Definitely the weakest of the new trilogy

Rating: 2/10 (20 December 2019)

Here we have a film I would place 7th in a 9 film race, with only the first two prequels below it. While not an excessive anticlimax, nothing felt up to par with what Abrams should have been able to pull of. Even if you excuse the damage repair from episode 8, this thing is very flawed and while it should feel like an event, it just feels like any other film, comparable to Godzilla: King if the Monsters in more ways than one. It's absolutely littered with clichés, including but not limited to: 'finding yourself', huge character change of heart for story purposes, overcoming a seemingly indestructible villain with simple means, conveniently placed item that is important to the plot that is just there because you couldn't get it before, and possibly the biggest deus ex machina I've ever witnessed. The ending is also really depressing for Rey because of a thing that happens that doesn't get explained and thus makes no sense. And the action sequences are rather bland. Even episode 8 added something interesting to the fights and did a half decent job with them. This film went to the Marvel school of one side or the other always having the upper hand. I really didn't get much out of this it was just 'oh yeah, that happened and now the trilogy has ended. I barely care at all.' Maybe worth a watch just to wrap everything up, but seriously this is not a strong end.