In fixing his own trilogy, JJ Abrams ruins the classic one

Rating: 3/10 (20 December 2019)

First let's give credit to JJ for trying to fix the mess Rian made, Rey was always planned to be of this bloodline (the clues were in her fighting style and music). However what can't be forgiven is ruining Anakin's storyline by bringing back the Emperor. It makes sense that Snoke loved the Empire and would want to restore it's former glory by finding a descendant of the Emperor and to use her to strike down and kill his unfavored apprentice Ben Solo. Ben was of the disgraced family who betrayed the Empire and killed the Emperor, so Snoke would want to have Rey kill him and bring back the glory of the Empire under the Palpatine name. So if JJ establishes in the opening moments of this film that Snoke is a clone then why is it necessary to bring back the Emperor and ruin Anakin Skywalker's story? That's where this story fails. I commend JJ for trying to fix his trilogy after Rian Johnson ruined it (Holdo maneuver, never throw away light saber, Luke apologizes for his behavior, Snoke cloning), but by bringing back the Emperor JJ ruined Lucas's trilogy. In fixing his own trilogy, JJ ruined a much more beloved trilogy story.
I want to add one last thing, the decision to have Rey kiss Ben and for her to take the Skywalker name isn't wrong, it's just unearned. If it had been revealed that Ben had been manipulated and used as a victim from the time he was a child, just in a sick way for the Empire to disgrace the Skywalker legacy and restore Palpatine greatness we could forgive him. If Rey had been manipulated into almost killing Ben her decision to kiss him and ask for his forgiveness would have more resonance. And her taking the Skywalkers name to attone for overseeing the death of their entire family would have more meaning. The problem with this new trilogy wasn't the outlined plan, it was the execution.
Forgive me one last thing on a subject which is at the heart of Disney's filmmaking, it is not empowering to women to show them as flawless or indestructible. Every protagonist in a Star Wars trilogy sacrifices limb at some point. This is war afterall and these trilogies are supposed to rhyme. Disney clearly did not think that audiences can handle seeing a female fighter lose a limb the way Luke and Anakin did. If Disney was not merely pandering and truly believed in equality then they would not have treated Rey as if she were a more precious protected protagonist than Luke or Anakin.