An excellent "Star Wars movie" caught in the middle

Rating: 10/10 (28 December 2019)

On one side, we have the "Fandom Menace" haters, who hate almost anything from the Disney Star Wars era. "The Last Jedi" is their mortal enemy, which is partially understandable. Last Jedi was a very good movie, but not a great Star Wars movie. It felt like Johnson was embarrassed by the franchise's history. BUT you can't let one film ruin your appreciation for the others. Move on!
On the other side, we have the Last Jedi RIDE OR DIE fanatics, who literally think it was the best Star Wars film EVER. Even better than Empire. They claim they have the critics on their side, people like that dude from Forbes. They HATE Rise of Skywalker because it refutes some of the core tenets of Last Jedi. Per them: Last Jedi was progressive and TROS is regressive "fan service." I didn't know referencing characters from other films is fan service, but you do you, I guess. And if we're talking fan service, Endgame anyone?
IGNORE BOTH OF THESE FREAK FRINGE EXTREMISTS. Stop allowing them to control the social media landscape. Real Star Wars fans, removed from all of the political nonsense, actually like this movie. Anyone claiming that people were laughing in the theater when Kylo died are lying through their teeth. It is not a perfect film, but it is a great Star Wars movie. My only real issue with it is the pacing; the movie could have been about thirty minutes longer. Perhaps Lucasfilm will release an expanded edition for the home market. But either way, this thing is exciting, entertaining, emotional, and filled with fun twists. Plus: it's John Williams' best score for the new trilogy. But if you can't put aside your prejudices, stick to your angry online videos and bloggers telling you what to think. This movie wasn't made for you.