Wow, what a great movie The Last Jedi was! I can't wait to discuss my thoughts about the film with the fine fellows of the internet!
Oh, goddammit, internet!
Let me ask all of you a question. Does it ever seem like people on the web hate things just for the sake of hating them? I mean, I get that there will always be legitimate things to criticize, but people always take it overboard. Either it's the worst, most abominable creation to exist, or it's God's infallible gift to mankind, no in between.
Now, I may seem hypocritical here because I often got on a good friend of mine's case for enjoying Batman vs Superman and I would always scrutinize it whenever it got brought up, rather than just passively discussing it and being accepting of her opinions. I was so concerned with all the negatives that I overlooked all of the positives about the movie. It had some stunning visuals and choreography, excellent costume design, and near-perfect casting choices. Sure, it had a lot of problems, but it's been over a year and I'm satisfied with how Wonder Woman and Justice League turned out, so I'm so over being upset about something so inconsequential as opinions about a movie.
And after my experience with The Last Jedi, with me having a great time and everyone else seemingly universally hating it (besides me and my friends who know better), I can definitely sympathize. I thought it was a fantastic movie. There were unexpected twists and fake-outs at every turn, the acting was amazing, and it's not your typical Star Wars movie, with it still having plenty of satisfying nods for long-time fans. It even had some Easter eggs and homages to the Expanded Universe.
Now, I may be biased, because I was going through a tough time struggling with depression, so I related with Luke for the entire movie. Seeing him renew his old self again and kick all kinds of ass in his own Luke Skywalker way felt so good, and there were plenty of inspiring moments and quotes in this movie that really helped me.
But at the same time, I feel I was still less biased than the vast majority. I actively avoided everything I could about this movie until I saw it. I wanted to go in with a fresh mind and no expectations or pre-concieved notions whatsoever. And as a result, I enjoyed it.
I feel as though whenever a new Star Wars movie comes out, people will always hold it to the standards of the original, and more often than not end up dissapointed. But I think what people really remember is what they felt as children when watching it for the first time. Sure, this movie has a lot of problems, but guess what? So did A New Hope. The pacing was slow and there was more time talking with the droids than there was actual Star Wars, but that doesn't mean it can't be enjoyed. Though at the same time, it is sort of over-romanticized. There's nothing wrong with nostalgia, and those are good movies, but let's not pretend they're perfect. As Stan Lee once said, "Every comic book is somebody's first comic" just as every movie is someone's first movie. You can capture that same magic that you felt with your first experience if you simply go in with an open mind.
Second, I tend to avoid reviews and comments for movies nowadays because there seems to be a hivemind mentality with opinions about any new form of media. People read reviews and act like they know everything about a movie without even seeing it. People have one opinion about something, they see a video, and their opinion conforms to match the reviewer. People love something, they see a review, and then they hate it. People are dumb.
Go home internet, you're drunk.
Just give it ten years until TLJ becomes so hated that it becomes underrated and people decide they like it now, just like the prequels. In the meantime, I'll be over here enjoying myself.
I am Hero's Shade and I will see you all next time.
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