Watching a second time got me past the critiquing fanboy stage and allowed me to just sit back and appreciate the movie for what it was. And for the most part, it was very, very good. I'm now certain that I liked the Leia Force flight scene. It was a very poignant moment, and was bolstered by the fact that we saw Leia using the Force, albeit passively, at several points in the film. That said, the only part of the movie where I actually teared up was at Leia's and Holdo's parting, though that may have been due to reading this week that Carrie Fisher herself script-doctored that scene.
I think what I liked the most about the movie this time was that each major character had a defined arc. By the end, Rey, Kylo, Poe and Finn had all been through experiences that will help shape them going forward.
Rey has learned the nature of the Force and her importance to the cause of the Resistance. She's also learned that she is capable of more than she'd previously considered. Like Luke in the OT, she now knows that the burden of harnessing her power for the greatest good is on her and is not dependent on anyone else (i.e. Luke). Will she be the one to bring the Force into balance? It certainly looks that way. Although I also kept a close watch on the symbolism in the film, particularly the mosaic on the floor of the first Jedi temple. That thing is showcased a number of times. I'm still curious what it will end up representing.
Kylo, in destroying Snoke, has assumed the agency he has so desperately craved, but still feels an emptiness he can't quite overcome. I still think it's possible that he can be redeemed because he's so obviously tortured by his nature. Can I just interject here that Adam Driver is absolutely killing it in this role? He brings a nuance that is difficult to achieve. Far from just the petulant child, he is in fact a torn and dismantled soul and he plays that out in every second of screentime. It's amazing to behold.
Poe has learned what it means to be a leader. It means patience, compassion and sacrifice. The look that Leia gave him on Crait when he led the survivors to their escape was very telling. In that moment, she knew that he got it. He finally understood that being "the hero" wasn't important. He learned this both from his failures and also from Holdo's sacrifice. He probably grew more than any other character in the story from start to finish.
Finn learned from Rose that running away from your problems never solves anything. He took her courage (as just a "regular person" with no special training, no status) and learned from it. Her resourcefulness and pragmatism saved him more than once from decisions he would have later regretted, or that would've cost him his life for nothing. I'd also note that I have much more appreciation for Rose after this viewing than I did after the first. Hell, I even enjoyed Canto Bight this time around.
In short, every character of note is set up to be much more interesting in IX than they were at the beginning of TLJ. It's hard to ask for much more than that.
