Disney/Lucasfilm

WARNING: This review contains MAJOR SPOILERS for “The Last Jedi.” Please direct all angry emails to my attorney.

“The Force Awakens” was good, but “The Last Jedi” actually makes it better.

The biggest criticism lobbed at “The Force Awakens” was that it was simply a remake of “A New Hope,” touching on all the classic’s major story beats. This is true, and yet “The Last Jedi” showed that this non-risky gamble paid off. Taking it safe the first time around was a way to ensure old fans that their favorites were safe, while sneakily bringing in new characters to introduce “Star Wars” to a new generation.

And now, with “The Last Jedi,” we have the best and boldest “Star Wars” movie since the original trilogy.

Has there ever been a funnier “Star Wars” movie?

All “Star Wars” movies have comic relief, as they should, even if people on the internet are arguing about whether or not the humor belongs. “The Last Jedi” realized that General Hux (Domnhall Gleeson) is better played as an incompetent schmuck than some sinister baddie. Outside of comedies, few movies show that some villains are better portrayed as absurd rather than frightening. It feels like a “Star Wars” movie made by “Spaceballs” fans.

New worlds! New creatures!

Porgs > Ewoks > Jar Jar Binks. Disney/Lucasfilm

Sure, “The Force Awakens” introduced new places, but they all (intentionally) looked like places we have seen in the “Star Wars” universe before. It’s no coincidence that Jakku looks a lot like Tatooine. There was even ANOTHER Death Star.

This time around, we got a Monte Carlo-like casino planet that was covering up the galaxy’s ugly class warfare. We also got Porgs, which were both adorable and less distracting than Ewoks, and gorgeous-looking foxes made of delicate glass. It not only looked like things we never saw in “Star Wars” movie, but things you wouldn’t see in any movie. And that’s why you see “Star Wars.”

Luke’s Send-Off

Mark Hamill gives a career-best performance in “The Last Jedi.” Disney/Lucasfilm

“The Force Awakens” saw the end of Han Solo. His death, at the hands of his son Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), was tragic. But also, after it happened, it was barely mentioned again. Solo fell down an endless pit, and the movie just moved on.

Luke, meanwhile, got the ending he deserved in “The Last Jedi.” Hamill is marvelous here, showing how the bright-eyed Luke of the first trilogy is now a hardened old man who has seen some shit.

Luke ceases to exist after using a Jedi trick to save the Resistance from being crushed by the First Order. His last look at the galaxy is of a binary sunset, drawing us back to “A New Hope.” The moment is transcendent, and will bring even the most casual “Star Wars” fan to tears.

There are some flaws

Each “Star Wars” movie is too big to be absolutely perfectly. I’d be suspicious if any of them were flawless.

That said, “The Last Jedi” sometimes pushes it with its running time. Most of the new characters from this trilogy are fantastic, but there are sometimes too many to create a perfect balance of subplots. Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) was really allowed to shine here. And Adam Driver brings the kinds of nuance you rarely see in a blockbuster villain.

But at the same time, it feels like there’s just too little of Poe (Oscar Isaac). And once again, Captain Phasma feels like a character who never reaches her full potential, like all of her best possible moments were given to other characters instead.

Rian Johnson proves that franchise movies can still be interesting

My Large Emo Son. Disney/Lucasfilm

“Star Wars” seemed in trouble earlier this year.

Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller were abruptly fired from the upcoming Han Solo spinoff and replaced with Ron Howard. Colin Trevorrow left Episode IX* and replaced with J.J. Abrams. Howard and Abrams are both fine directors (the former an even better narrator) with massive and deserved accomplishments, but it felt like a sign that Lucasfilm CEO Kathleen Kennedy was looking to keep things safe.

“The Last Jedi” is the last thing from that.

Johnson took bold risks onscreen with his 2012 sci-fi masterpiece, “Looper.” He also directed two of the best episodes in “Breaking Bad” history (“Bug,” “Ozymandias”) that proved he could handle a sacred property and make it feel both new and different. “The Last Jedi” feels like it has a sense of cinematic influence that goes beyond just this franchise (think about that shot of Rey’s endless reflection, or Snoke’s jaw-dropping death).

