Different, but welcomed.

Rating: 8/10 (16 December 2017)

I give full credit for the Telegraph's review of this film when I paraphrase them here: this is more Star Wars as you never felt it, than Star Wars as you've never seen it before. The film feels different to the rest of the Saga, largely in a good way. It does a far better job of developing the characters than The Force Awakens. There are some terrific scenes between the central characters. I will admit, however, like Ep7 the film does not do enough to develop all the characters. Phasma is again completely under-utilised, and now supposedly gone forever. Laura Dern's character also deserved more development. A waste, in my opinion, of a fantastic actress, despite her heroic, epic demise.
Plot-wise, this 'long arc' focus does, in my opinion, draw attention away from an immediate plot line. The film feels somewhat empty at times; quiet. The Saga is meant to display that the Empire/First Order and Rebellion/Resistance is all that matters in the Galaxy, but this films makes it feel like no one out there cares anymore, and I didn't like that. It makes the whole conflict/war feel a bit pathetic and civil rather than intergalactic, adding a new layer of complexity to the Galaxy's politics that frankly wasn't very comfortable to accept.
Overall: a good film, with some of the Saga's best battle sequences. The film asks and deserves to be thought about before concluded upon. Encourages you to think and attempts to step outside the Saga's style/existing rhythm to benefit of what comes next. Overall quality character development, same good dialogue as before, and persistly good acting by the central cast.