Awful

Rating: 1/10 (17 December 2017)

Doesn't feel like any other Star Wars movie. The plot is dreadful and full of holes, but that's not the problem, and if we're honest, is forgivable for a Star Wars movie.
One thing about the original trilogy, and even the prequels for the most part, is that they don't consciously reference the ideas "issues" of the period in which they were made. This makes them quite timeless, and brings them down to fundamental concepts- justice, freedom, belonging, greed, etc
Not so this latest movie.
From the opening gag about poor cell coverage, through to the dice over the rear-view mirror of the millenium falcon, to the guilt-trip about eating meat, we get a little time-capsule that is going to fix this film in a certain time period. In 20 years, we'll be saying "oh yes, that's because in those days, sometimes the net would drop out and you wouldn't be able to hear the other person on the phone"
The previous movies are also flawed in terms of gender and racial diversity. But there are female pilots and soldiers and leader, and the occasional flicker or racial diversity, just not enough screen time. It's like it was a better, less prejudiced world, but the camera wasn't always pointed in the right direction.
In this movie, the problem is that, like the cell phone gag, etc, these "issues" are made explicit and current to the Star Wars setting. So we get some ridiculous parable about female leadership (where, bizarrely, the female leader in question doesn't know how to communicate, and just comes across as a terrible command and control boss). Nothing a woman does or says in the movie is presented as wrong. It's up to the women to teach men about love, duty, etc. There's even a #womanintech! Is Disney worried about a backlash? Or is Disney after the wonder woman dollar?
Also, no positive role models for boys. Every male in the movie is evil, destructive, stupid, scared, callous, weak... that's not what I want my boys to aspire to. And, hey, Disney, that's not what's going to make my boys want Star Wars toys ;)
A final annoying thing about the movie. The terrible out of place humour. "A-what-now?" is used twice. The steam irons? "I changed my hair"????
The more I think about it, the worse it seems.
I wouldn't say to avoid it- you're probably going to see it. You probably should.
But I hope someone at Disney will wake up...