At the same time, he feels more than willing to stomp on some sacred ground.

Luke receives his lightsaber, and then tosses it over a cliff. After two years of speculation about the identity of Rey’s parents, the conclusion is just, “eh, they were junk collectors.” At another point, the sacred Jedi texts are burned to the ground. The former decision has especially infuriated people. While a lack of conclusion like that can be frustrating, this also demonstrates a refreshing “screw your fan theories” mentality. And really, would you have felt any better if Rey was Luke’s daughter? How interesting would that really be?

Abrams will be back for Episode IX. Again, Abrams can make a damn entertaining movie. But as “The Force Awakens” showed, he prefers to tell a traditional tale as opposed to breaking new ground. In a way, I wish “The Last Jedi” was the final “Star Wars” movie ever. I’m not sure we’ll ever get one this good again.

*Trevorrow’s dismissal was for other reasons. But you wonder why they didn’t at least try to find somebody more interesting (or maybe, you know, a woman) to replace him. PS “Jurassic World” is good.

I was never a big “Star Wars” fan growing up.

Yes, I just said something which, in this day and age, is the equivalent of religious blasphemy, given that “Star Wars” is a religion. But it is true.

I never disliked “Star Wars.” The first time I ever saw “Star Wars” was in 1997 when George Lucas re-released “A New Hope” in theaters. However, my fondest memory of it was not seeing Han shoot first or watching the Millennium Falcon reach Ludicrous Speed (wrong movie, I know). Rather, it was the insane amount of snacks my parents snuck in so we wouldn’t have to pay for Buncha Crunch. My other fond “Star Wars” memory was laughing hysterically at the end of “Revenge of the Sith.”

Not being a huge fan has put me at a severe disadvantage as, once again, the world is swallowed up in “Star Wars” fever in anticipation of the release of “Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens.” It is safe to say that “The Force Awakens” is the biggest film of the year despite the fact that it hasn’t come out yet. That is a testament to the power of this franchise.

As I have become embedded deeper and deeper in the world of entertainment journalism, I have found myself learning more about “Star Wars” than ever before. Let’s face it, you can’t be an entertainment journalist (or a human being) without at least some knowledge or respect to George Lucas’ galaxy far, far away. Snark about Jar Jar Binks can only take you so far.

I don’t know why I never got into “Star Wars” that heavily. It was a series that I appreciated, but never fell head-over-heels over. The franchises that really won me over were James Bond, Indiana Jones, and The Godfather. Recently, I discovered that I also love nearly every “Rocky” movie ever made.

While other franchises are better, “Star Wars” is the one that always stands out. It might be because Lucasfilm, combined with Disney, is the most brilliant and terrifying marketing machine on the planet. However, “Star Wars” is bigger than any marketing campaign, and any movie. “Star Wars” is some kind of monster.

Here is the eternal question: how the hell is “Star Wars” so big? How, after soul-crushing prequels, are we willing to forgive it so easily?

“Star Wars” is too big to fail. It hasn’t even come out yet and it has already grossed over $50 million. That isn’t counting toys.

When people say they love “Star Wars,” they aren’t just talking about the movies.

The craziest thing about “Star Wars” is that sometimes, it feels like you don’t even need to have seen “Star Wars” to love it (although it really helps). I have talked to people much younger than myself who only know “Star Wars” through an animated TV series and Angry Birds inspired games. The movies are just the tip of the iceberg. They are a gateway to video games, novelizations, comic books, and action figures. While many like to label it as shameless merchandising, it is really part of the experience. “Star Wars” is one of few great franchises not based off previous source materials. It is one of cinema’s true original creations. This is how people bring “Star Wars” into the real world.

When talking about “Star Wars,” something that can be infuriating about it is the endless speculation about plot. People bet on the plot of “The Force Awakens” like they were trying to guess the winner of the Super Bowl. “Star Wars” is as much of a sport as it is a work of art. Normally, it is not okay to review a movie before seeing it. In recent months, writers did that for both “Inside Out” and “Chi-Raq” and rightfully got a lot of slack.

