An enjoyable 'hot mess' from start to finish

Rating: 9/10 (20 December 2019)

There's no question this movie will divide fans. That rift carries over from The Last Jedi which threw out much of the lore behind the characters and universe, as well as many of the plot threads of The Force Awakens.
To move on from that, this movie has to be a band-aid, as well as its own film. And it has to do it in just over 2 hours. In the first 5 minutes of Skywalker you will be expected to swallow substantial story elements which contradict or rewrite The Last Jedi. If you can do so, you are in for a fun movie.
Skywalker is not without flaws. There are moments that don't make much sense, but they are scattered. It moves quickly, sometimes almost abrasively, through the plot - but it does so because this is really 2 movies in one. And it feels 'over the top' at times, trying to check off the boxes it wants to tick.
But it succeeds. After Last Jedi, I found my interest and love in Star Wars diminished. I was not excited for Skywalker, or many of the Star Wars offerings. It felt like a joy for this universe and these characters had been snuffed out by how its lineage was handled in Last Jedi, how the characters and world were treated.
Leaving Skywalker I am excited for Star Wars again. I am excited for all the movies I have watched, and all the ones that will be to come. I am excited about being a Star Wars fan again.
Skywalker is an olive branch to fans. If you want to give them a chance to bring you back to the series, this movie will do it. For all its flaw, it is an appropriate end to three trilogies, and it fits easily into the Star Wars legacy.