For the first thirty minutes, I was INTO it. I had goosebumps, and smiled quite often. I was enjoying the new characters. I had deliberately stayed away from all previews, and print ads.

Kylo Ren was awesome! I kept thinking, "This is so great!"

I felt like a kid again.

Then it came apart. Kylo Ren turned out to be an Emo, petulant, man-child, prone to temper tantrums. Oh, and a novice kicks his butt with a lightsaber at the end.

J.J. Abrams tried to jam everything into this movie: Including the death of a significant character, that felt like it was thrown in just for shock value.

I couldn't get back into the movie after that. I really didn't care.

What did you guys think?

You can attack Kylo Ren for his behavior but wasn't homicidally taking his anger out on subordinates. In some ways, he has more control of his anger. Unlike Vader, Kylo Ren is constantly battling the pull of the light side. He even admits this in private well talking to Vader's helmet.

As for him losing the saber fight to a novice, there are many reasons why. 1) Kylo Ren's master said during the movie, Kylo Ren hadn't finished his training. So he is also somewhat a novice. 2) Rey was able to resist Kylo Ren's mind probe. Given that and her ability to mind trick James Bond (Damn, that cameo was funny) without training, Rey is a much more powerful force user. I wouldn't be surprised if she turns out to be Luke's daughter. 3) Kylo Ren was still mentally a jumble from killing his father. He was very close to going back to the Light side. 4) Chewie shot him in the left leg, which was still bleeding when the saber fight happens. Rey noticed that and tried to shot him there. 5) Finn managed to cut him on the right arm. Previously, Finn lost to a storm trooper, but Kylo Ren dominated him less. I view that as proof that point(s) 3 and/or 4 was hindering Kylo Ren. 6) Ren wanted to win more because she was more desperate. After she tried to shot Kylo Ren, she was force push and KO'ed. She must have been amazed to wake up alive and even more amazed to find Finn still alive.

I enjoyed the move more than most of the recent prequel trilogy. Certainly better acted and directed.

You can attack Kylo Ren for his behavior but wasn't homicidally taking his anger out on subordinates.

I, for one, thoroughly enjoyed it, whenever Darth Vader took his anger out on subordinates.

"I find your lack of faith disturbing."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zzs-OvfG8tE

Kylo ren wasn't developed to show any conflict. We have to read a lot of that struggle in, it's like Darth's arc across the original trilogy rammed into one episode...and just skipping to the end still.

As for the other, power and skill are two different things. Always has been. Seemed as if you can take the ren story arc, split it in two parts. One part power, the other part skill. He could have ended the battle at the end with fin just by flicking him out of the way.

Kylo ren wasn't developed to show any conflict. We have to read a lot of that struggle in, it's like Darth's arc across the original trilogy rammed into one episode...and just skipping to the end still.

Spot on.

A less-is-more approach would have worked perfectly. I was thinking I was going to leave the theater hungry for more. The ending to The Empire Strikes Back was one of the best cliffhangers ever.

I was expecting that with TFA.

As for the other, power and skill are two different things. Always has been. Seemed as if you can take the ren story arc, split it in two parts. One part power, the other part skill. He could have ended the battle at the end with fin just by flicking him out of the way.

Good point.

I thought The Force would be a big part of the final battle. I thought Kylo Ren would force knock out Finn, like Yoda did with the Emperor's guards. I thought Rey would instinctively start force-throwing objects at Kylo Ren. To have Rey fence with Kylo Ren, and hold her own, was utterly ridiculous. That fight would have lasted five seconds. Try holding your own against a skilled fencer, or somebody who has studied Bushido. Luke got schooled by Darth Vader because he rushed his training.

This deficiency could have easily been remedied, by not rushing things. Luke Skywalker could mold and shape Rey's powers, until she could defeat Kylo Ren.

I mentioned in another thread, that TFA really needed a test audience. The producers were so scared of spoiling the big surprise, they were scared to put the movie out there for critique.

A lot of the complaints with the movie are valid.

There is no way the producers could have pleased everyone, but some of the biggest gripes about the film, would have been easy to fix. It would have been expensive, because of reshoots, but I think the overall product would have been much better.

I'm starting to think that some of us the ragged on the prequels now appreciate the attempt to give original (to the franchise) stories. This was more like a YouTube mashup.