[Ashasx]

I just got back from the movie and I've now read through this entire thread:

Beyond the obvious disappoint in Snoke's identity (what a throw away of a character) and Rey's lineage (could be a lie - I don't think so though), I really don't understand why the writers decided to abandon this "balance of light and dark" theme that was present for the first half of this movie. Luke coming to the realization that the Jedi weren't this greater and perfect Order, that they had made mistakes, and had been blind to their faults - none of that mattered at the end of this movie. Apparently he wasn't the last Jedi, and that's now Rey, who will carry on the legacy of mastering every skill she needs to carry on the plot of the story. Everything felt so sloppy.

And that's just kind of it with this movie - there's no conflict. At no point did I think a major hero would die. This movie isn't Empire Strikes Back. The First Order isn't the Empire - they are a bunch of idiots who seem to provide more humour than menace. I know that some people in this thread have stated that they appreciate Kylo appearing more villainous in this movie, but I completely disagree. He's still a whining child who throws an embarrassing tantrum when things don't go his way. General Hux is his jester. Team Rocket's blasting off again.

So maybe this series just isn't for me anymore. Unlike the end of Episode VII, I really have no interest in seeing the next episode. The things that I was more curious about were completely glossed over (not that they needed to be mind-boggling reveals or anything - I'm fine with Rey being nobody), but beyond that, I know that any potential conflict in this movie will result in the "good guys" getting the victory. Never mind a balance of dark and light. It will be good versus evil in Episode IX, with good scoring the easy victory.

It just seemed that the fans of this series care more about it than the writers. Some of us were looking for something to tie things together - not necessarily as a driving force behind the motivations for the characters, but something to think about and ponder beyond what is simply presented on-screen. That's really what the series feels like right now - you don't need to commit any time to it, events of the past don't matter, and all you need to know is that in the end, it's good versus evil. No depth in character development - just really simple motivations and resolutions.

If there's a couple things I liked, it was the fight following Snoke's death (who I assume were the Knights of Ren - convenient that they are now all dead), and the light-speed ship ram (conviently killing everyone besides the two heroes and Phasma, who was embarrassed again). Besides that, it seems that this movie was designed for some sort of faux-nerd movie following that has now become a regular part of pop culture.

I think I would have enjoyed this movie a lot more if I had read spoilers beforehand. That's not a good thing.