Demographic crowdpleaser? Yes, but still very enjoyable, and very Star Wars!

Rating: 8/10 (24 December 2019)

As a long time fan of the original trilogy, I hated the prequels. They had no story whatsoever and the characters weren't likeable at all. When The Force Awakens came out, I was reasonably satisfied because at least it wasn't as bad as the prequels. The Last Jedi however was a messy piece of feces. So I went into the theatre with mixed feelings. Will I like this last episode?
The answer is YES! Even though the critics were right to call it a demographic crowdpleaser (something JJ Abrams is good at), the movie is very enjoyable! It has a well-written storyline and the characters from episodes 7 and 8 felt like they finally came alive. Some familiar faces made the joy complete. This is Star Wars, folks! This is a very acceptable ending to the sequels. The story deals with the questions that the new generation has, that the "old" generation never needed to ask. The characters show their weaknesses, and the older generation offers answers in a great way. I had not expected this from Abrams, so this was a pleasant surprise.
One thing I didn't like was the casting choice for Chebacca. He looks like a big bear, instead of the tall, slender wookie that he has always been. They could have at least found someone that has the same height and posture as Mayhew...
On the plus side, Daisy Ridley finally gets to shine this time. In TLJ she looked like she was just messing around, and this time she's finally the powerful Jedi that Luke has trained her to be. Very cool!
If you are a not so critical Star Wars fan, you will enjoy this movie. I promise you that!