What is everyone’s problem with The Last Jedi?

I am a humongous Star Wars fan.

I loved The Force Awakens. I very much enjoyed Rogue One. I can watch the prequels and ignore the fact that they aren’t that great. And I REALLY enjoyed the newest entry to the franchise; The Last Jedi.

This was a Star Wars film that really surprised me in many ways. There was a lot to laud it for, as many critics did, and much that confused and disappointed fans.

There were certain things I wished to see; Luke returning in full badass Jedi mode taking on Kylo Ren, Rey finding out who her parents were, some more backstory about Snoke. And to a large extent we didn’t get those answers. But with another film of the trilogy to go, we will still likely have those answers in Episode IX. And with JJ Abrams back to direct and also writing the script, we will likely get those answers.

The Force Awakens was criticised for being too like A New Hope and yet when they try to do something different and take the franchise towards other avenues of storytelling, sections of the fanbase turned around and shouted on Twitter ‘I HATE IT, I HATE IT, RIAN JOHNSON HAS RUINED STAR WARS!’

I do have problems with The Last Jedi. But they mainly relate to how it all leads into Episode IX and scenes that my inner fanboy was desperate to see. But as soon as the trailer came out, with Luke saying ‘It’s time for the Jedi to end,’ I knew we were in for something different, something we hadn’t seen in anything Star Wars. There has always been a clear divide between good and evil. In the Original Trilogy, it was the Rebel Alliance versus the Empire, in the Prequels it was the Republic and the Clones versus the Separatists and the Droids. In the Sequels, its still two clear sides, but there are also those in between who either don’t want to be involved or who look to take advantage of the the seemingly eternal conflict in the galaxy far, far, away.

I don’t see this movie as a misstep. I see it as a worthy addition to the franchise and I’m looking forward to what JJ and Lucasfilm come up with for Episode IX.