And yet, each character learned and developed so much across The Last Jedi it allows the movie to operate both as a piece of a larger puzzle and work somewhat independently as well, with Rey's journey of self-discovery and identity, Kylo Ren's inner conflict, and the myth and legend of Luke Skywalker in particular all brilliantly analyzed and deconstructed. The main characters could all be explored further, and the war between the Resistance and the First Order was far from over. It's structured in such a way that it feels complete, while leaving room for what eventually became Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker to build upon it. Related: Star Wars: No, The Last Jedi DIDN'T Retcon Force Awakens Similarly, because it works as more standalone - although The Last Jedi doesn't retcon The Force Awakens, but just goes in unexpected directions - then it's less impacted by the flaws of the sequel trilogy as a whole. Yes, there's a decent portion of audiences who will dislike the movie no matter what and there's nothing to say everyone should like it or agree at all, but the decisions Johnson makes are rooted far more in character, theme, and breaking down Star Wars itself that it can stand the test of time better. In contrast, Star Wars: The Last Jedi's divisive choices only get better with age. It is definitely fun, but a little shallower. That's true in just how closely it follows A New Hope, in the way it sags in the second act, and in that so much is transparently just setup and outlines without much of an answer planned. That's not to say it's bad - it remains an entertaining movie filled with some great characters and action - but the presentation of it is such that it's inevitably a reduced dose of pure Star Wars adrenaline on each revisit, and the flaws shine through a little more. The more it sits, and knowing that The Rise of Skywalker will unsuccessfully attempt to end many of the storylines and character arcs it sets up, just take away from it. Abrams' mystery boxes, and a warm fuzzy Star Wars feeling, it's never quite as impactful as that first big welcome back moment. Because it relies on nostalgia tricks, J.J. But it also means the movie loses something over time, getting a little less special. Back in 2015, that was enough, and it clearly worked, with The Force Awakens' box office topping $2 billion.
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