By real fans, let me clarify the people who actually saw the film and started their opinions about it versus the critics who adored it. There is a huge disparity there with the overwhelming majority of moviegoers who did not enjoy the film. So you can save the indignity as I was not trying to insult your tastes or say you aren't a fan or be a gatekeeper for a product I don't own or have control over.
Im glad you have been a fan for over two decades. With that being said, a bit of background for you. I saw the 1st movie in the theater with my dad back in '77. So, I've been a fan for over Forty fucking years. I've seen every single one pre-Solo in the theater, most multiple times including the 1997 re-releases. I own and have owned more Star Wars swag than I should have, enough money's worth to buy a small house or a nice new car.
And I didnt state my opinions as fact. I made it clear I personally think Last Jedi is shit. I started my reasons for it. Tell me please, what you think this film did so well? Turning all the Male characters into arrogant assholes (Poe), whipping boys (Hux), stuttering sleazeballs (Del Toro's character), cannon fodder (all other Rebel men), etc? Making all the female Rebels the heroic sacrifices? Shaming Chewbacca for being a carnivore?
How about the nonsensical space chase, waiting for the Rebels to run out of fucking gas? Why not have another ship do a hyperspace jump ahead of them and just wait for them to show up?
How did we go from a Rebel victory despite their capital planet being blown up by the relatively small (compared to the Empire) First Order to them dominating the galaxy and crushing the republic... ALL IN THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT TAKES REY TO HAND LUKE A LIGHTSABER?! And while we are on the subject of Luke, regardless of being disenfranchised with the Jedi and acting like a complete out-of-character prick, would he really just toss his pops lightsaber over his shoulder & down a cliff? I dont think so. With his and his fathers own tumultuous relationship with the force, would he just try to off his own nephew because he sensed some darkness? Come the fuck on.
There are many other obnoxious things in this film. Maz the bartender is suddenly negotiating trade disputes? Kylo is a whiny emo bitch who pouts because Snoke insulted his helmet? Force-Facetime across the galaxy? Absolutely zero character building or development. Who is Snoke? Who cares, off him! Who is Phasma, who cares, throw her in a burning pit!
On board the ship when Admiral Purple -Hair lady (Yes, I know her name is Holdo) jumps through the First Order flagship at the exact moment Finn is getting ready to be executed, all the Stormtroopers are killed and Phasma gets warped to safety all the way on the other side of the hangar. And Finn & company are miraculously unharmed! WTF is going on right here?!
Sorry, in my opinion and the majority of other moviegoers, Last Jedi was and is a steaming pile of shit that crapped upon everything that made Star Wars so enjoyable to people like me for over forty years.
And if you dont like my opinion, fine. Even Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill hated the script and said he fundamentally disagrees with everything they did to Luke's character.
Rian Johnson set out to make a movie full of his own political and social agendas and Star Wars has suffered for it. Han Solo was a box office bomb compared to every previous film in the series and resulted in plans for other standalone films being put on the back burner or scrapped altogether.
So if you dont believe that the vast majority of fans are unhappy with the direction they are going or that is some real gatekeeper bullshit right there, you are delusional. The financial impact to Disney & Lucasfilm is in print for all to see. Obviously, it's not a small group of misogynist trolls to have so affected a huge franchise.