Enjoyable, fast-paced, good mix between drama and action

Rating: 8/10 (22 December 2019)

I have to admit, I was put off by the multitude of negative reviews. I thoroughly enjoy the Star Wars digital universe - I've seen the movies and the animated series, I've played the Jedi Outcast and KOTOR series, The Force Unleashed, the first Battlefront title and recently - Fallen Order.
I had mixed feeling when Disney took over and "re-wrote" the canon but I was never greatly attached to it. Having that mix of involvement in the saga but some healthy distance when it comes to a dogmatic reading of what the force is and what force ghost can do, I had great fun in the cinema tonight.
Episode IX adds sufficient twists and original content on top of the references to the original trilogy and some voice cameos from the prequels to help it stand on its own. I disagree with the statement that the actors lack chemistry - both the lightsaber-wielding duo Ben-Ray and their friends connected on many occasions on the screen. At no point did the emotions feel forced or cheesy like with the Rose-Fin "romance" of Episode VIII. The threat was believable, the allure of the Dark Side as real as in Revenge of the Sith. On more than one occasion I hoped for Ray to give in and give us a true twist. All the same, the price that the heroes pay does not appear trivial at any moment and the battle for the galaxy's freedom is costly, albeit at the cost of mostly secondary characters.
The score was yet again a highlight for me. I've been listening to the original Binary Sunset all evening :)
The 2h+ I spent at the cinema were worth it and the saga came to its second end...hopefully for good this time. And no, it's not canon, and yes there are lose ends but that goes for every of the 8 movies before it.