A great sequel that does a great job at both borrowing from the previous movies and bringing something new

Rating: 10/10 (14 December 2017)

I understand many people who were disappointed after watching Episode VIII. There were some wtf moments, like Leia not dying in an open space and using the Force to drag herself back to the ship. Snoke is completely wasted as a character. However, it was a great and surprising plot twist that made possible for every major character to die. The plot and small romance thing between Fin and that girl is just not satisfying. Also, some moments were a little bit childish, but they had to do it to approach greater audiences.
But putting all these things aside, the movie overall is gorgeous. First, it is visually stunning - the space battles, action sequences and, especially, the scene where Ray and Kylo fight Snoke's guards together. It was a great shot. Second, all characters perform really strong. They all have their own drama and reasons to be who they are. The conflict within each major character is strong and compelling. Both the new and old heroes are at their best.
Third, I really liked how they touched on political aspects in this movie (Even though, many people hated it). The main theme is about the balance. There is no clear line between good and evil, especially when it comes to war. The light and the dark cannot exist without each other. The movie is filled with making hard choices and dealing with consequences. Also, I personally enjoyed the moment where Fin is shown that people made profit on war by selling weapons to both parties and not only the First Order. It is really close to what happens in the real world.
Forth, Yoda's cameo and their dialog with Luke was a surprising and heartwarming moment. This movie does not simply go around the established truths of the Star Wars franchise, it tries to challenge them instead. Everybody remains just human after all. JJ Abrams will have a really tough job at concluding the trilogy properly.
This is a must watch and a really enjoyable ride, if you decide to close your eyes on some small issues.