One of the best Star Wars films

Rating: 8/10 (13 January 2018)

Haters gonna hate, I guess, but in this case I don't get it. I went into the film with critical eyes, waiting for the cringe to set in. Didn't happen. Went home, read the criticisms and negative reviews. Went to see it again, looking for flaws. Okay, yeah, some of the lines were cheesy. Some of the plot elements were a little far fetched. I wish they'd done more to explain Snoke. But really, none of that made it a bad movie. Maybe nudged it down a star or two, but in the Star Wars franchise, this is a great movie!
Now, I've loved Star Wars since I was a kid. It's basically my religion. However, aside from all the starry-eyed nostalgia, the first few Star Wars films weren't Best Picture material either. Their value was in their mythology and metaphor. So I was happy to see that TLJ stayed true to that vision.
Beyond that, film-wise, this was one of the best Star Wars films ever made. The acting was top notch--equaled only by the performances in Empire. The use of myth and metaphor was very clever, relevant to modern times, and thought-provoking. The character interplay was powerful--especially from my point of view as a woman. The music and cinematography were amazing, and worth seeing in IMAX 3D (which I got the opportunity to do for my second viewing). I am recommending this movie to everyone I know--Star Wars fans or not. It left me with thrills and chills and bouncing out of the theater with a huge smile on my face both times. The whining haters can go to hell, (or re-watch Rogue One, which is kind of the same thing).