Defending Star Wars: The Last Jedi

For people who watched the Film:

Well, like everything in the world, you can't please everyone; however, since there are some critics on the movie that didn't like the new installment, I must say that I can't blame them because I can understand how it somehow lacked its prototypical warriors' journey.  For instance, the transition of Luke Skywalker from hero to a somewhat cowardice figure who got soft and couldn't cope with his nephew turning evil seemed a little off character to many people. His father was Darth Vader, for goodness sakes, and, he just gives up on the Jedi, the way of life in which he lived after all those years? Really?

But, if we really dig down to the core, Luke Skywalker in episode 8 is not the same as the Luke we all know from episodes 4,5,6. He is now an old man, all battered up from the battles of the past. We must construct that he may have seen his nephew, Kylo Ren, as his last hope for the way of the Jedi to survive. So, when he felt that Kylo was becoming more evil, naturally, he must have panicked because he would have interpreted it as the same transition his father, Darth Vader, underwent in the past. 

Episode 9, hopefully, clears much of the questions that episode 8 left behind. But, in terms of its worthiness in the spectrum of the Star Wars franchise, I am not disappointed.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

I have a love-hate relationship with Star Wars. No matter how I try not to watch it, I end up seeing it anyway. For some reason, I always get swayed into watching it. Perhaps, I never quite understood why I liked it before. Growing up, I always thought that the themes in the series were too complex, probably because there are too many characters that even now I can't name them all. But, as a screenwriting student years ago, I began to understand why people love 'Star Wars'.....

I don't want to get into too much details because being a screenwriting graduate, I could go on forever about structure, character personas, and setting, etc. There's a reason why they teach screenwriting. Just like everything else in this world: there are right and wrong ways to do things. I just feel that learning screenwriting structure is not for everyone because it will change one's perspective on movies. Well, that being said, I must be the first one to admit that the creators of 'Star Wars' have mastered how to make people care about the characters. That is part of the aura that makes the entire series enticing to many viewers and readers of the saga. It goes beyond the cool outfits, the cool fighting scenes, and the bad ass villains.

I am also a big fan of Felicity Jones, so there is no way I am going to miss this new film in which she is the major character in.