I'm not putting spoiler warnings because if you're in here not expecting spoilers, you deserve to be spoiled; that said I won't be saying anything totally abrupt and obvious. Saw it, I enjoyed it. I'm not into SW much, and thus this is through the eyes of someone that quite literally saw it because it was a good date night and there was nothing else out that looked remotely up my ally. So pretty much like every other SW movie I've seen.
So things that stood out to me as someone viewing the series as such, the EXTREMELY Marvel-esque comedy routine jumped right out at me, some in a great way, but most in a "eh, reaching" way. Nothing that was as cringe inducing as many describe but noticeable nonetheless. Also very surprised they killed off two very (one seemingly, one obviously) important characters in a fairly quick fashion (maybe?). It was awesome seeing the OG shorty master and I thought the way they portrayed him was really perfect; the scene was really touching and introspective (par the course for his scenes) and it was to the point and didn't have too much fan service.
Overall I thought it was really fun. Definitely had some of the greatest sci/fi aerial battle scenes I've ever seen, that initial dreadnaught scene with Poe was just awesome and really set the tone for the action. It's really funny seeing so many people rage like temperamental teens over this though (hardly read the thread at all so I'm not talking about anyone here), and makes me think about series that I care about just as much that I may overreact to or may be jaded and blind to towards certain aspects. Because it's very obvious some people had and held expectations that were never going to be met. That's clear with most hardcore fans of anything, but it truly seems like SW fans just take that shit and get as serious as a fucking heroine addiction with it. And meth. And cocaine. And alcohol. And skooma. Fucking psychos, some of you bastards.
(Seriously though, I've felt the same, it's just funny being on the outside for once; that doesn't happen all that often with me)
Ed: Going through some previous comments. If I had any thoughts on Luke, it'd probably be what Bosk has said. I can see why fans would be confused/angry over his extreme turn in the movie. I can also see how they are abso-fucking-lutely letting their own fantasy of what the character "should" be to them get in the way of what was actually shown in the movies. When you like something so much that it becomes more than just a "whatever" (game/movie/book/song), you fantasize about it and in a way make it your own, tailor it to your own self. Which can be great, but it can also lose what is actually there somewhere along the line. A whole hell of a lot of people had theories that were pulled straight from the very depths of people's asses.
Speaking as someone who has seen the movies a few times and other than playing KOTOR, has no other SW knowledge, I thought the turn was surprising but also could be followed very logically and realistic. The whole problem with it is that we have no info other than the extremely short bursts of backstory we get in the movie itself. There was no easing and transition. Last we saw Luke, he was the shining poster boy for all things Light. Then we're thrown into the current film and he is a totally different character. That'd be jarring for any character and with that much of a time skip. No one in the world, however big a fan, can really say jack about any character change when there is that much of a gap in time and that little info about said change. With what he said in the movie and what crumbs they gave us, it all fits together about as nicely as it can considering that. What's funny is that so many of the people protesting such change always refer back to fantasy scenarios with what Luke "should've" been or what Luke "would've" done, yadda yadda. Again, idealistic thoughts for what they want the character to be. There's really nothing to cite other than...well, the originals, and who the hell can accurately compare a young adult to an old man and with the info of what amounts to a few fleeting moments say "yes, I understand how he became who he is today". Nobody.
Ed ed: Wow I wrote a lot more than I thought I would. Well the movie got me to speak more about SW than I ever have before soooo...