Yeah it was somewhat confusing (why did the Senate not restore order after the last movie? Why are the Senate&#x27;s own troops called &#x27;the resistance&#x27; and not &#x27;the army&#x27; or some such?)<p>Then, after a spectacular job of building character in the first few minutes, they all drop back into one-dimensional fantasy characters so the big special-effects show can start.<p>Finally, the weight of the fan-service sort of dragged things down.  Sure its neat to see the old characters and themes - but the magic of this franchise was its breadth of vision. To recapitulate every significant scene from the original movies was lazy.<p>Disappointment is the perfect word.