Names of things are one thing, but entire characters or things that affect the plot of the movie are important. Yeah you and I know what a dianoga is, but what the creature is called isnt important. Having the strongest user in SW movie history (spanning 7 movies) not having a backstory when things are established isnt an example of being "spoon fed". For the people that knock JJ for his "mystery box" approach, at least he comes up with ideas that COULD potentially be explored. Rian not only snubbed everything out, but didnt bring anything to advance the story. Rebels are on the run and the FO is chasing them. Reys parents arent anyone. Kylo is the Supreme Leader now, who, apparently has the same force abilities as Rey. I just dont see how they are going to make 9 compelling, and tie up loose ends.
I think Ep. VIII left open a lot of new options for ground to cover. Rey's parents aren't anyone, and I don't think they ever were. I think JJ just liked effing with people about this, which is why he made it "mysterious." It wasn't a mystery. She flippin' tells everyone who she is in the first movie! "Who are you?" "I'm nobody." Boom. Done. Right there. She IS nobody. And that's what matters. She's not some destined Chosen One. She's not the heir to the Skywalker or Kenobi bloodlines in any literal sense. She's not the divine reincarnation of Anakin. She's nobody. That makes her heroism meaningful. That makes it important. Rey's nobody, and could've never heeded the call in the first place, or could've turned evil, feeling she doesn't owe the universe or anyone anything. She was abandoned by her junk trader parents for booze money, left to fend for herself, clearly unloved, unwanted, destitute, and hopeless. Rey has EVERY REASON to be deeply, deeply evil, fueled by anger and hatred towards the entire galaxy that stomped on her all her life, and now she's stomping back.
And instead, she's fundamentally good at her core. She shelters BB-8. She fights to get him back to the Resistance. She does what she can to try to stop the First Order. She takes on an evil Force user and holds her own, instead of giving in to his suggestion that he train her. She then
forgives him and tries to find the good in him. Again, she could just say "You're a monster", strike him down, and be done with it. And her entire backstory makes that completely believable. She could've taken up his offer to rule the galaxy beside him, burning down all vestiges of the past, regardless of the cost, and imposing her will on the universe...and again, she turns to the good, rejecting his offer, and opposing him. Not threatening to destroy him, but opposing him; stopping him where and how she can, and helping the Resistance to survive.
She's completely unburdened by prophecy, destiny, or history. She's entirely self-made and self-determined. I think that's
hugely important to her character, and pretty much any pat answer about her family would've undercut that, given how TFA was set up. I
love that her parents are nobody and that she's nobody, because it means that within this fictional galaxy, anybody can become a hero.
As for the rest, again, it's a middle chapter. Middle chapters are for moving action forward -- which this did -- and for developing characters -- which this did. ESB did the same thing. The Rebels were still on the run, the Empire still existed, blah blah blah.
I actually don't see a ton of "loose ends" in the traditional sense of the term. Certainly not of the kind that we had between TFA and TLJ. Instead, we have "loose ends" in the sense of "Where do we go from here?" rather than "BUT WHAT ABOUT ALL THE UNANSWERED QUESTIONS THAT WERE RAISED?!" This film answered most of the "questions" that mattered to the current story. What it left open are possibilities for the future direction of characters and plot.
I guess this is one of the main reasons I'm sad at this point. I can't just look forward to the next one. They took Han's character backwards (had a disappointing kid so he quit the Republic/Resistance, left Leia, returned to being a smuggler, etc.), then killed him off after a couple days of returning to the cause.
Now they've turned Luke into a failed Jedi Master (contemplates killing his nephew, has cut himself off from the Force, massages sea giraffe teats for nourishment, just wants to die, has to be spared by Rey from her wrath) and then KILLED him off after a super-brief (literally like 5 minutes) period of heroics.
I think these characters were handled badly. Had they both lived, I could just say "The End.... until the next one" and hope the next guy tells a better story that allows the characters to face challenges that didn't involve destroying their characters before doing so. But they committed this character assassination, and then killed off the characters.
I'm left not caring at all where the story goes from here.
Here's the thing.
As soon as TFA was announced as having the old actors in it, you should have realized that "happily ever after" wasn't in the cards for any of 'em. If you read your kid a fairytale bedtime story that ends with "happily ever after," and your kid says "And then what happened, Daddy?" what do you tell them? Because the truth, ultimately, is "they got old and died." Not very happy.
I can't speak for anyone else, but I knew that at least one of them was gonna die as soon as the casting was announced. At that point, once I knew that the new films would pick up 30-ish years after the old ones, I knew it was time to make peace with the notion that our heroes would be broken in one sense or another.
Not to go off subject but....
I dont know if I want IX to start the minute after VIII, or a year after VIII.
Some can argue, with the lack of info, it needs to start the minute after. Other can say, enough info.. lets move forward so Rey can do amazing stunts and it would be justified.
I'd prefer it to be maybe a year after, instead of "two days later..."