Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker director J.J. Abrams critiqued The Last Jedi for the way the film answered the major cliffhangers he introduced in The Force Awakens. Abrams was tasked with directing the first movie in the new Star Wars trilogy series and setting the stage for major plot threads and mysteries to be answered in a way that was fulfilling for fans in the follow-up films, then later charged with completing his own saga.
The Force Awakens had the monumental task of kicking off an entire new trilogy of films to enhance the Star Wars universe and provide a worthy ending to the Skywalker Saga. J.J. Abrams introduced audiences to Rey, Poe and Finn as well as asking enigmatic questions which birthed a thousand theories. What would happen when Rey returned Luke Skywalker's lightsaber to the former Jedi Knight? Who were Rey's parents? Where did Supreme Leader Snoke come from, and just how powerful was he? The Last Jedi's director Rian Johnson even teased the question of Rey's parentage would be answered in the movie, making Kylo Ren's ultimate revelation that her parents were nothing more than scoundrels who sold her for drinking money even more of a disappointing letdown for many fans. While Johnson made bold directing and plot choices with The Last Jedi, many of his answers to J.J. Abram's questions left fans feeling cold.
Speaking recently to The New York Times, J.J Abrams elaborated on why he thought fans weren't satisfied with The Last Jedi.
It’s a bit of a meta approach to the story. I don’t think that people go to ‘Star Wars’ to be told, ‘This doesn’t matter.’
Although the director critiqued this one particular aspect of The Last Jedi, Abrams also made sure to emphasize he did admire a great deal about the second film in the trilogy. "[The Last Jedi was] full of surprises and subversion and all sorts of bold choices." Abrams also reiterated he felt The Last Jedi did a superb job of laying the groundwork for his own upcoming film Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
By taking on the directorial helm again with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, J.J Abrams potentially could unveil brand new revelations which will satisfy fans. Abrams has spoken about the importance of ensuring the final movie wraps up things in a fan-fulfilling way which surpasses expectations, and although J.J Abrams himself had a different idea for the answer to Rey's parent mystery, right now fans do not know if he will potentially reveal more about such matters in the final film of the Skywalker saga. With Abram's return directing this last installment and his responsibility for bringing the present trilogy to an epic close coming to an end itself, perhaps the unsatisfactory answers in The Last Jedi will lead to fresh and thrilling moments in The Rise of Skywalker for fans everywhere.
Source: The New York Times