So angry at this movie

Rating: 4/10 (19 December 2015)

I am a huge Star Wars fan, but I hate this movie on first viewing. I need to share some of the reasons. First, without spoilers a few huge mistakes: 1. The lightsabers are terrible. Both the sound and the visuals are changed for the worse, they look like they are on fire, not laser swords.
2. The use of the force comes from training, yet the light side force wielding character in this film has no training, no problem. Even a none adept is able to hold his own with a lightsaber against a powerful dark side user. Really? This essentially minimizes the force to something as simple as concentration and breathing. Anyone can do it if they center themselves.
3. 30 years have passed, but there is virtually no explanation of how the new world works. I can guess, but the point of a movie is to tell me a story, not to tell me parts of a story and make me figure out potential backstories that would make sense of what is going on in the movie. This obviously called for a Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean type production, where 2 or 3 movies were shot at once. Then they could release the backstory movie first setting the stage for the world we are thrust into with no explanation. They are releasing a movie a year anyway, why start with one that makes no sense? nothing is explained in this movie, random events happen and they hope that there is enough fighting and special effects that you won't notice that you can't follow the reason why beyond "I'm the good guy I do good, You're the bad guy you do bad." 4. Adam Driver's emotional scenes are terrible. It makes me think of Anakin in the prequels, where the actor was clearly given bad dialogue and direction to act melodramatically and it comes off so fake and takes you out of the scene. Ren is the worst character since Jar Jar, he may be even worse because of the pivotal role he plays. Jar Jar is a stupid side show to entertain kids. Ren could be seen as the heart and soul of this movie and the character makes no sense. There is no reason given for his actions.
5. The main planet the movie is shot on is not Tattooine, except everything on the planet is exactly the same as on Tattooine.
With spoilers more problems: 1. Another "Death Star" only bigger. The biggest criticism of "Jedi" was the repeat of the Death Star, to do it again is ridiculous.
2. A full five minutes of Rey taking Luke's lightsaber back to him by slowly climbing a hill then standing there for a minute holding it out with neither of them moving, so stupid and boring of an ending.
3. How Han dies. If he redeemed his son by choosing to sacrifice himself to echo Luke and Anakin, or if it wasn't so obvious what was going to happen and that Han didn't see it coming and clearly JJ thought everyone would be shocked just because it was Han and he didn't do enough to make that a surprise or even emotional. One of my favorite characters in all of fiction died and all I could think was, stupid. Ren is stupid and this doesn't make any sense.
4. When Rey fights Ren with a lightsaber the words "the Force" are spoken and suddenly Rey concentrates and is able to defeat a trained warrior that conquered Luke and his Jedi Academy.
5. Stupid misdirection. In the beginning the film tried to manipulate you into thinking that Poe is dead, but it's obvious that his scenes from the trailer haven't happened yet and you don't kill off a main character 5 minutes in.
6. The use of the name Ben for Han and Leia's son. Ben would have had meaning for Luke, not Han/Leia.
7. Why is there still an "emperor" and a republic and a rebellion all at the same time? 8. If the Republic is now leading the galaxy can it really be destroyed with 5 shots from a "death star"? There were thousands of worlds in the Republic that we know of, wouldn't this just take out the government which would be reformed with new election? Certainly bad, but the First Order claims to have destroyed the republic, not the senate.
9. I am guessing that R2-D2 woke up because Rey reached out to the force "awakened" it and that was a signal to Artoo that there was someone ready to come train with Luke. But can't you even explain that small detail? Otherwise there is no real Awakening to support the title.
10. Ren is supposed to be evil, but conflicted. I get it. But why? Why is he evil? Why is he conflicted? Was he turned evil by someone? Are his parents the reason he is conflicted? Can't tell from this movie.
11. Who is Rey waiting for on Jakku? I kept waiting to learn she was a Skywalker or at least something. Stupid! 12. If the Jedi are extinct, why do stormtroopers carry anti-lightsaber weapons and fight with them as if trained? Pretty big coincidence.
13. Why can't Ren sense Rey's abilities? Not immediately, but when a strong user fights with someone who is adept the force is used innately and can be detected (like Qui-Gon and Anakin). That was a given in the Star Wars universe, but he can't tell she is strong with the force until she resists him, partially. Although that skill tends to come with training as well.
14. Why does the X-wing both sink and blow up in the desert? Rey mentions sinking sands, but sinkholes are no selective, Finn should've sank too (and Poe wherever he was). Then underground there would've been no cause for explosion.