Sort of enjoyed it, but......

Rating: 5/10 (23 December 2017)

What can I say, as I don't want to write this with spoilers.....The story line is not consistent with the past movies, but I guess there is nothing new there. It did hold my interest, but Disney sure plowed under a good story, and turned the hero into a spineless loser with a few moments of redemption near the end. I read a number of the not so favorable reviews, and agree with most of them, but I had other issues.
First of all, the movie is way too long. In the end there are so many conflicts, Disney wastes millions of dollars on effects that are totally unnecessary. Just one of those 'end of movie' conflicts would have been sufficient to achieve the same goal, even with their character crushing story line.
Second, the story line really did not acknowledge how much the destruction of the Star Killer base should have hurt the First Order. The rebellion takes out a primary element of the First Order, and it is the Rebellion that is suddenly weakened and vulnerable? Who writes this stuff? Who approves this stuff? I know it is a knock off of the first three movies, so I guess there is going to be another Star Killer Base in the last movie? I know its 'science fiction', but it would be much better if it could be slightly believable.
I do love the characters in the new movie, and I believe the acting to be top notch, but the script really leaves a lot to be desired. Fans new to the story won't mind so much, but those of us that 'grew up' with the original three movies feel as if we were shot in the back, and there are quite a few of us.