Just got back from seeing it. Since it's been released for 24+ hours, I assume we're into spoilers? Yeah, lots coming.
These are my unfiltered thoughts, haven't read the thread the last 2 days.
I went in with very low expectations as I didn't care for Ep. 8, and, overall, I liked this one! I was really wondering how they were going to wrap everything up, and they did a pretty serviceable job.
Likes:
- I like that Admiral Pride (sp?) shot Hux. Seems like an Imperial thing to do.
- There was no overarching "romance" theme like I had feared
- Luke's part was limited, but good and effective
- Rose's part was minimal!
- The whole C3P0 memory wipe concept was well done. His humor was the "good" kind of funny, too.
- No pointless side-quests with a "social good"
- Ben's redemption was well done (As well as it possibly could be done. They essentially set it up that he either has to turn back to the light and die, or Rey has to convert to the dark side. After getting pigeon-holed into one of those 2 scenarios, they got out of it as best they could.)
- Essentially implied that Palpatine had been running things behind the scenes the whole time. Good, GOOD!
- Rey's parentage story was done as well as it could have been.
- I was afraid all the force ghosts of the past were going to appear and it would be really corny. Instead, just doing the voices (Qui-Gon, Yoda, Leia, Luke, and some others ... I THINK I heard Mace Windu...) was a good approach.
- All those star ships showing up at the end ... the diverse, motley crew ... that was a cool shot!
- Chewy's sadness/rage when he found out that Leia had died ... that one really got me! All of his original trio of friends are now dead!
Dislikes:
- Star Destroyers have to use a tracking beacon (one the ground or on a command ship) to get out of atmosphere? Really? A space shuttle can do it, but not a Star Destroyer. OK. This seems like the new "thermal exhaust port leading directly to the main reactor."
- Just jumped right into the acceptance that Palpatine is alive, no explanation. At least a LITTLE back story of how he didn't die, came back to life, was cloned, whatever would have been good.
- None of the lightsaber fights were epic. They were "OK"
- The "Knights of Ren" origin was never explained. We were just to accept it.
- On her deathbed, Leia arranged for Chewy to get a medal? OK, right. (over the top fan-service)
- The mushing of time and space was a little over-the-top. As well as the mushing of the real world with the ethereal. I don't mind force ghosts appearing, but just didn't like the whole "Kylo grabs Rey's necklace" thing.
Just plain questions:
- Star Destroyers can't use their shields in the atmosphere?
- Were the Carrie Fisher scenes filmed, or did they do a CGI face for her like they did for Tarkin in R1?
- Admiral Pride said "as I served you in the old wars" or something like that. What is he referring to?
- Han as a force ghost? Or was that just Ben having a vision?
- Who was in the "audience" in Palpatine's underground throne room? I assume the ghosts of past Sith, but that's just a guess.
- Was Hayden Christensen's voice one of the Jedi voices at the end? I couldn't tell.
Again, overall, I liked it 80-85%. It's not a special to me as the original Trilogy (4,5,6), but I liked it better than 8 by a lot, I'd put it on about the same level as 7. Better than the Prequels. Don't all you Negative Nancys out there bring me down!!!