Best Star Wars movie since Empire!

Rating: 9/10 (21 December 2019)

Spoilers ahead -
Let's start at the end. How do you put a final bookend on a IX volume series written over the course of 40 plus years? You have to end where you started, in this case, Tatooine. We met Luke and Anakin on Tattooine and this is where we say goodbye to Rey, but also Luke, Leia, and all of our old friends as the the book closes at the end of the final chapter of the most epic saga ever told on the big screen. I couldn't have loved this ending any more. It just felt right.
The other 140 or so mintues of the film did their best to give callbacks to characters and lines that we had to experience one more time. If you felt it was patronizing, you missed the point. We also saw new force abilities revealed, just like we first saw lightning from the fingers of the Emperor in VI. The healing from Rey was new as her power grew and in the end, it brought balance to the Force. The prophecy from Episode I was finally fulfilled.
Interestingly, the 9 Episode story arc is really now the story of Palpatine and the Sith's long game to rule the galaxy. He along with Chewbaccca, R2 and C-3PO are the constants that anchor the story as we move from Anakin's story, to Luke's and finally to Rey's tale.
The pacing of XI was great and seemed shorter than it was. The best thing about this movie was the score. John Williams bought back every feeling and emotion from A New Hope and hit the magical melodic lines at exactly the right moments. We got the full Jedi fanfare just when it was needed.
Were there some silly creatures and bad jokes? Yes, exactly the right amount to be in line with Episodes IV-VI. Vader dropped some pretty corny dad oneliners in his day.
This film was Star Wars through and through and Abrams delivered where Johnson came up short in Episode VIII. Fans, if it is closure you're looking for, then you will be satisfied.
Thank you to Lucas for sharing his Galaxy far, far away with us.