It’s a bit of a mess structurally — this is like a weird five act thing that sort of lumbers through it all, right? — but it’s also pretty easily one of the best Star Wars movies. It takes creative risks that other franchises only dream of. I would love to read the tell-all book on how Rian Johnson made this all happen, and the revolt within Disney after it came out.
Rian Johnson is also a much better writer than everybody else who has made one of these, and it shows. Characters are believable and funny, their motivations all make sense (even if you disagree with them for fanboy reasons), and the characters all grow and change in unique ways — a first for a Star Wars film, which typically forces every character along the same trajectory. Johnson pushes each cast member to new heights as well. Carrie is great (much better than TFA), and Driver is working at his best with material that gives him something to chew on.
I’m also a huge fan of the colours and the lighting. This is the only film in the series outside of ESB that understands lighting even a little bit. It’s all sensational work from Johnson.