Star Wars goes in a completely different direction, but I loved it

Rating: 10/10 (20 December 2017)

So this is my first written review on IMDB, and I have always been someone who scored the odd film but left the comments to others. However the sheer amount of vitriol aimed at this film, its director and Disney has prompted me to add my comments.
Before I get into the review, I watched New Hope at the cinema as a small child, have seen all the films dozens of times and love the series so so much that I do consider myself a die-hard fan.
Star Wars has always been pretty linear and comfortable, and as a fan you always kind of knew where it was headed. Certainly for the prequels, we knew exactly where Palpatine and Anakin were headed, and for a true fan that is quite comforting. Again with Rogue One, we knew the destination and all we wanted to understand was the journey.
The Last Jedi just went in a direction that none of us expected. I am sure many fans like myself expected some big showdown between Snoke and Luke in episode IX, with maybe Kylo turning good at the last moment to save the world, before dying heroically in Rey's arms.
We didnt get this, and what we did get was unexpected, but I loved the fact that Rian Johnson took chances and chose to go against the tried and trusted formula.
Was the film perfect, well no, and there were certain parts that I would have changed. The Finn/Rose mission felt a bit off-key, and maybe one or two of the jokes could have been left out. However there were some stunning scenes in the movie, and I honestly believe the Snoke/Kylo/Rey/Praetorian Guard scenes are up there with the Han Solo carbonite scenes in Empire as the best in the entire series.
The acting in this film, for me, is without doubt the best in the series as well. Mark Hamill and Adam Driver deliver nuanced performances that really show depth of character, rather than the 2d emotional substance that typically is on show in action films.
I love love love Empire, but if I take off the rose-tinted glasses some of the acting in the movie isnt the greatest. It is so hard to be critical of the original series though because it almost like being critical of those childhood memories that you cherish so dearly.
For me, there was so much in this movie that I loved, and as a note it was even better second time around, that I just could not score it lower than a 10.
We do live in a society where being outraged is the standard reaction to something you dont agree with. There are many films that I really despise, that others love, and you know what, that is absolutely fine. It doesnt change my opinion on the film, but i can also accept that different people can have a different emotional reaction to the same film
I, and nearly all of my friends love this film, and maybe, just maybe the silent majority also love this film, which is why the IMDB score isnt the 1 or 2 that a lot of the commenters on here think it should be.
I honestly believe that when we look back in 10 or 20 years, a number of fans who currently hate this film will have come to love it, but we will have to see.
If Star Wars is going to survive for decades to come, as we all hope it does, then we need it to be creative and to take chances, because if it becomes too formulaic then it will become niche, and that is the death knell that will see it peter out into something insignificant.
By all means have an opinion, and disagree as you see fit, but let's not have the kind of online abuse that we have seen these past few days. After all, we all know where hate leads dont we.