9 Positive Realisations From Re-Watching Star Wars: The Last Jedi

The Last Jedi has been in cinemas across the world for the best part of five or six weeks, and is still being discussed as fervently as it was just before and shortly after its big day.

Before its launch, fans and critics had extremely high expectations - everyone wanted to see where Rian Johnson would take a Star Wars installment, which would surely break new ground but also keep up with the well-established momentum from Episode VII. Indeed, most were hoping that it would far surpass that first re-entry to a galaxy far, far away.

Still, weeks later, after 350 critic reviews and almost 200,000 user ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, the critics vs audience weighting is still an incredible 90 percent fresh for the critics to 49% liked by audiences. Debate will continue to rage about how people felt, and indeed how people should feel.

Cool your jets, Last Jedi doubters: positive preaching this is not. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Nor is this trying to change anyone's mind. What it is, though, are the thoughts that occurred on second viewing to those who were disappointed and even frustrated the first time around, but then began to feel a little more positively. These are the things that didn't sink in initially, but left a far deeper impression on the occasion of knowing what would actually happen in the story and looking at the overall piece of work more objectively.

It would seem that everyone's least favourite section of The Last Jedi is Canto Bight, so let's get two thoughts on that place out of the way before digging deeper into traditional Star Wars fan values.

Firstly, most viewers seem to look at Canto Bight as a random diversion, especially as the plan centred around that location didn't even work. However, without his visit there, Finn would never have found what exactly he needs to fight for. Before this, he had a horrific experience to escape from, but the start of The Last Jedi sees him rather aimless. He's not particularly dedicated to the Resistance - far more just to Rey herself. He wants to escape and find her, and is no longer invested in the fight against the First Order.

But now, for the first time, he (and the viewer) see how their regime impacts on the wider galaxy beyond having an intimidating military. Of course, the First Order, like the Empire before them, have destroyed entire planets - that's part of their villain routine. However, on film, have we ever seen the wider consequences of the First Order or the Empire to the everyday, non-Rebel members of their society? Did we ever see how Snoke or Palpatine's forces crushed innocent people's ordinary lives and limited everyday opportunities? Now, we have. We've learned far more about a morally corrupt, choice-strangling way of living, and we better appreciate why Leia and her forces must bring it down.