I think the displeasure with TLJ goes beyond people not liking it because it’s the “dark middle chapter”. I’m sure audiences expected it to be just that. For all of the things that The Last Jedi does brilliantly (and there are several), the sad truth is that it’s not written half as well as Empire.

Empire’s script and story are simple and tight, with snappy dialogue that doesn’t feel forced and as few characters as are necessary to drive the story. The Last Jedi feels bloated by comparison with one-too-many story lines, humor that falls flat and too many unnecessary new characters that are given far too much screen time.

I love many facets of The Last Jedi, but some scenes just make me groan. I really don’t see it gaining the same level of appreciation over time as Empire did.