Source: wordpress.com

Part 8: Growing Up

What shocked me about this movie after I saw it was just how much deeper and better it got the more I talked about it. The themes crystalized, and the character arcs solidified. New scene interpretations clicked in my mind. TLJ locked down a spot in my personal Top 10 Movies of the Year, and other than T2: Trainspotting, it's the movie I most often think about from this year.

I love Star Wars. I have since I could form memories, but I can't remember a Star Wars movie that mentally engaged me as much as this one did. I've called it the smartest Star Wars, but it's also the most mature in story, theme, and execution. In a rare turn for one of these movies, its themes are not explicit; they require a bit of thought and discussion to fully tease them out.

It lets you as an audience member come to your own conclusions. It's a grown-up Star Wars film, and after the delightful simplicity of TFA and the grim, free-of-almost-any-interesting-characters Rogue One, a movie that actually makes me think about it is a glorious change of pace.

If Star Wars is going to continue and grow, it needs to change, take risks, and work on improving on previous Star Wars films, rather than just copying them. It needs to keep growing up, and that's exactly what TLJ is asking it to do.