This thread is for The Last Jedi so I don’t want to get too off topic. I really liked The Force Awakens. It follows similar beats as A New Hope except it has better pacing. Episode IV’s first half is horrendously boring. It doesn’t get even remotely interesting until the group gets to the Death Star.
The Force Awakens isn’t without faults though I don’t agree with many of them. Rey being a Mary Sue probably being the worst offender especially when people ignore that Luke shrugged off PTSD, got like two days of training from Obi-Wan, then murdered hundreds of thousands of people using a ship he’s never piloted before and a power he didn’t know was a thing until he stranger-dangered into some old man’s house in the middle of nowhere. If people accept that, I don’t understand why Rey is a problem.
The text of all the episodic films before The Force Awakens supports fluidity in the Force. The mystery is the most intriguing thing about it. Genetics can play a role, power can be inherent and latent, Force-sensitives can use the Force without really knowing they’re using it or that the Force exists etc. etc. Tapping into the true potential of the Force requires actual training. However, some people are just naturally good at things which is rooted in reality. Edith Wharton received no formal education and is considered one of the greatest writers of the 19th century/all time. Joel Embiid didn’t start playing basketball until he was 15, and he’s currently a top 10 player in the world.
One thing I really liked about The Last Jedi is it started shifting away from destiny, bloodlines etc. from the prequels. Even if The Rise of Skywalker walks back on who Rey is, it’s still true. At some point, someone had to discover the Force. They were a nobody. Why not some fucking rando saving the galaxy? That isn’t even new. The Skywalker name in terms of importance doesn’t even go back that far. Shmi Skywalker was a slave at the edge of the galaxy. I’d like the filmmakers to continue exploring that. Anyone can be a hero. Even if they don’t, I won’t lose sleep over it.