The notion that a film needs to have a main character to be good was always a misguided one. The issue with TPM I think is it doesn’t know who it wants its main hero to be mostly because Qui-Gon in many ways steals away from Obi-Wan’s characterization, and Anakin shows up too late. The problem isn’t that the film doesn’t have a main character, it’s that the two characters who should be the most important aren’t.

Anyway, Star Wars never really had a definite main character. Sure, it’s Luke’s journey and all, but there are arguments to be made for Han or Leia being the main character as well (arguments I used to have on the playground as a kid). Star Wars has always been an ensemble narrative, TFA follows that (and Rey is obviously the main character).

I think the simple fact is that Episode VII was always going to have detractors. Expectations were high, and if it didn’t meet your expectations, you were bound to be disappointed. I think in many ways the nitpicking arguments are essentially just the people who didn’t take to it (because it wasn’t exactly what they wanted) latching on to the little illogical things simply because they couldn’t get properly into the film (not because the little illogical things kept them from properly getting into the film). For someone like me who loved the film, I was somewhat distracted by the little illogical things the first time, but I was able to put them behind me the second time (once I knew they were there) and just enjoy the film for what it was.