Are we all watching the same movie?

Rating: 8/10 (16 December 2017)

First off, I am a HUGE Star Wars Fan (almost as big as they come). For what it is worth, I am also a pretty tough rater on IMDb. And I LIKED this movie!
I'll admit, it has a side plot that I thought was entirely unnecessary (arguable even stupid), a plot hole big enough to fly a Star Destroyer through, a few missed opportunities, and a couple of decisions by Rian that are entirely inexplicable (and as a fan of the Star Wars lore made me mad). BUT, I enjoyed it - A LOT. (As did the other 4 Star Wars "nerds" I went with, AND all the Star Wars nerds I have spoken to since!)
The Rey - Kylo interactions are wonderful. Luke and Rey's relationship feels natural. It had some humorous bits which were wonderful for the younger audience (remember this was never really supposed to be a series just for adults, so we brought 2 kids to the theater). It was dark and really depressing at parts, and I think appropriately so: The Last Jedi is after all a nod to The Empire Strikes Back. I thought the added depth to the Force was really interesting (Can you name a movie franchise that does not have "power creep"?). The movie might feel different from the other movies, but if you watch the TV show Star Wars: Rebels, you know it fits right in to the new Star Wars Canon. The lightsaber duel on Snoke's ship had us cheering out loud. There are nostalgic nods to the original trilogy, which never felt forced. And the ending...the ending was fantastic! I LOVED the ending.
Is it perfect? Far from it! I liked all of the Original Trilogy and The Force Awakens better. But it feels like a natural next step for the Franchise. Now that Disney is making a new movie every year (which I am torn about), the audience will lose interest very quickly if they don't let the series evolve.
And just to make it official, THERE IS JUST NO WAY that The Phantom Menace and The Attack of the Clones are superior movies.... just saying'