Moves the franchise in an exciting and new direction. Despite its flaws it is in the top 3 films of Star Wars canon.

Rating: 8/10 (27 December 2017)

What I loved -
Opening: From the opening scene of the rebels fleeing the rebel base on D'Qar this film picks up right where the The Force Awakens left off. Immediately there is a battle that left me awe struck.
Kylo and Rey arc: I LOVE Ridley and Driver's performances here. They were both outstanding and were the heart of the movie. I thought the force communication was an amazing concept and worked really well. I like seeing Rey a little more conflicted and confused in this one about which way to go. Adam Driver really nearly steals the show in this movie and if it wasn't for Hammil I would def give him the performance of the film. Close second. Him taking over the First Order was an amazing twist.
Snoke: Andy Serkis is great here. Menacing voice and it added a lot to the story. The throne room scene had great visuals and was very very intense. I would like to see them explain his character more in Episode 9.
Yoda: It was awesome to see Empire/Jedi/puppet yoda back. Definitely my favorite scene in the entire movie. I was glad to see Luke and Yoda united and on the same page.
Carrie Fisher: She is in top form throughout the whole film and gives a beautiful and breathtaking performance. While she was fine in TFA she really steps up her game here. I didn't mind the floating scene that much since I have been waiting to see her use the force since I was a little kid!
Luke: Hammil's performance was awesome. It definitely is the best movie performance I've ever seen Hammil give. It was dark, brooding, intense and also STILL LUKE. I do not agree with the criticisms that he was out of character except for the very beginning with the saber toss.The old broken down arc of his character was very moving to me and I think it worked very well for the most part. The force projection was a cool concept that Master Yoda may have taught him.
More 3P0: It was so nice to see him get more screen time.
Poe: Love this character. I just wish that they made him a little bit more likeable.
Hux: I LOVE his character. Gleeson is a great actor and he has great chemistry/conflict with Kylo.
The ending: I loved the broom boy and connecting him to the force at the end. It really is moving the franchise in an exciting direction.
What I didn't like -
Second Act: Obviously the casino second act has been the topic of much criticism and I agree for the most part. It doesn't add much to the film and ends up dragging it down. It either should have been trimmed or they should have been a new story line completely. I liked Benicio Del Toro's performance and I would like to see more of him in Episode 9. He is a great actor.
Laura Dern: She is a good actress but I didn't like her character or performance that much. Her making Poe seem like kind of a bad guy was a weak plot point since I think Poe is a great character and there was a little bit of too much political commentary from this aspect of the story.
Toss: While I thought Hammil delivered a great performance I didn't like his lightsaber toss. I felt it was a little bit disrespectful to his father and to Obi-Wan for giving him the saber and I couldn't see Luke doing that. I get why Rian did it and it ultimately probably did add to the story but I didn't like it.
Rose: I thought she gave a decent performance but I didn't think her character added much to the story and I didn't like her saving Finn at the end. I think it would have been more powerful if Finn had died defending the RESISTANCE.
OVERALL - 10/10 for me. It is up there with A New Hope and Empire in terms of its originality. The flaws are overshadowed by Hammil, Fisher, Ridley and Driver's excellent performances and a great supporting cast. If the second act was trimmed I think this would be the greatest star wars movie ever made.The concept of moving away from the Skywalker family was brilliant.