As someone who's more into Disney than Star Wars (I saw the ST in theaters and recently made myself watch ANH, but eh), I found Batuu cold. Nothing about the area itself gripped me; it reminded me of Mysterious Island in TDS but with less water and less depth. Water is a huge element in the theme parks for me, giving MK, Epcot, and AK a boost while still lacking in DHS, and the depth factor matters as well. It's what makes the areas of Animal Kingdom, TDS, and World Showcase fun to explore, while Batuu felt like a chore. A lot of backtracking just to get that falcon shot— never mind, it's too crowded— or locate the Guest Experience team.
I'm not saying Batuu isn't detailed, but for the land's size, it feels sparse. That's where kinetics, entertainment, a musical score, and additional live elements could come in, but they don't, aside from a few roaming characters. I guess you could say the light side and dark side are fully on display: the light being those ecstatic guest who are beaming with glee after scoring Boarding Group 14, and the dark being all the bitter guests who showed up before 5 but the app completely failed them for 40+ minutes as queueing switched to backup only. That was pretty unique.
Rise of the Resistance is very impressive, and absolutely a contender for one of the top family-friendly theme park experiences. There might be a few I'd personally take over it, and there are much bigger thrills to be had (without even leaving the park), but in terms of scale and ambition, full credit is due. In some ways, it captures the spirit of DHS 'greats' that came before it: the Great Movie Ride, Backlot Tour, and even ToT. A worthy signature experience for the park, even if it has a clone on the West Coast.
Ultimately, though, the area lacks emotion and resonance. Even Smuggler's Run doesn't provide the wish-fulfillment it should, due to feeling like a video game (with a very specific story and overly incessant narration) more than a swashbuckling adventure. Some simple tweaks could really give Batuu a boost, even for those of us who aren't attached to Star Wars.