As someone who doesn't normally like Star Wars movies: this is the best one

Rating: 8/10 (21 February 2019)

Visually speaking, you're not going to get a bad looking Star Wars movie these days (unless it's that acrimonious fan remake, of course). It's just not going to happen. That said, of the three new ones I've seen (haven't watched Solo yet), this has to be the most impressive in that department, with some incredible locales. Especially the spot where the final battle takes place, which is just stunning. The action sequences are once again top-notch, with the typically exhilarating dogfights being typically exhilarating. The music is also expectedly superb, though it does again cloak itself in nostalgia with not as much additions as I'd hope. It's well acted enough, with Driver and Hamill knocking it out of the park especially.
While the narrative has its problems, there is considerable improvement over The Force Awakens and it is miles above the embarrassing drek that is Rogue One, thanks to the film being less obsessed with licking the original trilogy's balls. It actually does its own thing, and its own thing is pretty damn good by my estimate. The conflicts we see with Rey are far better than the predecessor too, with more fleshing out. She has some cool character flaws, and even though you can easily guess which way she's going to go, between dark and light--it does an all too admirable job of attempting to convince you that, yes, she may honestly go down the wrong one. Finn and Poe are also improved, and I enjoy how they didn't go down the done to death path of having Finn wind up with Rey because male and female leads can never have platonic relationships. Kylo is once again a great antagonist, BB-8 is adorable, and the additions to the cast like Rose Tico are appreciated. Boring characters with no point like Phasma (who may be better in her solo material, but is just woefully superfluous in these films) are helpfully sidelined. The comedy is enjoyable, no problem there.
This is not to say that The Last Jedi is a flawless or exceptional film. There are a few scenes which don't really pass the smell test, like an infamous one involving Leia. I know some people defend it, and I understand why--I just can't honestly say that I didn't laugh my ass off at its execution (no disrespect to Fisher). Luckily, that is one of the few prototypically pretentious scenes which usually would plague a Star Wars film, but it is a tad disappointing that a film that largely disspells the cultish self-obsession with its lore still engages in such nonsense at all. The pacing is questionable, with the first 30 or so minutes being pretty below par. Once it does pick up though, it doesn't really dip after that.
The Last Jedi is an enjoyable romp and may be just the Star Wars film to convert other skeptics like me. That said, Episode IX is back in the hands of JJ Abrams, so don't be surprised if it's back to using the same old mystery box prop that Johnson had to scorch Earth on in this one. I do think it does enough to where it meets a happy middle where some fans and some heretics will be entertained it, but of course not all will enjoy it and not everyone who loathes it is necessarily being unreasonable. I know the zealots will hate me for saying it, but I'm not going to say this to be contrarian. The Last Jedi is the best SW movie I've watched and it gets an 8.5/10.
Great
Summary:
Fixing most of the problems I have with Star Wars, TLJ is an enjoyable watch that is made to appeal to not all unbelievers or evangelists but might be the one that changes your mind if you're like me.