So I finally watched Star Wars a few days ago. I think overall my impression is positive, but it will depend on Episode 9. But I am afraid that the constant change of director is going to hurt the series. I won't bother putting spoilers that here, considering what's already been written in this thread.
The main good thing was Kylo Ren. First time I saw TFA, I was a bit disappointed about him, but on a second viewing he grew on me, and TLJ just cements that. He is definitely a new kind of threat, compared to all the other Star Wars. He is definitely no Emperor, so the journey feels less epic, but the story threading new grounds makes up for it. His relationship with Rey was the high point of the movie.
Other good things were visuals (hands down the most beautiful Star Wars yet), occasional bouts of humour (though I hope it won't become the Avengers in space), the central plot point about the remnants of the Resistance desperately trying to outrun the New Order fleet (though some details don't quite add up), the final showdown between Kylo Ren and Luke, the discussions both of them have about the legacy of the past (read: previous trilogies).
There were a lot of flaws, though:
-The opening sequence was downright stupid, with the New Order fleet behaving in the most incompetent way and making them look particularly nonthreatening, which made me kind of angry considering that they somehow managed to take absolute control of the galaxy despite the huge blow they received at the end of the previous movie.
-The casino plot was poorly done, unnecessary, or both. The parallels to ANH's den of scum and villainy were cute, but it didn't justify losing so much time there. And how the hell do they randomly run into another codebreaker in jail? And somehow that sideplot is enough to make Rose fall for Finn in a few hours? What the hell?
-Some people were mad that Luke considered killing Ben Solo. I thought that was fine, since it was just a brief moment of hesitation, and he was shown before to have some trouble with the Dark Side tempting him (cf. Dark Cave in ESB, for example). On the other hand, I don't really see him exile himself (yet give people a way to find him?), become bitter at the whole thing, and decide the Jedi way has to end. That just doesn't seem like something OT Luke would do (and definitely not Expanded Universe Luke would do, but ok that's not cannon anymore). Even less so when you consider that ghost Yoda was still appearing to him! Enough that he doesn't look very surprised to see him right before he tries to burn the tree. So, what gives? I would have expected him to right the wrongs he committed, not run away.
-I am bothered by how quickly Rey is becoming proficient at manipulating the Force or using a lightsaber (see the fight against Snoke's guards, or the lightsaber pull against Kylo). Even compared to Anakin, who we would expect to be one of the strongest Force users ever, and who started his training much younger. Eh.
-Are Ren's knights ever going to make an appearance?
-Snoke. I understand that he is not important to this trilogy's overall story, but he is very important to the general mythology of Star Wars. The second trilogy says that there are always two Sith, a master and an apprentice. In RotJ, both the Emperor and Vader die, so there should be no more Sith. Where the hell does Snoke come from? This is actually a large plothole for me. I would be fine with him being Darth Plagueis even, if properly explained, but don't just use him as a plot point, his existence is a huge problem for the mythology. Also, the whole "I see him strike his true enemy" thing was super on-the-nose, but ok whatever.
-Killing off Luke was lazy. I thought it was a cool difference with the OT that the powerful mentor character would survive, and still make a change in the last movie. And then he dies from exhaustion or whatever. Man. Yes, having a character with the power and knowledge of Luke is difficult to write around. But killing him off is the lazy way out of it.
-If Voldo had told people her plan, a lot of trouble would have been avoided. Poe is still kind of an ass, but he seems to be learning.
The movie seems very intent on doing new things, which is fine. Some of it works well (again, mostly Kylo/Rey), so I forgive them. But I would have preferred if they had done so while staying more true to the pre-established Universe.