This is such a fascinating movie! I love it, but I acknowledge the superficial issues Star Wars fans have, the filmmaking missteps, as well as some of the issues it creates with lore or just the idea of some things in Star Wars and how the movie recontextualizes them. I'm not going to dismiss them at all, although I will say this movie has been seen way more effort and time into discussing and criticizing it than any previous Star Wars movie, hell maybe any movie period.
Ultimately, I enjoy the way the movie is subversive. With Finn, with Rey and Kylo, with most of the characters really. I enjoy the idea of Star Wars being free of what the first trilogy and The Force Awakens establishes as what a major entry into the franchise can be similar to what the most recent James Bond films have been in contrast to the rest of the series. TLJ is clunky in that regard at times for sure, but I personally think a great many people are emotionally annoyed by TLJ - with Luke Skywalker's arc being the primary reason - and they retrofit more logical reasons to justify their dislike for the movie. I, on the other hand, emotionally am intrigued by the characterizations and find them complex and so I can forgive some of the issues I have with the film while not deriding others for being unable to get past them. I get it.
I will say The Last Jedi isn't an objectively bad movie as some want to portray it as. That hyperbole really bothers me. Say it's a bad Star Wars movie, although that criticism to me holds no water because a franchise should be able to evolve, but fine. Say it's not an exceptionally well made movie or that it has some tonal issues and pacing problems. But TLJ isn't an objectively poorly made movie unless we are setting the bar very high for what even mediocrity is.
But Star Wars does not engender calm and reasoned discourse lol
