I think you might be hyperbolizing a bit as the majority of the criticism around this film was about the pacing and tone, not the cultural implications. Film critics get almost no respect from average audiences for the work they do, which is to critically analyze a film that they would very much like to enjoy. I would also point most academic film studies/theory approach is from a valid sociological POV (ie Marxist theory, feminist theory, queer theory etc) and has been for decades, which has seeped into popular criticism. Still I think you'll find most critics are really just aiming to express if they enjoyed a film and if it's worth your time.
IMO film criticism is valid and necessary for every film, but I fully understand there's films where you don't want to think about them critically at all. I will never begrudge someone for saying SW is a perfect example of those types of films, but many of us do like to be critical about them.