TFA was never going to please every Star Wars fan. There are a couple of things I could nitpick about the film (missed opportunity to develop Phasma at the battle on Takodana, a joke or two that didn't quite land well for me), but really the only legit criticism I've heard is that it replays too many beats from the OT. I disagree that they're too similar and too many, but I can understand where the criticism is coming from.
Even so, there's a pretty wide consensus that TFA got Star Wars back on track after 30+ years of of being MIA (or worse). TFA did a masterful job of establishing new characters and passing the baton, and I don't believe that anyone could have done better. None of the films that follow will be under as much pressure or scrutiny as TFA was.
all true, and i am one of those who think it replays too much from ep4
really the fundamental message is that these movies are not like the prequels. ---
And when the hourglass has run out, eternity asks you about only one thing: whether you have lived in despair or not.