But for “Star Wars,” it is okay to declare “this is the best movie I’ve ever seen!” after watching two minutes of footage out-of-context. This used to make me cynical and I used to make fun of it, but I am not cynical anymore. There is a joy to this, and I am ready to let “Star Wars” into my heart.

Yes, I am excited for “The Force Awakens” and I have been ever since I watched the first teaser trailer, which invoked a sense of nostalgia for a time I was never alive during. I am excited enough to get to meet Finn (John Boyega), Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) that I even bought a ticket for opening night. I am not planning on waiting in line for a week, or even a few hours, before the movie starts. However, I’ll probably buy a Kylo Ren action figure the next day.

In this week’s episode, Tom Hanks Expert Ryan Little joins me to talk about the trailers for The Force Awakens and Jurassic World, amongst many other things. Plus, we try and figure out who should write and perform the next James Bond theme song.

Don’t forget to subscribe on iTunes. You can download all older episodes there as well. Keep it reel.

Settle down, nerds! While you were still digesting your Thanksgiving meals, the first teaser for Star Wars: The Force Awakens was released in theaters and internets across the nation.

Now, I write this from the perspective of somebody who likes and appreciates Star Wars a lot, but is not a die hard fan. And let me tell you, it is a hard world to be somebody who likes, but doesn’t love, Star Wars. Most people consider Star Wars to be foremost in their cinema education. For me, franchises like Indiana Jones, James Bond, and Toy Story always impacted me more. But this is not my moment in the sun: this day is for you. I just join actively discrediting myself.

This teaser clocks in at well under two minutes, so it is nearly impossible to get any plot details out of it. And for those of you trying to craft an entire story out of this, please shut off the internet and pay attention your family. Your kids are probably starving or want to go to a water park right now or something. Anyway, it is hard to deny how undeniably cool this trailer is. With just a brief glimpse, J.J. Abrams has nailed the look of the original films, which is basically western space opera. It is nice to see that directors today are still influenced by the likes of John Ford and David Lean.

Like the trailer for Jurassic World did a few days ago, the teaser for The Force Awakens tugs hard at the nostalgia heart strings. It is beyond just seeing the Millennium Falcon again; just hearing that song stirs all kinds of excitement in me that I didn’t even know existed. The Force awakens inside all of us. It doesn’t matter how old you are or how obsessed you are with Star Wars. You can be as bitter and cynical about tentpole franchises as I am and still be excited for December 2015. I guess what I am saying is that Oscar Isaac will save America.

I knew something about this trailer looked familiar…

Guardians of the Galaxy marks the first time in a long time in which I was actively rooting for the arrival of another Marvel feature. That might have just been from the odd sight of a raccoon and a tree interacting with one another. Guardians of the Galaxy is the latest film to come out of the Marvel Universe, and it almost feels like they hit the restart button with this one, and got nearly perfect results.

I had an inkling, which turned out to be very wrong, that Guardians of the Galaxy might completely reinvent both superhero and action movies. I was wrong. Guardians of the Galaxy doesn’t reinvent any genre, and it doesn’t even try to do so. Guardians of the Galaxy is a product of Marvel, yet it also bears director James Gunn’s incredibly original voice. James Gunn worked the system: he made a fun summer blockbuster that also happens to be an auteur piece.

For this reason, Guardians is the perfect comic book film for the casual comic book fan. In it, I saw the influence of The Avengers as much as I saw the influence of Steven Spielberg’s entire filmography. In particular, Guardians felt like a throwback to Raiders of the Lost Ark. Like Raiders, Guardians has a fun and silly feel while still committing to its story. Guardians is about a group of people who shouldn’t be heroes, and many people tend to forget that Indiana Jones was terrible at his job. Besides losing the Ark and the Holy Grail, he also gave birth to Shia LaBeouf.

