The Last Jedi - extreme subversion of expectation

Rating: 9/10 (19 December 2017)

The biggest problem with The Force Awakens was that it was too much like A New Hope. It was too predictable.
The Last Jedi is the exact opposite. Everything you may have been expecting after The Force Awakens is turned upside down, or brushed aside even. The Last Jedi is everything we weren't expecting, and to be completely honest, that's actually a good thing. But, if you are the kind of person who has trouble letting go of two years of speculation about a number of plot points, you'll probably not like where The Last Jedi goes.
For me, The Last Jedi was an ever surprising, cheer invoking gut punch of a movie, and I loved it. It's not perfect - some plot lines don't work as well as others - but the characters are great, the actors play them very well, the movie is hilarious at points and offers great drama at others. The score is brilliant and the visuals are incredibly impressive. The Last Jedi gives us a few of the most impressive scenes in Star Wars canon ever.
Let the past die. That's the only way this movie can become what it's meant to be. Hold on to what you think you know and want, and set yourself up for at least a few major disappointments. It's up to you.