Right on LF!
Man, you got to wonder if the writers of the 2 new Star Wars movies were either total hacks or actually had ideas that were simply overridden by executives who said: “No new ideas. Too risky. Just rehash original films with more politically correct characters…. etc.”
As you say, the thematic arc of: Republic, corruption, downfall to empire, tyranny, then rebellion restoring freedom; was done already Doing it again is just boring, not to mention incomprehensible. No one has yet to explain to me how the “New Order” managed to get up off its feet after the downfall of the Empire. Was the New Republic just totally incompetent? What was the point of the “Resistance” if there was already a Republic? Etc… Etc…
Just think what they could have done if they invested some “original” thought into the new movies?
How about: After the fall of the Empire, we pick up with an older Luke trying to rebuild the Jedi Order and follow all the travails of that, maybe reveal that its much hard than it looks, and a bunch of “students” run off to terrorize and get rich or something off their new powers and Luke and some of his “good” acolytes have to stop it. Maybe reveal that after the fall of the Empire, there is a general hatred of the “force” and “Jedis” for getting the universe in so much trouble in the first place, etc… so that Luke and his students are always under suspicion if not under threat…etc.
Don’t make the follow up movies big space operas but more singular character studies of Jedis, good and bad, and their powers…etc.
Oh wait, I guess that won’t sell toys…