Left to my own devices

I've had mixed feelings about The Last Jedi since seeing it opening night last week. It certainly has its moments, scenes which shock, dismay, and make you want to stand up and cheer. Alas, they are part of a film that feels disjointed and, if we're being honest, attempts to do too much. A lot happens in The Last Jedi , and it isn't always presented very well. Important moments occur, but they're not allowed to marinate, because we're on to the next one. And, finally, there are plot holes and plot devices galore. Enough vagueness. Let's dig in to what works and what doesn't regarding the latest entry in the venerable Star Wars saga. What follows are, of course, SPOILERS. If you haven't yet watched the movie, then turn back now.

I read a rather over-the-top article recently that posits the notion of how Star Wars: The Last Jedi will render Return of the Jedi "meaningless," though the article never adequately explaining how it will do so. There are a jumble of thoughts about how The Force Awakens was just a remixed A New Hope (not untrue), and how the new trilogy is just redoing the original trilogy (an assertion I find odd, since we haven't seen 66% of the new trilogy yet). Regardless, I will let one particular section of the article speak for itself: Luke’s moral and spiritual triumph on the Death Star, the Rebel Alliance’s military victory at Endor, and even Lucas’ awesome special edition scenes of people dancing and shooting off fireworks across the galaxy were pointless. The “Star Wars” universe slipped right back into tyranny and the resolution of the original trilogy was as fleeting as Hayden Christensen’s acting career. If this movie is what its title implies, then Luke mi...