A terrific addition to the series

Rating: 9/10 (24 December 2017)

SPOILERS
Perhaps not the best Star Wars, but certainly the most morally and emotionally thought-provoking.
I left the theater wondering which direction characters were headed in, both logistically and emotionally. Earlier, and thanks to originality, probably better films in the franchise hinted at moral complexity. Darth Vader wound up second-guessing a lifetime of work in what was an excellent ending to the original trilogy. Anakin Skywalker fumbled around for three movies, loudly hinting at turning dark.
This time around, the moral complexity reaches levels typically reserved for art house pictures. Where does everyone fall in the good-evil meter? Through six movies, it was always pretty obvious. This time around, I'm genuinely interested to see what happens to the souls of the characters.
From an action standpoint, this one stands with the best in the series. The limited lightsaber battles were visually poetic and the space warfare was thoughtfully produced. I left with the feeling that Rian Johnson was the most talented director the series had seen.
But he wasn't without his faults. John Boyega's Finn was given a sideplot that, aside from introducing some galactic social commentary, was a wasted 15 minutes. There were some jokes that winked a bit hard at the camera and I felt insulted by the final scene in the movie.
But I was also touched emotionally more by this than by any other film in the canon. Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver are absolutely captivating. Driver's Kylo Ren will never be a better baddie than Darth Vader, but he is a more compelling villain than Vader in a way I might say something similar about Travis Bickle.
And while this movie moved in exciting new directions, Like Skywalker is still my favorite character in this universe. He's human, but when pushed, is a hero above all heroes.
Heading into Episode IX, I'm as excited as I've been for a sequel in my life, and that's all I can really ask for.