But I digress. While most action movies are about “The One,” or a person who was destined for something or is just the best at their craft, Guardians is about a group of criminals who are forced to be heroes. Hell, they aren’t even good at that. The nickname “Guardians of the Galaxy” is at first bestowed upon them in jest. Chris Pratt plays Peter Quill a human abducted from Earth as a child. With a nickname like Star-Lord, he fancies himself the most notorious criminal in the galaxy. Yet, nobody knows who the hell Star-Lord is. Quill reluctantly teams up with Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), and Groot (Vin Diesel) to steal back a very powerful orb before it ends up in the hands of the very evil Ronan (Lee Pace). Their mission is one that is both selfish and altruistic.

With The Lego Movie earlier this year, it was apparent that Chris Pratt was ready to be a household name. With Guardians, Pratt is ready to be a movie star. Back to the Indiana Jones comparison, Pratt is great at being both a smart ass and a badass all at once. Yet, unlike Harrison Ford, Pratt has this very sweet, golden retriever quality to him. He has mastered the lovable idiot character, which he first began developing as Andy Dwyer on Parks and Recreation. Like any good movie or TV show, any of the main characters can qualify as the best character. But for now, I will just settle on Rocket Raccoon, who’s identity insecurity sums up the way all the characters actually feel about their place in the universe. For Bradley Cooper, it is the sign of a true movie star when you appear as charismatic as ever when it’s just your voice in a raccoon’s body. Guardians sets up a huge cast of characters in a really efficient way. It didn’t need to resort on being an origin story to do so; it was as subtle as a fart on a first date.

Guardians is truly astounding in scope. This is perhaps the first time I regret not seeing a movie in 3D. James Gunn clearly has Star Wars-type ambitions, as that was all I could think of throughout most of the film’s run. The action sequences manage to dwarf the pretty awesome ones from this year’s Winter Soldier. Oh, I should probably mention this: Guardians of the Galaxy is hilarious. It might not be the funniest movie this year (it is still hard to compete with They Came Together), but it is the most consistently funny. Jokes come out of nowhere and then come back later and land just as well the second time around.

Guardians works as both an action comedy and an action movie with comedic elements. In fact, it nails every emotional note. With a soundtrack ranging from Marvin Gaye to The Runaways, Guardians sounds like nothing I have seen in a long time. The story and the tropes are familiar in a way that is comforting rather than tiresome. Gunn has found a way to mix the best parts of 80s movie nostalgia with modern day cinema. Here is a film that manages to strike a balance between the gritty realism of The Dark Knight and the “ice to meet you” level stupidity of Batman & Robin. Walking out of the theater with a smile on your face, you will just feel every ounce of cynicism in your body wash away.

Brain Farts From The Edge

• I had a bad feeling months ago that Guardians would flop, only to be rediscovered years later. Based on the reaction from tonight’s audience, I think it is going to do quite well.
• I just get a sense that a cultural phenomenon is brewing. I hope that “Hooked On A Feeling” makes a comeback and ends up in the Billboard Top 100.
• This is the first Marvel Studios film in a long time that doesn’t feel like it is trying to sell another future film/product to me. And yet, this is the first Marvel movie I’ve walked out of and thought, “I could really use a Rocket Raccoon action figure.” You see, consumerism works when you don’t shove it in our faces.
• New Sci-Fi Trope: The silver haired, eccentric hoarder/scientist. Examples: The Collector in Guardians of the Galaxy; Hannibal Chau in Pacific Rim
• Other films this reminded me of: Mystery Men, Spaceballs, E.T.
• So Guardians wasn’t completely perfect. I had some small problems with the villains, mainly that they were a little broad. However, that may have been the point. Also, could have used more John C. Reilly. But then again, I say that about every movie.
• It’s hard for a movie to be quotable after just one viewing, but I feel like I already know certain parts of Guardians by heart. Good.
• Something that happened at my screening: as the “Turn Your Phones Off” warning popped up on screen, somebody in the audience shouted, “don’t tell me what to do!” Okay, so I guess I should still be really cynical about things.

Episode 10: In this week’s episode, Cassie and Ian address the new Star Wars casting news, share their favorite moments from the excellent first season of Silicon Valley, and figure out whether Chef and Maleficent are worth your time.