It is what Star Wars always has been

Rating: 8/10 (21 December 2019)

I know lots of people are going to be analyzing this film frame by frame to point out all the faults, but why? This film is what Star Wars always has been: a kids movie. Even the original film didn't have Academy award winning acting or a complex story. It was made to wow 8-year-olds. That the story didn't somehow "mature" over 42 years isn't the fault of the movie or the writers. Take your kid or your grandkid, and you'll see that they are still doing what they did when we were kids: wowing 8-year-olds.
The first movie was a simple story and mediocre acting, albeit with groundbreaking special effects for the time. While the rest of the industry has caught up in the special effects department (but their job bringing Carrie Fisher back to life was amazing), this movie isn't really that much different. To the people giving this 1 or 2 stars, I'm not sure what you were really expecting, but it certainly says more about your expectations than the movie itself.
This was one last ride for the 8-year-old in me, to hang out with some old friends, as well as new acquaintances that have been picked up along the way. It was a satisfying conclusion to a 42-year journey.