The Last Jedi has been an extremely polarizing film among Star Wars fans despite its huge success at the box office, and that polarization was reflected in the Killing Time community’s rating of Episode VIII.  While the #1 response was a 10, the #2 response was a 1.  Every number got votes, and the ranges were so wild, that I thought it might be more instructive to break out….math.  We’ve run polls after each Disney Star Wars film giving the KT community a chance to offer their rating on each.  I went back into the archives, and instead of percentages, I calculated the weighted average for each film.  Here’s what I found:
Star Wars: The Last Jedi – 6.197
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – 8.614
Star Wars: The Force Awakens – 7.585

My review of Episode VIII was very mixed, but not too far off in score from the community average.  I have spent a month mulling over Episode VIII.  I have to say I feel less charitable toward the film the more I think about the ramifications for the Saga going forward.  Star Wars fans nitpick.  We do.  But The Last Jedi has huge problems just as a film in terms of pacing, and while technically near-perfect, the impact that Rian Johnson’s choices have for the future of the franchise are deeply unsettling, as are the number of inexplicable plot holes that riddle the film.  If I didn’t know Johnson was such a fan, I would think he hadn’t seen a Star Wars film before, because there are things in this film that just are NOT Star Wars.  But it also has brilliant moments.  It’s a maddening film, and-to be honest-I’ve not gone through it as much as I would normally because it’s so frustrating to me.  I don’t know what it’s legacy will be, but in terms of ranking it, I’d only put it ahead of Episode I & II.

The next poll will be our biggest of the year: our SIXTH annual reader’s choice for Best Film of the Year (which has been won the last two years by Star Wars films).

VOTE VOTE VOTE!  If you haven’t already voted, The Last Jedi review poll will remain up until January 5th.  Currently 1/10 is winning followed by 10/10.  Every number from 1-10 except one has been used to rate this film which is polarizing the Star Wars fan base.  Don’t wait, get your vote in before the polls close.

Following this poll will be the Most Anticipated Films of 2018, and the our biggest poll of the year: our SIXTH annual reader’s choice for Best Film of the Year (which has been won the last two years by Star Wars films…though that’s not looking like a solid lock this year).

The Last Jedi is well on its way to the second largest opening weekend in history (behind only The Force Awakens).  For both that film and Rogue One, we ran month-long reader polls so everyone could weigh in with their score on the newest entry in the Star Wars Saga.  My review of Episode VIII was very mixed after one viewing, but Cinemascore is tracking audiences giving the film an “A” rating commensurate with Episode VII and Rogue One.  I’ll be very interested to see your ratings and hear what you thought (without trolling me, please, no one loves Star Wars more than I do and I really could do without a reader revolt) of the film.

Following this poll will be our biggest of the year: our SIXTH annual reader’s choice for Best Film of the Year (which has been won the last two years by Star Wars films).