*SPOILER ALERT--Do no read unless you've seen "The Last Jedi"*

I am a gigantic, unashamed, Star Wars fan. My room has memorabilia lining bookshelves, I own all of the movies on Blu-ray and watch them regularly. I was first turned on to the trilogy when my father purchased the remastered VHS set in the late 90's. They were so appealing to me for the same reasons that they appeal to most; it's the story of an amazing adventure that takes a group of steadfast heroes across the galaxy to fight evil. What's not to love? You found heroes to believe in, that you knew no matter what, they would fight for what was right no matter the cost. The stakes were always high, and you always knew what they were. Storm Troopers = bad. Jedi = good. Simple, and to the point.

Fast forward to "The Force Awakens," and those foundations begin to crack a little bit. We find that a Storm trooper has a conscience, and defects. We find that Luke Skywalker, the hero to end all heroes, has vanished when needed most and has failed his star pupil to the point that he is now the republic's main adversary. Things began to get a little gray, but you still had the familiar Star Wars tropes. The mysterious lineage behind the main protagonists, the sacrifice, the belief in the cause no matter the cost. Then came "The Last Jedi"...and everything changed. And as a lifelong Star Wars fan, I can't recall a time I have been more excited.

The moment I finished watching TLJ, I knew how polarizing of a movie it would be among the Star Wars faithful. The reason is simple: that black and white, good vs. evil dynamic that has been the backbone of the previous 6 movies has dissolved significantly, and that may anger fans of the originals. Suddenly Star Wars is telling real, human, stories.

Perception is paramount in the movie, with no greater example than the recollection of a traumatic event through the eyes of two main characters. Luke first tells Rey that Kylo had attempted to kill the Jedi Master by collapsing his hut on him and destroying his Jedi Temple. This lines up with everything that we would expect from our big bad in a Star Wars story, pure evil.

But then, we hear Kylo's side of the events. Luke sensed the growing power in Kylo and attempted to murder him, feeling he had to stop the problem before it manifested. Kylo catches Luke over his bed, lightsaber drawn, and attempts to defend himself, destroying the hut in the process. The betrayal is what sends Kylo down the path to the dark side. The revelation is as shocking as they come in Star Wars. Upon being confronted with the information, we find that the truth more than likely lies in the middle. Luke did consider murdering his apprentice in a fleeting moment, before immediately feeling shame. But before he could lower his saber, Kylo had spotted him.

The idea that perception can have such major implications is not a new one in terms of the real world, but it is uncharted territory in Star Wars. It makes are characters flawed, and thus more human. They are no longer the pillars of all that is good. They are people capable of making mistakes, of being products of the events of their lives. They aren't inherently evil or good, they are on a path due to things that have happened.

Another brave way TLJ branches off from the Star Wars norm is when it comes to the reveal of Rey's parents. In Star Wars movies past, family has played a major role. Finding out that a character was related to another one immediately gave them their place in the story. Again, simple. One of my favorite moments in the movie is when Kylo finally makes Rey see the truth: that her parent's were nobody of importance. They were drunks that sold her for drinking money and were buried in a mass grave with no importance of any kind.

In that scene Kylo/Ben Solo says "You are nobody, you have no place in our story." That line was so poignant and important and I suspect that Rian Johnson included it to really drive home what makes this Star Wars movie so different. Rey isn't a Solo, a Skywalker, a Palpatine. She is a everyday, regular citizen of the galaxy who the force has happened to bestow great power to. She is a wild card, she is fresh and new and inelegant and self made. The point further is driving home in the last scene of the movie where we see a little boy force-grab a broom and look to the stars, dreaming of adventure. It makes you remember that all those years ago, Luke Skywalker was a nobody, he was a random kid, on a random rock, dreaming of adventure. It is such a beautiful sentiment.

Star Wars has always been about Good vs. Evil, but with the latest entry really diving into the human condition and the flaws and imperfections that shape us, they are going places with these stories that have never been touched on before. The idea of heroes not being heroes because of who there parent's were or weren't, but because of the strength of their own character is so refreshing as well.

"The Last Jedi" is very much 2017's Star Wars movie. In a world of FAKE NEWS, perception is everything. Who we are and what we believe in is so often dictated by the events that happen to us and how we perceive them. It's about time our heroes and villains are as well.