Why I now like The Last Jedi more than The Force Awakens

Yesterday I had a Star Wars movie marathon. This gave me a chance to re-watch The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi back to back.What really surprised me is that I enjoyed The Force Awakens the least in this marathon (which didn't include TPM or AOTC). I also found that I now enjoy The Last Jedi way more. I've actually been enjoying Force Awakens less the last few times I watch it, and now I love The Last Jedi the way I did when I first saw it in theaters. So why the change?To answer that, here are a few reasons why I now like The Last Jedi more than The Force Awakens:1) TLJ looks and feels more like Star Wars - The Force Awakens certainly captured the fun, pacing, and tropes of a Star Wars movie, but I realized that it feels out of place compared to George Lucas' movies. It's kind of like the 2009 Star Trek reboot. It's a great movie, but it's not a Star Trek movie, it's J.J. Abrams' version of a Star Trek movie. It's the same with Force Awakens. It's a good movie, but it's really Abrams' version of a Star Wars movie. This would be okay if it were a stand-alone movie or a full reboot, but it's part of the Skywalker saga and a direct sequel.The Last Jedi, to me, looks and feels more like a Star Wars movie, while still being new and having its own unique style. It also takes influence from different philosophies, anime, classical myths, etc to tell a new story, so it actually feels like the kind of movie George Lucas would have made (but still good). So to me it fits with the rest of the saga as a whole. To other people this may not be a good thing, but to me it feels more like Star Wars.2) The characters are better in The Last Jedi - I just found myself liking how the characters were done in TLJ. Rey's story is more interesting because she has a lot to learn about the Force and how to control her power, and she has to move on from her past. Her dynamic with Kylo Ren is awesome, who I also liked more in this movie. He seemed more human, but he was also more intimidating. I also like Finn and Rose working together, don't know why, just did. Also, Snoke is way more interesting because he's actually allowed to have a personality. He gets angry, he mocks people, he plays with their emotions, and he does an evil laugh. Now compare that to TFA where all he did was act like a threatening figure and occasionally get mad. Also, his CGI is done so much better in The Last Jedi. We may not know who he is, but at least he was a fun character.3) The Last Jedi took chances that paid off (in my opinion) - The Last Jedi differs from The Force Awakens in that it does something more original. Not only that, it did quite a few things no one would expect a Star Wars movie to do. Since this post is long enough already, I'll just talk about the big one:Luke Skywalker's character: I actually really liked this take on the character. If you think about it, Luke has actually learned his lesson from the OT. He no longer seeks a fight, he uses the force for knowledge and defense, etc. The problem is that he's taken this to an extreme because of what he's been through. People forget that what made Luke so compelling in the OT was that he was the normal person guiding us through the story, but he grew into a better character with each movie. Well, your story doesn't stop when you're young and everything is great. You get old, bad things happen, you lose your way for a while. However, Luke is able to overcome his grief and to save the Resistance and ignite a spark of hope in the galaxy. I also like how the movie sends a message about repeating the past. Luke tried to restart the Jedi Order, but he tried to do the same thing as the old jedi and so he got the same results. Same with the Republic, they tried to go back to the old model and now they're once again being taken over by an evil Empire. So Yoda's speech about failure and how, "We are what they grow beyond," really has a lot of merit. It's not the Luke we were expecting, and certainly not what I would have done, but I think the movie is stronger because of it.With all that said, here's how I'd probably rank all the movies now (granted this constantly changes):The Empire Strikes BackA New HopeThe Last JediRevenge of the SithReturn of the JediThe Force AwakensSoloRogue OneThe Phantom MenaceAttack of the ClonesSo those are my ramblings on why I now like The Last Jedi more than The Force Awakens. Not sure if this will make sense to anyone but me, but at least I tried (Yoda: "Even have to say it, do I?")So what do you guys think of the points I made? Do you agree or disagree? Which do you like better? Or do you like them both? (many people seem to forget that you're allowed to do this with new Star Wars movies). Whatever your thoughts, let me know in the comments. via /r/StarWars https://ift.tt/2sCiuLk