I really liked the movie, i am a hardcore fan and this was the first movie star wars movie that really had me think and see where's Rian going with this? The movie is based on failing and it's ok to fail and how you can redeem yourself from failure. I'm sure many can relate and say this movie is a complete fail, but in reality, it's more than what expected. It teaches us failure in many ways:
-The resistance failed to keep it's bombers through the bombing run.
-Hux failed Snoke in having a dreadnaught destoyed
-Kylo fails in blowing up Leia's ship
-Kylo failing Snoke in having Rey beat him
-Luke failing Ben
-Finn's Canto mission failing
-Holdo failing Poe in his eyes
-Rey failing her mission to get Luke
-Luke failing in his eyes as a mentor
-Resistance failing to successfully go to Crait having ships blow up
-Luke failing us (the audience) as being this jedi master and taking on the FO like he said he wouldn't do when talking to Rey. In the end, he did just that.
-list goes on...
It's more of Rian taking on us a story of our hero's being praised for decades when in the end, they too can fall/fail. In the end, Luke does the very thing he told Rey he wouldn't do. Go up against the FO, however it was done from a certain point of view. This movie is not the black and white story we got from previous SW movies. Was successful in all its endeavors? No, but it made me think where this new trilogy is going and it's much deeper than what i've gathered from previous movies. I needed to think more and see what the overall message was and that was rise and fall. Lessons must be taught in a away we don't think they should be taught. Similar to Yoda saying to Luke that it's ok to fail. We cannot expect our older hero's to be saviors anymore, the baton has been passed and these new heros as i'm mentioned before are the new era. Whether you choose to accept that is on you and how you think the journey of our childhood heros were justified. Everyone has their own take on Luke should've been handled but you cannot please every SW fan. While Johnson's vision is questionable and controversial, in the end Luke saves the day. Rey is leading a new era of Jedi and Kylo leads the FO. Great set up for ep 9. One thing i will say is i feel sorry for JJ, he's got a lot to cover and explain and needs to restore people's faith in SW again. Poor guy, i will say it first hand, he will FAIL to many and will SUCCEED to many too.
I've seen it 4 times and will absolutely by the movie and some figures...