I had many criticisms. Through the beginning it struck me that too many conveniences took place and many events felt contrived. The “force” too was a problem in as much as it is the ultimate superpower with seemingly few limits. Then there was the violent jerk out of the movie whenever Princess Leia would appear. Her dialogue seemed unnatural, her tone often didn’t match that of the other actors, and the clunkiness has a knock-on effect to everything else. Working around a dead lead is not easy, but that doesn’t mean their failure to do so isn’t worth mentioning.
Despite all of this by the end I felt like I’d watched an exceptional movie. Perhaps it was the nostalgia of the X-Wing, or the mere appearance of lightsabers. I think boiling it down to these elements does the film an injustice though - it was spectacular. Emotional. Gripping. The second and third acts also avoided feeling rote and predictable. By the end it had captured me, and I see no sense in denying myself this enjoyment because of the many technical flaws. I recommend we all try to love loving things; it feels great.