Get over your own ego, and enjoy this fantastic SW film

Rating: 9/10 (22 December 2017)

Fantastic and emotional. I rank it with Ep's IV and V. All the hate seems to be from those clinging to their own theories and ideas of how the series should have developed or what was presented in the EU. As many have observed, the theme of failure (of mentorship, communication, trust) is dominant in the film, without being a retelling of ESB (unlike the Ep VII's duplication of Ep IV).
I accepted Ep VII's throwbacks and recycled plot because I understood that the film would work as a bridge between the original trilogy and the sequel trilogy and was hopeful and anxious to see into what new territory Ep VIII would take us. And I'm more than satisfied with where the series now stands. Yes it lags slightly in the second act, but not to any great degree.
I love the themes and feel of the OT and can accept the story behind the PT (which was saved IMO by the very enjoyable Clone Wars series). I loved the EU (Wedge, Rogue Squadron, Thrawn, etc). But there is a new future (a long time ago) and I'm excited to see where the end of the Skywalker Trililogy® takes us.