I realize that contributing to this thread is almost certainly an exercise in futility, but here it is:
There is no such thing as a perfectly plotted film. Films are similar to dreams, in that their primary value is in generating an emotionally compelling illusion. Thus, plot holes and conveniences are only a problem when they break this emotional illusion.
It is in the strength or weakness of its emotional content that a film succeeds or fails, since people rationalize any experience which they find emotionally compelling, regardless of its internal logic. So the extent to which people are defending the conveniences of ANH while disparaging similar conveniences in TFA speaks to the differing levels of emotional investment in these two films.
Now does TFA lean on convenience more than ANH? Yes. That is one of Abram’s weaknesses as a storyteller, and the fact that the script was rushed and cobbled together at the last minute rather than being worked on for several years like that of ANH definitely shows. TFA is a frustrating film, at once more energetic and spirited than almost anything else in the Star Wars saga, and at the same time less logical and less ‘earned’. I don’t think it is particularly valuable to compare the levels of convenience in ANH vs TFA since TFA has lost on that count, but I think it is valuable to talk about the emotional arc of the film’s protagonist, Rey, since emotion trumps logic in film every time.
So what about TFA’s final duel? The fact that so many people have a problem with Rey defeating Kylo Ren while simultaneously accepting Luke’s ‘One in a million’ shot at the end of ANH speaks to a failure of emotional investment. Rey is established through her actions to be a competent fighter and a quick learner who is unnaturally strong with the Force, so logically her victory over the wounded and emotionally unstable Kylo Ren makes sense. However it FEELS off, like we are being asked to accept too much. In ANH, Luke’s journey from his acceptance of the quest at the end of act 1 has been building to the moment of truth, where he learns to let go of machines and even his own senses in order to succeed. It doesn’t make sense logically, yet we accept it because it feels RIGHT. So why does Rey’s moment feel unearned? I think that it is because she begins to win the EXACT MOMENT when she fully accepts her latent ability.
Remember that in ANH Luke chooses to trust the Force over a minute before he takes his shot. During this minute he has to reassure the base that everything is alright, then R2 is hit, then he is saved by Han Solo and Chewbacca. Only after all of these events occur is he allowed to take the shot, during which time the audience has had time to process his decision and become invested in his gambit. Contrast this with Rey’s immediate Force powerup and the difference is striking. Rey first pulls the sword from the snow (or stone), an event with Arthurian association which is filmed to surprise the audience as much as Ren. Just as we are recovering from the shock of her power, we are given another surprise as she taps into the Force at the exact moment it is required. At no time is the audience allowed to process the events which are taking place, so it feels like two titans battling for domination, and who are only parted when the earth itself splits asunder. After this Rey can only be a force of nature, not a mere mortal as Luke was even at the end of ANH.
Now this doesn’t mean that I didn’t like this scene or the film in general. If they expand on this Arthurian take on the hero while also exploring the more weak and human nature of the villain it will be an interesting inversion of the original trilogy. Here’s to hoping that it happens.