It’s no secret that the latest installment of the Star Wars saga is one of the most pivotal movies to be released in recent history. “The Last Jedi” is, according to most critics, a fantastic movie and is highly praised across the board. The film currently holds a score of 94 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and an overall score of 85 on Metacritic.

However, many fans disagree with critical reviews of the newest film. Most of the backlash comes from the film’s change in direction that director Rian Johnson took the story. Many fans were so disappointed with this divergence, in fact, than they say the newest addition is on par with the consistently-despised prequel trilogy from the early 2000s. Does it deserve the hate that it receives?

“The Last Jedi”, in my humble opinion, is a fantastic, both as it stands on its own and in the context of the universally-loved Star Wars universe.

The main qualm that fans have with the movie is that it strays too far from the style of the original trilogy. In my eyes, however, this divergence helps the film stand out from its predecessor, “The Force Awakens,” which almost entirely mirrored the plot of the first Star Wars movie, “A New Hope.”

This new direction shows a whole new side of the rebellion not seen in previous films. Unlike previous Star Wars films, “The Last Jedi” depicts the rebellion at its weakest.

The new film doesn’t stray from action sequences, with some of the best battle scenes of the whole saga, displaying advanced special effects and motion graphics that would impress any movie-goer.

Despite all of its dazzling positives, “The Force Awakens” does have one glaring negative. While some elements of the film flow beautifully, like Rey and Luke’s subplot, much of the film seems to drag on. Especially during the second act of the film, the plot is drenched with an overabundance of ultimately useless filler sequences.

If these filler-segments were changed to become more relevant to the overarching plot or were removed entirely, the film would have been stronger as a whole. While it certainly comes across as useless, even the filler-plot is entertaining and perfectly executed.

In short, I think “The Last Jedi” is a wonderful experience for any sci-fi fan. With loads of fun action and a wildly interesting plot, the latest adventure in a galaxy far, far away is a fantastic addition to the Star Wars legacy.

Though it has its quirks, there’s something in this movie for every Star Wars fan to enjoy. Therefore, it earns my seal of approval.