A lot better than other people are saying.

Rating: 9/10 (13 March 2020)

After seeing The Rise of Skywalker, I've decided to review the sequel trilogy, starting with this film, which had gotten a lot of flak for being a rip-off of the Original Trilogy.
But here's the crazy bit. I didn't mind it at all and still thought the movie was still great to this day.
PROS: I honestly loved the way Rey was set up here. Unlike Luke, Rey grew up alone despite being on a desert planet. She also had to fend for herself, she's an underdog, and she's an active protatonist. As such, I legitimately cared for her as a character.
However, the standout is definitely Adam Driver, who is unpredictable, violent, and conflicted, which is the opposite of Darth Vader. The other characters are great as well, including Poe Dameron and Finn. And Luke's appearance in the end was still nice to see.
The story, despite being nearly the same as A New Hope, I didn't mind as much and thought it was good for what it was, which was to reintroduce us to Star Wars after 10 Years.
The Effects are REALLY PHOTO-REALISTIC here and the Camerawork is some of the best camerawork I've seen in a Star Wars film (barring Rogue One).
CONS: The only ones I can think off is Finn being knocked out from the final fight really quickly, the fact that Rey knew how to fly the Falcon really easily, and that's it.
Overall, the film is still just as good as I first saw it, despite some problems.
9/10