I recently rewatched TFA and TLJ (after seeing TROS) and I’d say my favourite is TLJ. While I prefer Han over Luke as a character, I really enjoyed Luke’s scenes with Rey a lot more. We see more of Leia in it than the other sequels too, and watching her actually use the Force was cool. The scenes with Rey, Kylo, and Snoke were really nice visually and the showdown between Luke and Kylo was great. Also the opening bit between Poe and Hux is so funny!
I remember it was a big deal to a lot of kids of color when Lando showed up. For a lot of little girls Leia being a badass no-nonsense type was a big deal too. And it’s known that when blacks were rarely seen on US TV when a black character appeared, especially in non-stereotypical roles, blacks would call family and friends—sometimes long distance—to let them know to tune in. So, yes, people have always wanted to see themselves in media. To pretend otherwise just that: pretending.
I've heard Whoopi Goldberg tell the story more than once about how excited she was when she turned on the TV and saw Nichelle Nichols playing an important role on Star Trek. A character that wasn't a maid or some other stereotype.
TLJ for me. There could have been a few small changes, and Rose's subplot made more sense after seeing deleted scenes. Luke trying to rebuild the Jedi is an interesting notion, as well as his fumble in part created Ren. This ties into Luke's whole life of wanting to tackle Vader before he's ready, et cetera. DJ was a great addition, making one wonder how far ahead of the Resistance the FO was when planting him there. Chewie eating something chewy was a treat, and Luke no longer needs to get his blue milk from the grocery store anymore. (the teal/orange film grading, if not planet's atmosphere and relative light refraction, makes the liquid have a greenish tinge.) Poe vs Holdo and the chain of command is not a bad idea either. But it was trying too hard to deflect expectations for too many things. Still, this one by far had the most plot meat to the new franchise. And Benicio Del Toro was the coup the movie needed as DJ was decent on paper for the most part but he added the needed zeal, which got Finn's hatred of him as a perfect and perfectly acted response. TFA templated ANH a little too much and I almost walked out toward the end where the cut'n'paste became so vulgar. But the new character archetypes and setups appealed, even if a couple of them were rough around the edges. I suppose it was big and daring to make Han a deadbeat dad, but I didn't buy into it. Many teenagers are rebellious and not caused by that cliche. Ren was unpredictable and emotional despite the muppet mask. Finn was a stormtrooper grunt that broke down but they didn't explore it?!! The movie's dropping the ball despite some good character setups. TROS is just Spoiler: Almost forgot to use spoilers a pointless hot mess, with an idea or two that needed to be in TFA instead of a bigger corny deathstar (when a character in the movie laughs at how tacky it is, there is a problem and it's along the lines of "projection", no pun intended...) But no worries, there's a lot of really big corny fake-out deaths Yeah, Luke's fate is a polarized issue for fans. Made worse because of the mishandling of Han's. For me it didn't drag but it didn't need to throw out as much that started in TFA. indeed, they have the big map to find Luke... who promptly wants to be left alone and there's no satisfying reason for that turn of events. The map is a sore spot in that regard. But for an emotional ride, seeing Luke ditch it still worked enough for me despite the otherwise plot point of why such a map might be made, or by whom. Quite a distraction method, isn't it... ^^this I'm pretty certain JJ and Rian don't like each other but if they worked together they would have had a potentially more robust triology.
What about those of us who watch movies and TV shows where none of the main cast, and in many episodes, nobody in even one second in them has the same body parts or skin hue yet we're not feeling like we're missing out? I've had people tell me it's inappropriate to watch shows like that as well and that makes no sense. What, I can't watch a show unless it has white males in it?! Plenty of people also relate to personality similarities or how a group of people with different personalities react in situations. We humans all have more commonalities that transcend body parts and skin color and that's what's most accessible. But are you wrong in your assertion? So let's take what you said and that people do like seeing others who are just like them. Is that the only factor? Hardly. Lots of people also like to relate to personalities similar to their own or types they aspire to be. And mannerisms aren't monopolized by any body part or skin color. And the media, for several decades, has been more and more properly inclusive and expansive. That's a great thing. Nobody I know of is denying that, or the racism and sexism that had existed, long before any of us were born and in many ways didn't exist to the rotten extent it had by the time we were. People need to work together to progress. I'm not sure how that's a problem.