I've seen the light. The Last Jedi is in fact a VERY good film.

My biggest gripe with the movie initially was it bored me. First watch the first half really took me out of the movie and I was never able to get back into it. Upon second watch, that wasn’t the case. It flowed much better this time around. The movie felt completely natural, where as the first time I found it very jarring.

Initially, I wasn't a fan of Rey's parents being nobodies. But the fact they are nobodies makes Rey an even better character. Despite her upbringing she was able to make something of herself and escape the same fate as her parents. Just because your parents aren't doctors or lawyers doesn't mean you can't grow up to be one. We are responsible for making our own success. Obviously some people are better set up for success because of their upbringing. But Rey was not, she was the ultimate rags to riches story. I mean her parents were alleged drunks and they abandoned her in a junkyard. Now she's a badass Jedi. How's that for a success story?

It would have been nice to know more about Snoke, but he is a major presence on screen. Andy Serkis killed it! Snoke is legitimately scary. Whenever he was on screen, I actually felt uncomfortable. Even though he's a fragile, disfigured person the evil just seeps through him. I just wish he wasn't killed off, it would have been awesome to see him play a role like The Emperor. I understand why he was killed off; I was just left wanting more Snoke. The whole scene of his death is so fucking cool though. Rey and Kylo tearing through the Red Guards is dope as fucking shit. It's definitely one of the best fight scenes in Star Wars history.

Carrie Fisher is the glue that holds this whole film together. May she rest in peace. I still think he floating through space in really lame. I like the fact that she has the force, I just don't like how it came into fruition . Yes, Jedi are powerful but are they powerful enough to survive a massive explosion and being out in space? I don't think so.

I'm still not crazy about the direction they went with Luke's character. At the same time I understand it. Hell, he's old now and he's seen a lot of shit over the years. In that sense him being over and done with the Jedi is understandable. My man is old and he just wants peace and quiet. He gets totally redeemed at the end though. His sendoff/last stand is so awesome.

The Finn and Rose subplot is still pretty lame. It certainly didn't bother me as much this time around. I do feel really bad for the actress who played Rose. People are being really nasty and hateful online towards her character. She's a really sweet and innocent character, comparing her to Jar Jar Binks is flat out ridiculous. Stop that shit. She says one of the best lines in Star Wars history, "That's how we're gonna win. Not fighting what we hate, saving what we love." That is an incredibly powerful statement and I teared up a little bit when she said that. Originally, I was mad she rescued Finn. But the line she says really sunk in with me this time and made me realize she's absolutely right. Rose, you go girl!

I think my original lukewarmness towards the film rooted from me being bored. Since I was bored all the little nitpicky things bothered and annoyed me. Second watch many of the nitpicks I had didn't bother me anymore. I just sat back and let these changes happen and even came to appreciate a lot of them. The Last Jedi is not a perfect film, there are still issues I have with the movie. Rian Johnson deserves major props for not taking the safe route and not being afraid to break the "rules". I loved The Force Awakens because it brought me back to why I love Star Wars so much. I really really like The Last Jedi because it dared to be something different.

(More to come. I'm going to attempt to better explain my turn to the light side 😏)