Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Summary: You've probably already seen it, but if not, go see it. I loved a lot about this movie and the problems I had weren't enough to detract from the overall experience. If you're a die-hard fan, you will probably love less (I would consider myself a fan, but hardcore).

Going in: I saw quite a few spoilers for this so my expectations were that it was going to be different. I also had my wife and boys with me so this was more a family outing.

Popcorn Score - 8/10: This was a fun movie, but I don't think I would see this again in theaters. I might if someone recommended it but if I was asked, I'd rather see Darkest Hour. Seeing SWLJ once was good enough. Buying it? Oh yeah, I'll be there.

Art Score - 8/10: Acting, directing, and story. Those are the greatest parts of the movie. While nothing stood out in the other categories, they didn't detract anything either.

Acting - 3/3: Mark Hamill was great. Carrie Fisher as well. I mean there were so many little nuances conveyed. I remember thinking more than once - that's cool. And in the younger actors as well. The characters seemed to take a slight unexpected turn, but the actors played them well.

Cinematography - 1/2: Most of what I remember is the CGI. Nothing else really stood out from a camera perspective.

Art/Makeup/Costume - 1/2: Nothing really stood out except absolutely gorgeous CGI shots. Several of them were quite good. There wasn't anything bad in the other categories, just not phenomenal.

Music - 1/2: The score is a classic and many of those older themes are what I remember the most. To some extent, it's not fair.

Editing - 1/2: There were a couple of edits in some battle scenes that pulled me out of the movie. But on the whole, it was more distracting than offensive.

Story - 4/4: I was blown away. If I had to sum up the story, it would be "subversion". Plot devices were amazing and fresh. Characters were well done. I would say that the hardest for me was Luke's character and Poe's. They seemed out of character but not so much so that I couldn't adjust. I think that's why the hardcore fans have the biggest problem with the story.

Directing - 3/3: Johnson made a film that people are divided on and I think that's a good thing. He took a risk and while some people don't like it, at least the same number do.

Producing - 1/2: This was a good move and a good boost to the franchise.