Quote:
Originally Posted by Hammock Parties
I disagree 100% - Abrams just got lazy.
A creative screenwriter could have created a believable plot, with Kylo as the bad guy, eventually feeling conflicted because of Leia's death, and unable to control the monster of the First Order he had created.
You already have the setup there with Hux hating Kylo and wanting him out.
First Order turns on Kylo, he turns back to the lightside, teams with up with Rey and sacrifices himself for the good of the galaxy, since he's basically unredeemable anyway (audience would never buy it).
In the hands of a competent writer you can spin that into a satisfying ending.
Unfortunately it was in the hands of Jar Jar ****ing Abrams, who gave us PALPS BACK NO EXPLANATION AND LOL THEIR FLEET COULDN'T TAKE OFF IN TIME
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While I didn't like Palpatine being brought back either, I don't think Kylo as the bad guy would have worked. There's no sense of danger from Kylo as Rey had beaten him before she ever trained. Now after having time to train we're somehow supposed to feel a sense of danger when she goes to fight someone she's already beaten.
That basic plot would have worked well. (and honestly that's pretty close to the plot we got, Kylo turned back to fight the Final Order monster he created by joining with Palpatine) The problem is there has to be someone left to fight that provides some sense of danger against Rey & Ben, who have been shown to both be very powerful force users. Snoke would have worked well, but Rian Johnson took care of that. JJ could have set Kylo up better by not having him defeated by someone who'd never used a lightsaber, so he's not blameless either. But the plot specifically with Kylo turning requires there to be a threat for them to face together that doesn't feel like a forgone conclusion.
There were no characters that feel like they could reasonably fight Rey & Ben. Hux was painted as completely ineffectual, allowing Poe to stall him leading to a dreadnought being destroyed & the rebels to escape on their low speed chase in the first place. Now we're supposed to feel danger from him leading the First Order? So you're left with bringing back an existing character like Palpatine or create a new big bad and somehow establish them as a threat and be destroyed all in one movie.
I really wonder what Rian Johnson had planned as a 3rd film after TLJ. Where he left off with TLJ definitely left whoever directed episode IX in a difficult position. I mentioned the other day (in a different thread) I rewatched TLJ & it actually isn't as bad as I had built it up into my head. As a standalone film it wasn't bad. It just doesn't work as act 2 of a trilogy IMO