Star Wars has evolved - some fans haven't

Rating: 10/10 (16 December 2017)

I didn't really like Star Wars when I was an 11 year old kid when it came out. I thought Close Encounters was better. But over time I have become an enthusiast for the whole saga - including the prequels.
Anyway, the negative views posted on here don't reflect the overall score from 70,000+ IMDB members. I have seen TLJ 3 times now and each time it gets better. And in each of those 3 viewings everybody in the theatre had the same reactions of laughter at the funny parts and absolute shock at the shocking bits.
What Rian has done is move things froward with Star Wars. I know that most diehard fans want to see films that stick to the rigid rules of good and bad, the light side and the dark side, the resistance/rebellion against the First Order/Empire but that would be just repeating what we have seen before.
I suppose some of these fans cannot believe that Luke has shunned all that he did before. Well, he is an old man now and has gone through a lot of stuff and his view of the galaxy has changed. Just as mine has changed in the last 40 years. If I want to see a Star Wars movie that beats back to nostalgia I'll watch a New Hope Again. You can't expect them to keep on making the same movies every time.
Anyway, the TLJ takes risks and they work. Luke and his new outlook on life. Leia using the force to save herself, Luke's force projection, the further exploration about who can use the force, Reys parents,etc. JJ Abrahams is going to have his work cut out for him for episode IX as his Force Awakens was very familiar and an homage to the original trilogy which wasn't a bad thing. Now JJ has some thinking to do - I hope he doesn't introduce another StarKiller base!
Anyway, I love the humour, the action set pieces, the shocking revelations, the return of Yoda, DJ, Rose, Admiral Holdo, Porgs, Crystal Critters, Gareth Edwards cameo, Rey, Finn, Luke and Leia. There is nothing that I did not like in this film but I am now 51 and not 11. I am an old man and Star Wars has finally caught up with me. Is the TLJ supposed to be a kids film - It was right for my age and aging outlook on life.