Spoiler free short review

Rating: 9/10 (18 December 2017)

I can make this very easy for people thinking of watching this film...
People wanting to see this film will probably fall roughly in to two groups; there are those who probably love the original trilogy (but not necessarily the updated special addition alterations), dislike the prequels, enjoyed The Force Awakens, generally love films and TV and are excited to see this next installment.
And then there is the other group, the people who have an altogether unhealthy obsession with all things Star Wars, who collect the toys and merchandise, watch the spin-off animations and read all the published books, learn the Star Wars universe-law, know the backstory of every character and the complete names of all the ships and the droids, and probably their backstories too.
The first group of people are likely the kind of people who understand and accept that it's the decision of the writer / director, and his creative team of filmmakers, as to which direction the film's plot takes, and the way the individual characters stories develop at this point in the story. People who like surprises and don't mind where the story necessarily goes, just as long as it's delivered in a way that is largely cohesive and enjoyable to watch as a piece of filmmaking. These people will likely enjoy the film and score it anywhere around a 7 to a 10 out of 10.
The second group, who have probably spent the past two years theorising what's going to happen to the characters, all the possible plot twists and outcomes, and have already pre-selected the versions they'd like, will probably score it anywhere between 1 to 4 out of 10, and probably likely throw in a claim about how Disney has ruined not only Star Wars, but also the entire film industry and possibly life on earth itself as well.
I fall in to the first category and have therefore scored it 9 out of 10. I think Rian Johnson has done a fantastic job in creating a story that surprised and delighted me. And considering the pressure he was under (after such a sucessful first film from JJ Abrams) I think he's done incredibly well to equal JJ's achievments. Throughout the film I felt excitement, tension, emotional highs and lows, and ultimately sheer joy. I felt like a child again, a feeling I haven't had since The Force Awakens, and prior to that probably all the way back to the original trilogy, along with some other 80's classics, such as the original Superman.
I enjoyed being surprised by the plot twists and character arcs that I wasn't expecting. I liked the new characters and felt emotional seeing Carrie Fisher for the last time as the iconic Princess Leia.
I can't wait to see what JJ Abrams and Co. will do for the final act of this topsy turvy saga that has captured the imaginations of people all over the world for over 40 years. Long live Star Wars! :-)