Putting my hat in the race.

Rating: 8/10 (16 November 2018)

I think your enjoyment of Star Wars: The Last Jedi will largely come down to your willingness to put your trust in writer-director Rian Johnson. This is a film that definitely uses the Star Wars brand to tell a new story, and as such, it tests the characters we love unforgivably. Some story decisions, like where certain characters end up, will spark endless discussion on whether they actually work or not, while others like Rey's parentage are handled perfectly. In both style and storytelling and even editing, Rian Johnson clearly has not been afraid of putting his own creative fingerprints on the saga loud and proud, even if it will rub certain fans the wrong way.
Those who were worried about the film just being a retread of Empire can rest easy. Not only does the film wisely avoid visual similarities with the past entry(with the exception of the ATAT walkers and Jedi training, both of which are done very well), but it also deals with entirely new themes like grief and acceptance, the powers and dangers of turning your back on the past, and the importance of hope. I was constantly in the dark about where the story would go, and during times where I thought I knew where the film was going, it turned around suddenly and surprised me. Even when I was initially unsure of the direction the film was going in, I still always had one foot in Johnson's vision.
On the action and entertainment side, it's solid. The cast is still fantastic, new members like Kelly Marie Tran and Laura Dern do great jobs, the space dog fights still haven't lost their impact quite yet, and the script is really funny too. On top of it all, the climatic scene is a classic example of how do a scene that's action-packed, emotional, and beautiful to look at at the same time. I do wish that there was more focus on some of my favorite supporting characters from the previous film. I'm not sure if this is necessarily a detriment of the movie, as the movie never loses sight of it's main story and themes, but it did disappoint me. Lupita Nyong'o gives as fantastic a performance as she did her last outing, but she's only in one woefully short scene near the beginning. I also have mixed feelings about where certain characters end up, but that's spoiler talk that I don't want to get into right now.
I'd argue that Last Jedi gets across its message of the importance of hope better than Rogue One did. Part of that is almost certainly because the stakes are higher in this entry because we know who these characters are and want them out of danger. The ominous threat of death, sacrifice, and truth is constantly over our heads. But it also works because it takes time to acknowledge the true power of persistence and remembrance, showing that it really is where true strength comes from. It's this mixing of thrills and dimensions that make you glad this franchise is back, even if it's not perfect.
All this makes for a one of a kind Star Wars experience.
On one last note, Carrie Fisher is fantastic in this. Her death may almost certainly be a factor here, but it really is a great performance. For how sarcastic and self-deprecating she was in interviews, she took her work in these movies 100% seriously, and they always remained an important part of her life. We'll always be incredibly grateful for her for this. May the force be with you Carrie. Always.