Amazed by the negativity

Rating: 9/10 (15 December 2017)

I walked out of this movie with six friends at 3 am, and all of us were WIRED from adrenaline and amazement. And then I checked IMDB and saw nothing but angry fans, proving that there really is no pleasing organized fandom. Everyone complained mightily at how unoriginal and "safe" The Force Awakens was, and then a movie comes along with an actual point of view, with incredible style unlike anything that has come before it in the series, that is daring, fresh, and original...and now it's just too different for everyone.
Though some of the complaints are fair (namely that one major subplot turns out to be largely a digression), this was so surprising and thoughtful and fresh that it frankly makes The Force Awakens better by recontextualizing it. This movie has something to say if people will take a moment to listen to it rather than getting pissy that it wasn't what they were expecting.