What's the deal with Reylo?...

Rating: 8/10 (14 December 2017)

Dame Judi Dench asked this^ question, and the answer is...they've kinda formed a 'link'/'connection' between them through the Force, communicating/having conversations over vast distances, with one trying to lure the other to their side. We're treated to three different versions of how Ben Solo became Kylo Ren, though none excuse what he's done. Like Rey, I'm sure Kylo's fans will try to see the 'conflict'/'good' inside him, but at this point he's virtually unsalvageable as a character (the one *good* thing he does involves Snoke, who's more interesting in the flesh than as a hologram, which I liked...but that's about it).
Adam Driver shows more sides to Ben/Kylo than he did previously, and is good at conveying different emotions, but when it comes to him being the 'main villian', his tantrums/shoutiness needs to be reined in if he's to be taken seriously. He's no Vader, but rather a 'fanboy'. 'Reylo shippers' might think they're getting what they want, but as Luke says to Rey at one point, "This is not going to go the way you think!" (the look Rey gives Kylo as she shuts the Millennium Falcon's door in his face pretty much says it all).
Speaking of Rey/Luke, this movie has a couple of 'firsts' involving their characters. One being that we pick up exactly where we left off with them in TFA (something none of the other films have done), in quite an amusing way, and the other being that we get multiple flashbacks. Old crotchety Luke isn't the Luke we remember, but flashbacks help us see why he is the way he is now. He doesn't make things easy on Rey, refusing her multiple times, making her sleep outside his hovel, swatting her hand with a leaf and just generally being about as 'fun' a mentor for her as Yoda was for him...perhaps even less so (though he's awesome when it counts).
Daisy Ridley continues to show much promise in her important role to the saga as Rey, displaying conflicting emotions convincingly and playing well off Mark Hamill's Luke. They even get a few funny moments too. Regarding the movie's humour, there's certainly a fair share of it to ensure that proceedings never get too 'grim'/'dark'...though not all of it works. Some moments involving John Boyega's Finn feel like they're from the prequels (which isn't a good thing). However, when he's given more 'serious' moments, Boyega does what he can with them.
Part of what makes Finn's journey in this film less interesting for me is that he's separated from Rey, which is a shame considering the two of them had so convincingly developed a quick/believable camaraderie in TFA. Their reunion shows just how much of a mistake it was to keep them apart, since they're very good together (not in a 'romantic' way, but a 'platonic friendship' way). This time Finn's paired with his very own fangirl, Rose. Kelly Marie Tran is fine in the role, and Rose endeared herself to me when she (along with Finn) rescued the horse-like creatures called Fathiers, but hers and Finn's storyline feels very disconnected from the rest. Rose's sister, Paige, was much more interesting/awesome.
Oscar Isaac's Poe remains as smart-mouthed as ever, but when it's directed at Domhnall Gleeson's General Hux (who still hasn't improved since TFA), it's definitely warranted, since Hux remains the butt-monkey of the universe. Poe's occasionally irritating (at least he finally gets to meet Rey and they have a 'moment'), but thankfully Leia's there to show him who's boss. Regarding the late Carrie Fisher, she gets some great moments as Leia, and fans should be pleased with the Leia/Luke reunion (and her hug with Chewie, making up for the lack of one in TFA). There are some really good emotional moments with her and a heartfelt message at the end of the movie.
Some new characters prove to be more than what they first appear (such as Laura Dern's Vice Admiral Holdo), while others (like Benicio Del Toro's character) really add nothing much to the story. Apart from the previously mentioned Fathiers, there's a bunch of other new critters. Porgs aren't Jar Jar Binks levels of annoying, but rather on par with the Ewoks. I really liked the Crystal Foxes/Vulptices (plural of Vulptex).
There are some good action scenes, memorable moments, nice shots/visuals, and a lot of things to like about the film. However, there's also some unnecessary stuff. Especially irritating for me was how it felt like we'd reached the film's natural conclusion...only for it to continue on for another completely unnecessary minute. They had a good ending, but messed it up (how I HATE 'Broom Kid'! He's almost 'Kid Anakin' levels of annoying). That's why, as much as I'd have *liked* to, I couldn't enjoy this film quite as much as I enjoyed TFA.