Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)

watched in 3D 12/15/2017 and 3D 12/16/2017

I saw this movie twice. There were plot elements and characters that I was not certain about.  On the second viewing my opinions coalesced into a review format. If The Force Awakens (episode 7) was a type of palate cleanser, then The Last Jedi (episode 8) is a focused yet new arrangement of the familiar.

For anyone new to or unfamiliar with the Star Wars series, that individual should at least watch, The Force Awakens. The more movies in this series that is known to the viewer the deeper the enjoyment of this film will be.

This Rian Johnson directed movie did shred many super-fan theories. I define a super-fan as someone who is invested in all canon (encompassing multiple novels, animated series and all movies). While certain changes surprised me, it did not lower my opinion of The Last Jedi.

The score by John Williams helped define this movie as part of the Star Wars series. CGI and practical effects were well mixed which added to seeing these locations more vividly. There are several scenes (one involving an interplanetary Casablanca/Las Vegas) that I would either elongate or shorten. A couple of the scenes with the Porgs, briefly took me out of the movie. However, the Porgs were never Jar-Jar bad. Future filmmakers, never send the comic relief to the Senate (a Star Wars prequel reference), it hits too close to home to be amusing.

Imagine that The Last Jedi is renovated bridge, which takes the viewer from The Force Awakens to the future movie concluding this part of the Star Wars saga in episode 9. Enjoy it as a movie, not as doctrine.

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JOKE:
Snoke was actually a hologram designed and voiced by the Porg President who proclaimed perpetual power permeating and pulverizing people...and Wookies.
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Additional thoughts:

I liked this movie. However, I am only a fan of the films. People following the books, animated series and the movies did not appear to enjoy (at least per Rotten Tomatoes audience ratings and Twitter comments). This film was made as a bridge between episode 7 and episode 9. I agree that nothing gets resolved, but I can wait until episode 9 appears. There are a considerable amount of end of the year movies, both big budget and indie, in the theaters and on streaming services. We will all be fine, at least until the demise of Net Neutrality causes the higher streaming costs and our new movie overlord Disney (Pixar, Marvel, LucasFilm and Fox) starts their own streaming service or buys out the minority owners of HULU. I think that I see a pattern, we are the decimated Rebels and Kylo Ren (aka you know who) is going to raise all of our internet costs. Happy Holidays Everyone !
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Comment in response to a Jeremy Jahns YouTube video review published on 12/20/2017

Enjoying the insertion of irony and "eye of the beholder" stuff into this review. Ozymandias is a good poem to reference hubris. However, (ahem) I raise your Percy Bysshe Shelley sonnet with two speeches from The Tempest by Shakespeare, (1) Prospero: Act4-S1 which has "We are such stuff As dreams are...." and (2) Miranda: Act5-S1 which has "O brave new world That has such people...." .
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Thanks for delving into canon.  I liked Star Wars: The Last Jedi, but I recognize how some fans feel about the current themes and characters. What bothers me the most, is the fear that AngryJoe's hypothesis of LucasFilm (aka Disney) regarding the planning of only one Star Wars episode at a time. Harry Potter series was very successful, it was also planned meticulously from start to finish by its author, J.K. Rowling who had also power on movie decisions. My impression from news sources was that Kathleen Kennedy was dedicated to keeping the Star Wars series on the right path. I guess that we will find out for certain when Episode 9 premieres.