Good But Not Brilliant!

NO SPOILERS HERE! A friend went to see The Last Jedi on Friday, and I texted him for his verdict. "Good but not brilliant" he replied. 
I saw it with Bob yesterday at our local cinema [where all Tuesday tickets are cheaper]
Yes, I enjoyed it, yes, there were some good parts, but no, I didn't think the plot was very strong, and no, it didn't need to be that long. There were some parts which seemed a little extraneous to the storyline, and would not have been missed if they had left them out. 
I know that some bits are always there to lay a foundation for the sequel, and when we get to Star Wars Number Nine these things may be revealed. But I can't believe these were all titbits to whet our appetite.
I would have liked to see a few more females, there still seemed to be an overwhelmingly male cast [Bob disagreed, listing all the strong females with significant roles - I pointed out that 95% of them ended up dead so wouldn't be appearing in the next film!]
Costumes were varied and well-designed - if a little too tidy at times [how come Leia can maintain a good manicure through a major evacuation from their rebel base when mine is chipped after 2 hours of Carol Singing?] I loved the appearance of a steam iron.
Bizarrely, Mark Hamill's shoulders seemed to be incredibly narrow for the size of his head [perhaps that's just me, or maybe the Stormtroopers Shoulder pads make everyone else look small] Locations were beautiful - I recognised some of the Irish Island locations from our motorcycle tour in 2008. 
I felt rather sad the first time Carrie Fisher appeared on screen - and felt the need to hold Bob's hand. Unfortunately I managed to spill hot coffee on his leg in the process. Fortunately he's a brave man, and did not cry out!
At the end of the film, there is a tribute "Dedicated to our Princess, Carrie Fisher" which I deemed to be appropriate, and struck the right tone. After 40 years there is something sad about the end of the Hamill/Fisher partnership.
I have some other thoughts which I will not share, as I really do not want to spoil it for people. My rating is **** - yes Gary, it is "good, but not brilliant."