It's been said before but... Don't believe the negativity, this is a good movie

Rating: 10/10 (20 December 2019)

I'd like to start out by saying that I tend to rate movies a little high, and I understand giving this movie a 7, 8, or 9 but anything less feels like stale leftover hate from episode 8. Throw it out. We got a freshly baked new delicious meal courtesy of JJ Abrams and Episode 9.
Acting is fantastic, you can tell each actor was invested in the character they portrayed. They understood the journeys that their characters were going through in this movie and they showed it to us in every line, action and reaction. The script delivered. I don't believe it's the best script ever written, not every line felt necessary, but nothing stood out as awkward or out of place. One thing that I felt 8 lacked was good literary themes, episode 9 however picks up the slack where 8 fell off. With numerous allusions and call backs to the originals and prequels (which are a bit overwhelming but ultimately satisfying), 9 is able to bring back the themes we loved so much before; family, inner-turmoil/temptation, choosing your path, light verse dark, good vs. evil and the balance between the two. Beyond writing, the visuals are stunning and the action is well paced and entertaining.
I really enjoyed this movie, my hope is that the disdain for episode 8 doesn't lead us to throw away another another star wars film (sorry Solo, you never had a chance). Yes there are a few things I was left wondering about, some of the story felt rushed because the last movie (8) gave us so little new info about anything relevant to a story, so we had to play catch up a little bit but there's nothing wrong with that. It may have costed the movie a perfect score from me, but it did not turn the movie into the monstrosity some "fans" say it did. However, my personal jury is still out on a certain kiss that I don't know what to think about.
As I final request, I ask that fans to not bury this movie because of the pain of 8, rather, enjoy the great film that 9 is and understand that good star wars movies can still be made.
Great movie, would watch again 9/10