not gonna be a spoiler-dropping monster, so all i'll say is HOT DAMN. such a wonderful addition to the star wars family; a wonderfully empathetic film that wears its heart proudly on its sleeve.

kelly marie tran's rose tico fits seamlessly into the existing cast of characters - she's adorable as hell and her dynamic with john boyega's finn is a joy to witness (not to mention that ponytail is another addition to the star wars hair hall of fame). it's also great to see more of oscar isaac's poe dameron, clearly having considerable amounts of fun with his role.

carrie fisher is the beating heart of this film, both radiant and heartbreaking and always so much fun to watch. quite simply, she's a marvel, our eternal space mom drowned in moonlight.

the visuals in this film are a thing of beauty, from the sweeping scenery shots to the engaging fight scenes. the constant use of the colour red spoke to my soul - such a fantastic use of vibrant colour, especially refreshing in this era of washed-out marvel films.

to say the reactions to the last jedi have been divisive is an understatement; it's a film with a lot going on, and i understand that it's not everyone's cup of tea. on my part, however, i love it dearly and my love for the new star wars trilogy is AWAKE and ready for more.