The difficulty in making a Star Wars Movie

Rating: 9/10 (27 December 2017)

The difficulty in making a Star Wars Movie is trying balance doing something new with giving fans what they expect. As I read other user reviews, it seems that they're mostly angry that the movie didn't do what they wanted it to do. They went in with such pre-defined expectations that they missed how well this movie was written.
There are so many complaints about Luke's behavior in this film. He was such a hero in the original, it's said that he would never give up. They seem to forget how reluctantly Obi Wan was brought back to fight in the original, how he fought Vader as a diversion to aid in escape from a trap and ultimately how he disappeared after that fight before Vader could actually kill him. Luke's life parallels Obi Wan's in so many ways. Thinking he could train the next generation, losing his prize student to the dark side, surrendering to despair, coming back for one last heroic deed. In fact, that's one thing I love about these last two films: history repeats itself with parallels in each generation.
I also appreciated that the attempts at rescue in the sub-plots were not successful. Viewers often complain that victory is too predictable. It was not in this case. One thing that made this movie enjoyable was it took unpredictable turns.
After seeing Empire Strikes Back in the theaters when it first came out, my friends and I all hotly debated whether or not Vader was lying when he told Luke he was his father. It was so unbelievable compared to everything we thought we knew about Luke. There was no internet to serve as an echo chamber for the debates in those days. I really wonder if Empire would have been universally panned by fans if it were. I thoroughly expect that we are not finished with Rey's backstory and Ren's manipulation of her. Time will tell.
My only complaint about this movie - and the reason for nine out of ten stars - is that for me many of the fight scenes dragged on too long. I feel this way about many recent movies: Thor, Guardians II, Batman Vs Superman, etc. I'm bored by the relentless fighting, let's see who wins and get on with the story.
I thoroughly enjoyed this movies as did my family members who saw it with me. It's entertaining and engaging, occasionally lighthearted and fun. Highly recommended!