This is actually an issue I do take with TLJ. The moralizing, while not central to the story is way too on the nose. First of all, the issues in question are comically black and white. We see the animal abuse and child abuse first-hand. We see the mustache twirling, vulgar rich war profiteering people of Canto Bight. It’s obvious to a person even with a low propensity for critical analysis that these things are wrong. But then, the movie goes a step further and tells the audience flat-out that these things are bad, as if we didn’t already know. It’s lacking in subtlety and I think a little insulting to the viewer.
I’m not sure this is true. This is the offending speech by Rose where she explains why Canto Bight is bad:
Look closer. My sister and I grew up in a poor mining system. The First Order stripped our ore to finance its military… then shelled us to test their weapons. They took everything we had. And who do you think these people are? There is only one business in the galaxy that’ll get you this rich. War. Selling weapons to the First Order. I wish… I could put my fist through this whole lousy beautiful town.
While that doesn’t leave much to the imagination, I suppose she doesn’t outright say it in her balcony speech. But, what’s worse than that is what she says before we even get to Canto Bight. “It’s a horrible place filled with the worst people.”
Before we even get there, the movie is telling us what to expect. And then (surprise!) we get it.