I've seen arguments about The Last Jedi get more heated than political debates, and honestly, it's awful.
How one movie can split the fan base so violently is pretty appalling to me, so trust me when I say that starting an argument is the last thing I want to do.
That being said, I think at this point it's fair to surmise that the majority of Star Wars fans see The Last Jedi as undesirable at best. After seeing the movie four times in theaters, I can truly say I have a first hand account of just how messy the movie is. The Last Jedi has so many mistakes in so many areas of the film that it's just plain hard to overlook. I mean come on, even Mark Hamill hated the way Luke was portrayed!
Rian Johnson's cinematic failure aside, what will it take to make episode 9 a decent ending? Let's talk about it.
First off let's get one thing straight...I still have faith in JJ Abrams.
This is the man who created an actually competent opening to the new Star Wars trilogy. It was clear that JJ had a defined vision for the trilogy before Johnson took the helm, and i'm of the belief that he can still somehow salvage it.
But how? What dark sorcery could Abrams employ in an attempt to fix everything? Well to start, he needs to answer the questions posed in The Force Awakens. What is the real reason for Rey's force sensitivity? What did the flashback scene mean? Who are the Knights of Ren? All of these loose ends need to be tied up before the credits roll.
Another thing this movie desperately needs is purpose. How is the plot of this movie going to carry an effective ending to the Skywalker saga? Why is this new trilogy important in the grand scheme? At the end of the day, i'm still waiting to see a point to all of this other than an elaborate Disney cash grab.
In all honesty, what this movie really needs is to just be a good movie in general. No silly mistakes in fight scenes. No universe breaking additions. No bad dialogue. No pointless plot diversions. And finally, please, no more worthless "cute" little aliens that are created for the sole purpose of selling toys.
Don't let this amazing story go to waste JJ. We're all counting on you.
Until next time, may the force be with you...always.