What I Loved about The Last Jedi (Spoilers!) #1

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I have seen the film three times: opening night, once the next week, and again last night. 

First of all, nothing brings out the kid in me like the opening crawl and blaring anthem at the beginning of a film in the Star Wars saga. I still watch these films as that kid. It's a swashbuckling Saturday matinee epic adventure for a 21st century audience.

I love it . . . but it's not my religion. I had to learn early on to stop taking it so seriously, man. 

My first viewing, however, left me ambivalent. I loved some things, and I didn't care for some other things. First things first. 

What I loved after the first viewing . . . 

• Seeing the X-wings in action. Poe's opening salvos against the Dreadnought. Dang! This is exactly how I imagined this kind of battle going--a small fighter facing up to the most intimidating warship. This kind of thing is audacious as some X-wings attacking the Death Star. I loved seeing the X-wings engage in dogfights with TIE fighters, skimming the surface of the warship. We also got a taste of this in The Force Awakens and Rogue One.  Never gets old. So, so sweet. 
• Luke. Yes. Nailed it. The initial scenes with Luke reminded me of Yoda in Empire Strikes Back. There he is hidden away in a hermit-like existence. Remember Yoda eating a rat creature? Kind of like seeing Luke milk a sea creature. Bucking the fandom, and being a cranky and depressed old man with no time for admiring fanboys, or in this case, a fangirl. Here is a cocky kid on the Falcon taking out TIE fighters now dealing with being a disappointing "legend" in his own time. His youthful glory of bringing Anakin has now resulted in old age as continuous self-flagellation over the failure with Ben Solo. So true to life, right? Hearing Luke interact with the "old friend" R2, sitting in the Falcon took me back to the OT. The defense-only, Obi-Wan-like duel on Crait with Kylo was just so sweet. What can I say about the scene with Leia and the wink toward Three-P.O. The cocky humor in these scenes is very much what I imagined Luke to be like. In later viewings, I see Luke very much like Obi-Wan in A New Hope and Yoda in Empire Strikes Back. The echoes between these characters are very real, and intentional, I think.
• On subsequent viewings, just love the scenes on Ahch-To. The tension between Rey and Luke was excellent especially their brief fight with sticks that ended with a laser sword. Rey holding the light saber over Luke reminded me of Luke holding a saber over Ben Solo.
• I also just thought the interactions between Rey and Kylo were just so well done. These actors have created some of the most memorable characters in this universe. Their duel (light and dark) against the red guards---dang!!! 
• Kylo. Loved every part of this character. Rian Johnson helped fans root for the guy in scenes with Snoke and his guards that killed Han Solo in an act of patricide. His intense hatred toward Luke at the end, and that duel. Ahh. So sweet.

A great listen for those that loved the film, go to Rebel Force Radio page and listen to their reactions about one hour after seeing the film on opening night (link below):

• Rebel Force Radio - The Last Jedi Review #1