Restored my faith: great closure paving the way to new beginnings

Rating: 9/10 (22 December 2019)

This is intended to be a spoiler free review:
LOVED this final installment (although I actually liked Rogue One and Solo better). I went in with low hopes because I really disliked Force Awakens and Last Jedi. For me, this movie redeemed the other two and restored my faith in Disney handling the content.
Are there things I can nit pick on film craft? Absolutely. Are all character motivations fully fleshed out? Nope. Were there moments that felt like an apology over intended story telling. Yea. If I gave my "honest" critical review, this would be a 6 star movie.
But it FEELS like a 9 star. It took me back to when I was 5 watching the original trilogy, while still summoning new and exciting ideas in the Star Wars universe. It paid homage to the Expanded Universe without making us feel it was stealing from it. It gave closure to really important questions (albeit rushed), and set the stage for all the exciting Star Wars content to come.
I also give it 9 stars to combat the 1-star reviews. I will admit, I was ready to HATE this film. Yet after seeing it, I can only conclude that the 1-star reviews come from folks looking to blow up every flaw and deny the joy that came from the amazing visuals, a rousing adventure, and necessary homage to fans who have been invested in this story for decades.
Go see it. Decide for yourself. May the force ever serve you ❤