Great, plain and simple

Rating: 8/10 (21 December 2019)

Let me start off by saying this, I have been quite unimpressed with the direction of the new sequels so far. I found TFA to be dull and uninspired while TLJ was too brash and heavy handed. I must say that for this finale to the saga, JJ hit the perfect balance of everything Star Wars needs. I won't act like the movie wasn't predictable, but that's okay because personally I got everything I could have wanted out of this film. It addresses every question I was left scratching my head over after The Last Jedi and somehow ties the first two movies of the sequel (which seem to contradict each other so greatly) together in a way that makes sense for the story. I was very satisfied with the explanation of Rey's background, and even though I found her a bit hard to root for before, by the end of the film I felt really good about seeing her overcome her past and succeed. Daisy Ridley is absolutely beautiful in this movie, and I found myself very emotionally invested in seeing her close off her journey. Ben Solo' finally gets the treatment he deserves as a character, in a way he got the best possible outcome for a man who had done so much damage in the galaxy. Adam Driver gives a heartrending performance in this movie, I would even go on to call it the best I've seen in a Star Wars movie.
Overall I found this movie both breathtaking and satisfying, and I'm glad I went into it with an open mind rather than looking for things to hate. No it wasn't perfect, at times it felt rushed and almost methodical, and the majority outcomes were very easy to predict. But in my opinion, this film perfectly combines nostalgia and familiarity with interesting new concepts, does a good job of honouring past characters while giving a platform to the new ones.