1. The expectations - I, like most people, had really high expectations for this next Star Wars installment because of how great The Force Awakens was. It really expanded the story to these wonderful characters, and created a "new" Star Wars for an entirely new generation. Plus, I really love Rian Johnson. I don't really think his extremely limited filmography provides enough qualifications for such a big blockbuster type movie like this. However, I have loved him since Brick, and he directed two of the best episodes of Breaking Bad (Ozymandias and Fly), so I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. And personally, my expectations were met. I think The Last Jedi was fun, it built on the Star Wars themes and world-building, and there are some really solid performances.
2. The surprises - I haven't really read about the backlash from fans. I've seen many people arguing, and most are very passionate about the Star Wars universe. Most of the arguing was done before I saw the film, so I avoided it to avoid spoilers, but now I just have no interest. So, my guess is that people have problems with Luke. And I can understand that. He definitely was not the Luke that fans have grown to know and love. This was probably the biggest surprise for me, but I don't necessarily think it was bad. It worked for the story, and overall, his character was still treated with love and respect. Another surprise for me is that Adam Driver fucking blew me away. I really liked him in The Force Awakens, but this was another level. It's odd to go from completely hating an actor (Ugh, he is a huge part of why I couldn't make it past season 1 of Girls. Him combined with Lena Dunham was what I imagine Hell to be like) to recognizing the same actor as giving one of the best performances of last year. I also think it was BRILLIANT to keep Rey as a separate entity; unrelated to other characters that we know about because it keeps her story open and interesting. I was really surprised that they didn't go more of an expected (i.e cliched) route.
3. The disappointments - I'm not sure if this was part of the backlash, but I actually hated that they didn't give Leia closure. I don't really care that she can magically float across space after an explosion (um....what?!), but I do care that they will continue Leia's story without her. It doesn't really make sense....right? I also feel like they really went out of their way to make Poe into an asshole. I guess they are trying to make him into the Han Solo character, but it did not work for me at all. I also thought that the whole "failure" aspect was a bit dark. I appreciate dark, untidy endings...usually. But in the case of Star Wars, I think optimism goes a long way, and is ultimately essential. The whole "we failed, so it's up to the next generation" is honestly just too depressing for me, so I just focused on the fun scenes. I think the more I think about it, though, the more I will dislike the movie. So....moving on!
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