Unexpected, but Great

Rating: 6/10 (21 December 2017)

Going into this movie I had one wish, I thought "Please don't be a repeat of Episode V." The Force Awakens mirrored A New Hope, and while it made sense to reassure returning fans, and give any new fans a fantastic story to start with, it disappointed me a little how safe they played it. The Last Jedi took all the expectations I had going in and threw them out the window.
Now most people are upset by this. They wanted all their questions answered more or less the way they were expecting. I feel the exact opposite, and yes I am a long time fan of ALL the previous movies, not that I should have to qualify my opinion with that. This movie was exhilarating. I can't remember the last time I turned to my friend in the theater with my mouth open in amazement because I'm so shocked about what just happened. It made the movie exciting, and the stakes higher, since I no longer felt completely sure about anything that was going to happen. Movies are ultimately just entertainment, and it certainly succeeded in that regard.
The visuals, acting, spectacle, sound, etc was phenomenal. The entire scene in Snoke's throne room made me want to cheer. I enjoyed this movie the whole way through, and I am excited about what direction the new Star Wars will take in the future. For all the people who want to nitpick every detail and piece of lore, Star Wars doesn't belong to you. It doesn't even belong to George Lucas anymore. If you don't like the ideas of the people who work very hard and do their best to make the best movie they can then don't watch them, and leave the rest of us alone.