Balance between Light and Dark

Rating: 8/10 (20 December 2019)

As a very avid fan of the expanded Star Wars universe, I came into this movie bracing myself for another bad movie like TLJ.
I was happily surprised. It's not perfect, but that's an unfair expectation. It's fast paced but not chaotic. It's dark at times and effectively light at others. The chemistry between characters is believable, and it really encourages you to invest in their development...and I will admit I was emotional in several scenes.
Star Wars has always been about balance. If we understand that this trilogy moves beyond Anakin's rise, fall, and redemption, and his bringing balance to the Force, then i suppose we can accept this trilogy as a story about balance between and within the two most powerful Force-sensitive families in the Galaxy...and what finally becomes of their fate.
In that light, this movie delivers in spades. Its treatment of TLJ will be met with ferociousness from people who really don't understand the Star Wars universe. My response is a grateful nod to JJ Abrams for creating something new and fresh while respecting tradition, and for realizing that in this, there is balance, too.
Thank you for this.