I saw TLJ last night and have mixed feelings about it. Personally a lot of the things people have issues with don’t bother me like many movies there are good elements and bad elements depending on your tastes and “certain point of view” here are my thoughts
• The opening space battle was super fun and a great way to get into the movie, Poe is a very like able character who certainly was utilized more this time around because he wasn’t original supposed to die this time. Oh and of course B.B.-8 continues to be the greatest droid sidekick since R2-D2 (though K2-S0 was a personal favorite of mine in Rogue One)
• The whole Finn and Rose plot line was actually something I really enjoyed more than the Rey and Luke one which is surprising to me because I really like those two characters. I did like the casino planet as a setting, I loved the fact that they freed the space horse/rabbits and rode them to victory (while also destroying the casino) plus BB-8 being mistaken for a slot machine by a little leprechaun man (played by Mark Hamil by the way) and then using all the coins that he had inserted in him as projectiles to knock out guards was another bit of BB-8 badass-ness that was equally adorable (though I do wonder how he tied them up, was it DJ ?)
• The Rey and Kylo Ren stuff was pretty cool in my opinion, I didn’t mind them communicating through the force. It was cool that we also saw the reasons for kylo turning to the dark side it makes sense for the situation that he’d automatically go into defense mode after waking up and seeing his uncle standing over him with a crazed look in his eyes and holding a lightsaber over him. Though I do wish it were a grander event because it sort of felt like a pretty small thing that happened to set all of this in motion, The reylo shippers probably had a ball with the force communication and the fact that kylo ren appeared shirtless to Rey was pretty freaking Reylo-ey that and when Luke walked in on them “touching” hands and reacting like he caught them fucking was priceless need I mention the elevator scene where manny though (or so I’ve read) Rey and Kylo were about to full on make out on the way to Snoke maybe they will join forces and reshape the galaxy in their image eventually
• SNOKE DIED, that caught me off guard and I really wish he didn’t yet because their is SO much unanswered with him yet, I’m sure it will be explained eventually in another movie though, the Rey and Kylo team up fight against the guards was cool RIP Skywalker lightsaber
• Shockingly I didn’t love the whole Rey and Luke on the island plot line, while it had its moments I sort of felt it was pretty boring overall BUT the dark side cave and ancient Jedi texts were enjoyable for me as was the return of Yoda as a force ghost who as always had great advice (and was also pretty funny too)
• PORGS are freaking adorable, chewie trying to eat one while they watched him in fear was great and so was the part where they’re playing with the lightsaber and sneaking on the falcon and destroying simultaneously while nesting plus now chewie has a porg companion
• General Haldo was decent enough though I do agree with others in saying that Leia should have been the one to sacrifice herself to save the survivors because of carrie’s death in real life it felt like it would have been a good way to kill off the character in a meaningful and respective way. I don’t mind her floating in space and saving herself by pulling the ship or pulling herself to the ship (we know she’s been force sensitive since empire when she sensed Luke on cloud city)
• Poor poor captain Phasma how I wished she had a longer fight with Finn and survived to get revenge (maybe she did ?) while her role was bigger than in TFA it wasn’t nearly enough I feel the same way about Bobba Fett too
• The salt planet was cool enough and the crystal aspect of it was beautiful to look at plus the crystal foxes were pretty amazing looking even if they were just native wildlife that hung around (though they did find a way out) I did think it should have been a different type of planet because it was a bit too similar to Hoth
• Luke having his scene with Leia was nice as was giving her Han’s dice but his duel with Ren was just ok in my opinion, I expected something more epic it was coo that he just force projected himself though and it was interesting to see Luke become one with the force though a bit unexpected
Those are just some of my thoughts and personal opinions but all in all I’ll need to rewatch the movie a few times to really see how I feel needless to say I’m looking forward to the Han Solo movie, Episode 9, the Obi-Wan trilogy and Rian Johnson’s new trilogy