In Defense of Episode VII

Rating: 9/10 (6 January 2016)

I've seen a lot of 1/10 ratings on here. So many that I felt I needed to actually create an account and defend this film.
I am a Star Wars fan but I'm not such a fan that the films aren't without criticism from me. In fact, some of the prequels I found absolutely appalling (Episode II, especially), but this is not a commentary on the entire Star Wars saga...
That being said, I had serious doubts about this film before its release because the overall story of the original 6 is amazing. In essence, it is the tale of the rise and fall of Anakin Skywalker. We see him as an innocent boy becoming the powerful, and evil, Darth Vader and ultimately his return to the light. Putting aside feelings about any one episode, that character's journey is interesting and engaging and it makes the first 6 episodes appealing as a collective work. This was the reason I had my doubts about Episode VII: no Vader. With Vader's demise at the end of Episode VI, I really couldn't see where this particular Star Wars story could go. I was afraid this would simply feel like an expensive film production of some cheap expanded universe novel. It put me on edge but after seeing the film my fears were put to rest...
Now, to address some of the repeating complaints from the 1/10 reviews I've seen:
First: Starkiller Base. Some say it's a knockoff Death Star...and they'd be correct. Why is that such a bad thing? It makes sense that the remnants of the Galactic Empire would take the idea of the Death Star, the "ultimate power in the universe", and attempt to improve it and upgrade it. Starkiller Base is just that. A Death Star on steroids. This is the most logical step for the First Order: improve upon the Empire's greatest and most destructive of weapons. Could Abrams have written in a new super weapon capable of destroying entire star systems that was completely different from the Death Star; sharing no similarities what's so ever? Yes. Would it have made a difference? No. A super weapon is a super weapon.
Secondly, and building on the first point: how Starkiller Base is destroyed. It was too similar for some to how the Death Star was destroyed (both times, in IV and VI). The Resistance fighters must fly a certain path to hit a certain target. And how is this problematic? That's a typical airborne, military sortie. Fly in, destroy target, RTB. If we accept a massive, planet sized super weapon, then an airborne sortie is the best option for attack. It makes sense that a surgical air strike would be utilized by the Resistance to destroy such a globally scaled installation.
Third, and finally, the saber fight(s) between Kylo Ren and Finn/Rey. It should be noted that before either duel Kylo Ren was injured and losing blood, and therefore not fighting at 100%. Now, addressing the Kylo/Finn fight: Finn loses...rather decidedly. In fact, he's fighting for his life by the end of the film. He was hardly a challenge for Kylo, even with his injuries. So the issues some people have that Finn could hold his own against a saber-trained Kylo Ren are unfounded. (As a side note, Kylo is not a Sith as far as we know. The Sith died with Vader and Palpatine. He's a Knight of Ren. He was/is not a Sith apprentice. The Sith are officially extinct, unless there's a major plot twist to Episode VIII.) Addressing the Kylo/Rey dual: Rey defeats an injured, exhausted Kylo Ren. Admittedly, she does go from barely competent to saber-master faster the the Millennium Falcon can make the Kessel Run. In the same breath, however, I don't ever recall seeing Luke Skywalker saber-train (substantially, anyway) and he still held his own against Vader in V and was a saber master by VI...all without a teacher. Rey has more weapons experience than Luke ever had; she carries around a staff, which she clearly knows how to use. It seems a rather small step from staff to saber...especially if you're strong in the Force.
This episode makes sense as a seventh piece to a nine part story, and is as clear and concise (except the very end, which is why this isn't a 9/10 for me) as any other episode, and more so in some cases. To reiterate: this is simply one episode out of nine! It is most likely by design that we don't know much about Supreme Commander Snoke, or Rey's past, or all of the other details people on here are complaining about not getting...because we'll get them in the next 2 episodes. If this was the last Star Wars film ever to be produced, then I'd agree with the 1/10 votes. This film has its issues for me, a self proclaimed Star Wars nerd, but there's no "Jar Jar" character(s) and the CGI is complimentary rather than cartoonish. Is it a perfect movie? No. But it's certainly better than 1/10, even in the Star Wars film universe. I mean, Episode II is arguably the worst and it's even better than 1/10, in my opinion.
It's all a matter of opinion, but certain complaints I've seen on here don't seem to be based on solid observations of the film, the main ones being those I have just addressed. I could see a non-Star Wars fan giving this a 1/10 (and even then I find that difficult to believe) but for those that call themselves fans I find it surprising to see so much hatred for the seventh installment of this iconic film franchise.