I thought there was a new hope but my hope has been destroyed

Rating: 4/10 (19 December 2015)

Let me start out by saying I love Star Wars, I love what JJ Abrams did with the new Star Trek. I had very high hopes for this film. I also would have forgiven pretty much anything if it was just a decent movie (logical script, decent acting). But JJ you broke my heart. The prequels were better, and I hated the prequels. Phantom Menace was yes (cringe, I really hate saying this) better than this film. Here is why the prequels were better 1. Prequels had more respect for what a Jedi is, to a be Jedi you had to be gifted in the force and most importantly train for years to be one. In Star Wars the Force Awakens this is thrown out the window, if you all of a sudden find out you have the force you can a) resist a Sith Lords interrogation b) you know and can use Jedi mind tricks on storm troopers c) defeat a Sith who was previously a Jedi trained by Luke Skywalker. 2. As much as it pains me to say this, the prequels had better plots and better acting. The prequels had original plots that were not completely obvious. Liam Neeson had a presence that nobody in this new film had. Christopher Lee and Ian McDiarmid were much better villains and even worse Hayden Christensen was better than Adam Driver (I think I am going to cry now, I didn't think there could be a worse performance in a Star Wars film and I like Adam Driver). Adam Drivers Kylo Ren started out really good, that first scene was good, but then he proceeds to have temper tantrums where he slashes computers. As bad as Adam Drivers Kylo Ren was the worst was Domhall Gleeson, who I also have loved in other films (ex machina), his General Hux was so bad it was hard to watch. When he screamed out as the Starkiller sent out the killer beams it was reminiscent of a high school senior giving a graduation speech. He was really poorly cast, the general of the first order should have been cast with someone with more gravitas. Just think if they had used someone like Ian McKellen, or Ian McShane or anyone older than 50. That part really needed an older actor. 3. The prequels had much better lightsaber battles. As much as I loved the new red lightsaber that Kylo Ren had and my god the lightsabers looked so cool, but no one knew how to use them. The lightsaber battles were reminiscent of watching the fake battles at a medieval fair. The last lightsaber battle scene had such potential, a lightsaber battle in the snow, think of the possibilities (snow flakes sizzling off of a lightsaber). What is worse is that they could have been better, sooo much better (Genndy Tartakovsky's "The Clone Wars" but live action).
A couple other final points A new deathstar called a starkiller, really? How did the first order manage to hide this from the rebels and the republic for so long? Why didn't the rebels take it out earlier? You are really going to kill Han Solo in the first movie? I know every one is following the game of thrones theme of anyone can die, but this was a terrible choice. This really didn't work, if I was supposed to hate Kylo Ren for this I didn't, I hated Kylo Ren because he was a terrible character.
Words cant describe how disappointed I am with the new film. I'm done with you Star Wars, I thought there was a new hope but my hope has been destroyed.