The Force is strong with this one

Rating: 10/10 (28 December 2017)

Yet I am not sure how consistent my review will be, but please give me a shot.
I must confess that this movie took me with an unexpected force, a power that I did not think was even possible. As someone who loves the Original Trilogy and the path The Force Awakens took, I had been more then sceptical at the idea that again a new director should take hand of this story, but this movie proved all my fears to be wrong. The more I was surprised at the backlash, but later to that.
The movie continues exactly from the moment TFA stopped. The First Order has tracked down the hideout of the Resistance who now has to escape, but apparently the First Order found a way to track through light-speed which makes escape impossible. While General Leia Organa gets knocked out for a while, danger seeking pilot Poe sends the now awake Finn with the mechanic Rose on an secret mission to find a code-breaker who will be able to deactivate the enemies tracker. At the same time Rey stands in front the task to not only confront the legendary Jedi Master Luke Skywalker with what is happening in his absents, but also confronting herself with truths she has to face in order to find her way.
First and fore most I have to say that this is a visually gorgeous looking movie, a feast for the eyes. The fight scenes were amazing, the score breath-taking and the sound design unbelievable. It should also be noted that all the actors do a marvellous job, they give a performance that makes them as real and honest as even possible. I was glad we see more of Poe and how they handled his character, it was good to put Finn on a quest and keep his character stable, it was great to add Rose to the troop which adds to a wider feel of this universe. Daisy Ridley´s performance as Rey made me feel for her character even more, Mark Hamill gave his best performance so far playing an old, bitter and tiered Luke Skywalker, and Adam Driver as Kylo Ren makes your blood run cold. And at last, Carrie Fisher was able to shine one last time like never before.
This is one of the rare examples for a movie where it is most important to know as little as possible about the plot in order for it to impress you with its full force. I did not know what to expect, in fact, I was ready for the worst. How can a new director continue something that finally felt again like Star Wars? The possibilities for failure were countless. What I did not bring into the theatre I had with me while leaving it. Hope.
This movie had the Force on its full side, and I really mean it. It was an unbelievable experience to watch, it gave enough of what we needed and even more of what we did not even know we needed. Where TFA started to continue the journey in a familiar way that made you remember why you love Star Wars in the first place, this movie had the spiritual depth of a director that understands not only the world it is set in, but also the characters. It is a movie that makes you think. Mark Hamill said that he was at first shocked when he read the script and his part, but also admitted that in the greater context was glad for the choices made. And that is exactly how to describe this movie. All the characters are set in front of things that are hard to accept: anger, fear, darkness, hope, failure, truth, strength, weakness, light, loss, love, friendship, family, faith. They all have to reflect on where they stand in order to know where to go from now on, for better or worse. A great mythos knows when to evolve, you even expect it from it, so people blaming it for "being different" and "changing characters" need to look at it again. We all are human, and time does leave scars, so don´t blame a fictional character to have scars too, because in the end it are the scars that will revile who you are. Finn and Rose did not have nice lives so far, but it doesn´t stop them from doing good. Ben Solo decided to become Kylo Ren, but Rey- just like Luke Skywalker- has to look at the past knowing that life doesn´t end now, knowing that there is something greater in and around us that will never die, that can not die. This movie has a depth that will make your breath shake.
Forget about Mediclorians, this movie feels and understands the Force.