Lol it was pretty bad

Rating: 3/10 (22 December 2019)

Tried to go in with a fair, balanced mind, so take what you will from what I have to say.
Overall, it felt like a hastily written SW fanfic than the ending to the Skywalker Saga. Multiple plot points made little to no sense or were just your typical MacGuffin/convenience plot devices. The questions brought out by the Force Awakens were resolved anticlimactically, the dialogue was stilted and poor, and the movie did not know how to end, forsaking a structured plot in favor of feeble attempts at audience subversion that won't alienate fans a la Last Jedi as well as excessive amounts of fan service (and I usually like fan service!). I don't even believe J.J. Abrams wanted to write this movie, as much of the character development he so lovingly crafted in FA was tossed out the window in favor of cliched exposition and sloppy one-liners substituting for jokes.
That being said, I do think the movie was well-directed; Abrams is talented in his usage of visual storytelling, especially with action. Even though the choreography and execution of said action sequences were commendable, there were elements that were overdone to the point of unintentional hilarity (e.g. the bizarre force-jumps Rey and Kylo undertake in their battle amidst the ruins of the Death Star). The special effects are also well-done, including the production design, cinematography, sound design, score (John Williams still has the ability to invoke primal emotions within the soul that one may not know even existed), and practical/makeup effects, which makes the movie even more disappointing due to the mind boggling level of potential that this film, as well as this sequel trilogy, had that had now been wasted.
Overall, the movie was a lackluster attempt at ending the Skywalker Saga once and for all, substituting thematic resonance and storytelling artistry for empty nostalgia and formulaic tropes, squandering the goodwill of the Star Wars franchise in the name of a faceless corporate product. Many fans may vociferously defend the movie now, but in a few years this movie will most likely go the way of the prequel trilogy. May the Force be with you, indeed.
P.S. Does have some ironic value to it; many moments that made me laugh out loud in the theater, albeit definitely not in the way the filmmakers intended.