>However, combined with Episode 7 and as part of the larger
>Star Wars story, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. It
>renders most of 7 useless and pointless, since 8 gleefully
>subverts or ignores everything that film set up. Given how
>average 7 is, that isn’t the worst thing, but it does mean
>that these 3 aren’t going to feel as connected as the
>previous two trilogies did.
>
See I liked this. 7 just felt like a soft reboot of A New Hope. So Ep 8 subverting it was the best way of saving it from just being a repeat of Empire Strikes Back.

>Plus, there’s just too much in the story that is unexplained
>and/or seems implausible. How did the First Order obliterate
>the Resistance so quickly? Why is Rey so powerful with no
>training?
>
I actually liked these parts too. First it established that the First Order unlike the Empire is no joke. They are a huge military force with plenty of resources and more than strong enough to wipe out the significantly smaller, less powerful Resistance. It made the stakes higher whereas in the OG movies beating the Empire never really seemed in doubt.

As for Rey, I think the whole movie and part of Ep 7 was establishing how much raw power she has. In fact doesn't Luke outright say that? In fact I think that's what Rey and Kylo have in common. A scary amount of raw, unfocused power. And let's be honest, even in A New Hope Luke was able to blow up the Death Star using the force after very little training (in fact, isn't it just one scene of him in the Falcon sparring with a blast shield on?).

>Finally, a true old man comment: there’s just way too much
>going on in this movie. Fewer plot points with more
>development of the ones that remain, please.

Frank kind of pointed it out, and on my second viewing I agreed: there's a lot going on, but it ALL is to develop the main theme that the little nobody can be the hero. You've got Snoke, Kylo, Leia, Luke all seeming to be the major forces at work in the war...but then it's the little guys that step up and try to save the day: Ren, Finn, Rose, Poe, etc. You have the First Order on one hand, the Resistance on the other, and the rich profiting off of both...but then the underdogs come up to take the lead. I think it was intentionally all a changing of the guard.

I also imagine people had the same problem with Empire. Luke with Yoda, Han and Leia, Han and Lando. Luke's heritage...