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Now that there's plenty of spoilers everywhere on the internets ...
As a Star Wars fan I was very disappointed. The more I think about it, the more it becomes my least favorite SW movie. I was entertained by the space fighty 'splosions and stuff. A couple good moments in the movie, but mostly they were followed up by disappointment. It was an ok film on it's own, if I pretty much left my SW baggage at the door.
If I list the things I really take away from the film though, the bad stuff is far more memorable than the good.
The film seemed almost laughably intent on just discarding everything really interesting about The Force Awakens. Like Trump was directing it and Obama had directed TFA. Or like the director really wanted to flip off all the fans who were speculating over the past 2 years. Like, "oh, you think this is interesting, well SORRY ... it's not interesting! Haha ... fooled you with all the dramatic lead ups!" Who's Snoke? Who cares... (amazing while making him simultaneously way overpowered) Rey's lineage? Nothing to see here... (could still be salvaged). What happens after Rey hands the lightsaber to Luke? Literally discarded. I was mildly surprised Rey survived the film.
Humor. Way over the top, especially making a joke out of the general or whoever he was. It kinda undermined Poe, since he's facing off against a moron. Luke tossing the lightsaber and dusting off his shoulder were both funny moments in a B-rate movie sorta way. Keep the humor to the droids/fuzzies and some witty quips please. Comic relief in dramatic, episode (maybe trilogy) defining moments? No, please, no. The PETA penguin thing was funny, in the Disney sorta way.
The heavy handed social messages. I'm a tree hugging vegetarian aspiring to vegan trying to create better paying jobs while improving the environment in a poor country ... and even to me it was all just forced in a blunt, inelegant, often distracting AND irrelevant way. When they showed the ice fox things going into the fort I was distracted by the thought of how they were going to be a key to some plot. The whole casino side plot seemed created solely for messaging. The only redeeming value here is the anticipation of the joy of watching some conservative's heads asplode over it all. Would much prefer a more subtle jab even in that regard though. Because I almost have to agree with them on this.
Too many characters. Most of whom either didn't get any character building (the first bombardier sister, who was probably the best part of the movie), or who's side plots just didn't matter much (the second sister and Finn who get 3 missions and all 3 of them are inconsequential to the main story).
The purple hair lady commander's plan was surprising, I'll give them that. I wasn't expecting the whole Casino and infiltration thing to be a complete dead end. (In more ways than one.) Definitely didn't see that coming. But why did she wait until half the shuttles were blown up to act? Also, the only reason there was a surprise there was ... OH WAIT, WE HAVE CLOAKING DEVICES SO WE CAN GET OUT OF THIS! Bet you didn't see that coming because it was never mentioned! Fooled you! And also fooled Poe, which ruined the whole plan. Was this a self-derisive metaphor for how trying to fool the audience killed the movie?
Too many remakes. There's all the scenes/roles lifted from 5 and 6, and quite a few allusions to 1-3. They did it out of order to keep it less obvious, but it was still obvious.
SLOWEST. SPACE. CHASE. EVER.
I expect major fanboy hate on this one. For background I loved Rogue, would put it in the top 3 with 4 and 5. 6 was ok. 7 was fun, if cheesey and predictable. I enjoyed 1-3 for what they were, high quality CGI spacey wars.
If I list the things I really take away from the film though, the bad stuff is far more memorable than the good.
The film seemed almost laughably intent on just discarding everything really interesting about The Force Awakens. Like Trump was directing it and Obama had directed TFA. Or like the director really wanted to flip off all the fans who were speculating over the past 2 years. Like, "oh, you think this is interesting, well SORRY ... it's not interesting! Haha ... fooled you with all the dramatic lead ups!" Who's Snoke? Who cares... (amazing while making him simultaneously way overpowered) Rey's lineage? Nothing to see here... (could still be salvaged). What happens after Rey hands the lightsaber to Luke? Literally discarded. I was mildly surprised Rey survived the film.
Humor. Way over the top, especially making a joke out of the general or whoever he was. It kinda undermined Poe, since he's facing off against a moron. Luke tossing the lightsaber and dusting off his shoulder were both funny moments in a B-rate movie sorta way. Keep the humor to the droids/fuzzies and some witty quips please. Comic relief in dramatic, episode (maybe trilogy) defining moments? No, please, no. The PETA penguin thing was funny, in the Disney sorta way.
The heavy handed social messages. I'm a tree hugging vegetarian aspiring to vegan trying to create better paying jobs while improving the environment in a poor country ... and even to me it was all just forced in a blunt, inelegant, often distracting AND irrelevant way. When they showed the ice fox things going into the fort I was distracted by the thought of how they were going to be a key to some plot. The whole casino side plot seemed created solely for messaging. The only redeeming value here is the anticipation of the joy of watching some conservative's heads asplode over it all. Would much prefer a more subtle jab even in that regard though. Because I almost have to agree with them on this.
Too many characters. Most of whom either didn't get any character building (the first bombardier sister, who was probably the best part of the movie), or who's side plots just didn't matter much (the second sister and Finn who get 3 missions and all 3 of them are inconsequential to the main story).
The purple hair lady commander's plan was surprising, I'll give them that. I wasn't expecting the whole Casino and infiltration thing to be a complete dead end. (In more ways than one.) Definitely didn't see that coming. But why did she wait until half the shuttles were blown up to act? Also, the only reason there was a surprise there was ... OH WAIT, WE HAVE CLOAKING DEVICES SO WE CAN GET OUT OF THIS! Bet you didn't see that coming because it was never mentioned! Fooled you! And also fooled Poe, which ruined the whole plan. Was this a self-derisive metaphor for how trying to fool the audience killed the movie?
Too many remakes. There's all the scenes/roles lifted from 5 and 6, and quite a few allusions to 1-3. They did it out of order to keep it less obvious, but it was still obvious.
SLOWEST. SPACE. CHASE. EVER.
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