Going back to this...Rey absolutely changed in TLJ. In both TFA and TLJ she basically sidelined herself from all outside conflicts (Jakku in TFA, Ach-To in TLJ) in order to wait until someone told her what her "place in the world/galaxy" was. She did find a place where she fit in with Han but he was taken away from her so she moved on to Luke. But Ach-To told her that life isn't about sitting around waiting for your "heroes" (whether they be parents or "legends" like Luke) to tell her where she belongs and what to do. She decided that she was going to take a proactive role in pursuing the convictions that were inside her. So she journeyed to Snoke's ship willingly (instead of being captured in TFA) she came to the Resistance' defense willingly (instead of via rescue in TFA.)
Ok.. Can we let go of the surrogate family thing with Han and Luke.. First of all she was going to leave Han to go back home.. Events kept her from doing so.. She also spent like what.. 2 hours with Han.. At most.. Her trip to find Luke was to help the rebels and find out her place in the world (her parents). I get that.. But she was still just hoping for answers.. Never was Luke a "father figure or mentor" to her. She got fooled into running to Kylo. And why not? She got no answers.. And once she finally did get an answer.. Well now is a good time to be a part of the rebellion.. (Which at the end of TFA I considered her to be anyways)
So Reys growth = My parents are not coming back - I will be with the rebels - My parents are drunks - I will be with the rebels.
Everything kind of "went to pot" for the Resistance when Rey wasn't around and her being literally front and center in the last shot of the Falcon said that she's there to stay, and that going forward the Resistance will have the one thing it had been lacking--someone powerful in the Force (and the willingness to use it.) A huge change from the beginning of the film or from where the Resistance stood in TFA for that matter.
You write a lot of fan fiction when you talk about this film Khev
... SO the Rebels finally have something they need.. Someone strong with the force.. Well thanks a lot Leia.. You know.. The Door breaking, space flying general..
Rey is here to stay.. Ok.. I never really thought she left.. SHe was going to get Luke to bring him back with her.. To help the rebels.. Not to bring him back so she could leave.. She ended up in the same spot she would have no matter how the events went with Luke.. And because there is no danger of her ever being corrupted.. Well we are back to nothing really happens accept a bunch of filler.
Finn and Poe aren't really main characters in this trilogy. They're more on the level of Chewie and the Droids or Marcus and Sallah in the Indy series. Their arcs are really only as important as whatever is needed to drive the plot forward, and to that they both fulfilled their respective purposes.
Well we have reduced to characters to Chewie an the Droids.. Funny I thought BB8 and Chewie were the Droids and wookie of this film.. Finn and Poe are IMO meant to be much more then they are.. They are just terribly written.. Poe is and Finn could be two of the more interesting characters in the film since both are less then perfect.. But nothing of importance is fleshed out with their characters.. Not in a meaningful interesting way.
The "main three" characters in TLJ are clearly Rey, Kylo, and Luke. Luke's arc doesn't even need to be repeated, it's been discussed at length and is one of the highlights of the entire Saga. Kylo finally stopped being a poseur lackey (a primary theme of this film was growing beyond your teachers which all three did) and he became his own figure apart from Vader and even apart from Snoke.
If they are the main three then why is half the movie spent with Poe and Finn..
I mean look at Empire Han, Luke, Leia, and Darth are the main characters in that film.. All very interesting mind you.. But there is still time for good characters like Yoda and Lando.. Finn and Poe were not even remotely as interesting as either of those two.. Not even close..
So If you want to delegate them to nothing but 3rd string characters.. Well don't spend so much time with them.. Or at least make them interesting and give them a good story.
So I wholeheartedly disagree with the claim that "nothing happens" in this film or that the *primary* characters didn't change or grow (technically even Poe did grow though he didn't really need to given his role in all of this.)
Poe's growth is a cheat and a plot convenience.. Like I said he was already looked at as a leader..
Again nothing really happened.. Or should I say not enough to fill up a 2 1/2 hour movie.. Its 3 episode arc on SW rebels at best.
And I know that it's shocking for me not to concede that Rey is the worst kind of "Mary Sue" but honestly I've never in my life even heard that term outside of the internet. It's not like Rey commits all these sins of these past lame characters, starting with someone actually named "Mary Sue." Where does that term even come from? For most of the story she's lost and confused and largely directionless and in any other narrative those all *would* be considered "flaws." But for her they aren't because she can do a mind trick with no training, bla bla bla. I just think that all of those claims are largely exaggerated. Yes she's special, more powerful than others, etc., but again so is
MCU Cap, Neo from The Matrix, Harry Potter, PT Anakin
and so on and so on. Except she's actually more likeable than most other "chosen one" type characters save for arguably MCU Cap. Too many people are simply over-reacting and accepting the criticisms without really thinking them through
I never heard of MAry Sue either.. But there was a reason people came up with it..
Cap was given super strength and was a trained soldier.
Neo was trained.. Hell the whole movie is about him training.
Was Harry Potter ever that special?? I mean other then his parents did he really do anything through most of the films?? He had the final fight but that seemed to be it.. AND the whole SERIES IS HIM LEANING AND TRAING AT SCHOOL
Anakin could fly a Pod racer and apparently a Naboo fighter
But the rest of the series was him training.. and guess what.. He lost more then he won..
So again Rey just decided to have the force and she was better at it then Kylo.. A man trained by Luke and Snoke..
If you can't see the difference then go talk to Jye.. He will agree with you..
PS.. hope my writing does not come across as angry.. It is not my intent.. I know it seems that I hate this film.. I do not.. But it is a mess. It is the least Star Wars of the Start Wars movies.. Some people like it.. Some Hate it.. I am left of center
Guess which side is left
Anyways.. AS wrong as you are Khev and Jye.. I still love you even though I lost some respect for you