This movie is going to please and anger fans...

Rating: 9/10 (14 December 2017)

'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' is a very difficult movie to talk about... not just because of worrying about giving away spoilers (which I will NOT DO), but mostly about what is so good about the movie, and what isn't. Having seen it twice now, and properly digesting it, it is a great movie. Personally, I feel that 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' (2015) was slightly better simply because the pacing was faster, and the story was minimal, though simple and straightforward.
This movie, as you would know, takes place literally straight after where TFA left off. Rey meets Luke Skywalker and is ready to take some training into the larger world of the Jedi and how to use the Force. Gone are the days of Rey being a desert scavenger, and she is ready for whatever battle lies ahead, particularly with the menacing Kylo Ren.
The Resistance base, led by General Leia, is planning to get back to safety, but not long until the First Order plan revenge since the destruction of Starkiller Base.
Now, I know what you're thinking. "Hey! I knew it! This is EXACTLY like THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK!!! WAAHH! NO MORE ORIGINALITY!!!", No... while everything I explained sounds like it is a repeat of TESB, it actually is not. Rian Johnson does what he can to give this movie as much originality as possible. And that's where the "dividing fans" thing comes in.
As we all know, not only is 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' guilty of "ripping off" 'Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope' (1977), but the franchise overall has a tendency to repeat itself, as George Lucas did - at one point - compare the franchise to a poem... and how it sometimes rhymes at the end of each sentence.
Director Rian Johnson lives up to his promise of not inserting too much familiar material, whether that's with narrative, or with aesthetics. He does take more risks with this chapter, more so than J.J. Abrams did back in 2015. This movie looks nothing like any other 'Star Wars' film... but there is one problem I had.
Without spoiling too much, let's just say there is a scene where two characters have to travel to a planet to find something, and when they get to that planet, it feels like an entirely different movie overall (maybe this was Rian Johnson's intention). Plus, this planet was too much like Earth... but what it could look like 50 years from now. I felt that this scene didn't need to be in the movie, and at times, brought the pacing to a certain slow-down.
Luckily, everything else in this movie was great. Rian Johnson throws so much at you, and there are so many plot-twists, you will find yourself exhausted, and emotionally overwhelmed. Plus, Johnson obviously has a unique vision that no other director would have. He knows how he wants to tell a story, and he knows how he sees these characters, so much to the point where Mark Hamill said he "disagrees" with Johnson's vision... take that as you will.
I loved J.J. Abrams' 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens', and I really enjoyed Rian Johnson's 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi'. Hopefully, we'll see where the characters' fate lies in "Episode IX". For now, watch the movie, but don't let my high score dictate your views... this is just my thoughts, and not me telling you what you should think.