it is also tied tightly to the plot. Luke has grown a fair bit wiser and grimmer than the character we last knew in 'Return of the Jedi'. There's good reason for that. The shadowy new champion of the Dark Side, Snoke, was trying to draw the gifted Skywalker heir to join him. Luke was deeply troubled by visions of the monster Ben Solo, his own nephew, would become so much so that he was tempted to murder Ben in his sleep. Luke ignited his lightsaber just as all the visions of what his nephew would become fell away like a shadow... but it was too late. Even Luke can fail to live up to his own legend, and for being used by the Dark Side to ultimately turn his nephew to it, he wishes his life to be the last testament of the Jedi. By the end of the film, Rey and even Ben have convinced him that he was wrong.

Before anyone says Luke would never try to kill a Dark Sider, but he would try to redeem them, I point to The Emperor. Even near the end of Return, Luke was ready to strike that monster down. He only tosses his lightsaber away because he can see that the Emperor can only be defeated by the Death Star's eminent destruction, and He will not be tempted by the Dark Side to join The Emperor. Otherwise, the Emperor has him outmatched in mastery over The Force. My point being, Luke doesn't try to redeem The Emperor, as there is no good in him. The analogue of Ben Solo is not another Darth Vader, but someone worse in power and deeds than Darth Sidious. As Luke admits he gave into his visions of the Dark Side, and he was wrong to put all of that dark destiny on Ben.

The Dialogue, is some of the best in the entire series. Even the mother joke at the beginning of the film is not out of place entirely. Horrible people can be "tooled with", and I also seem to remember Han, whom Po is somewhat of a Captain Ersatz of, also using facetious dialogue to buy time in the original STAR WARS. Aside from that and the slightly jarring declaration of love from Rose (in context, only Finn thought ramming his ramshackle craft into the ram cannon would do anything besides get himself killed, and Rose is more or less saying they are screwed and would rather have him live), all dialogue seemed to fit the situations, was delivered masterfully and snappily, and made a coherent narrative.

ON SECOND THOUGHT, this post is long enough. I'd rather turn the topic over to you guys and make my case for The Last Jedi just being a good film on a case by case basis as topics and snarls get brought up. Sorry to be abrupt. I just really want to get to interacting with people.