One glaring issue is the lack of explanation of what the First Order or the Republic is in the film. The audience can’t grow any attachment to the Republic as they don’t understand what it is. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t like some long drawn out speech about what the First Order is or how it come to be. I just would have liked some sort of explanation. Heck, it could have even been in the title crawl.

Maz Kanata. She is probably my only major issue with the film. She doesn’t actually add anything new to the story so I am unsure about her appearance in the first place. It’s bad story telling in my opinion when you have a character explicitly tell you everything that is already implied.

Why does Maz have to tell Rey the lightsaber is calling to her when it is glaringly obvious from before? Why does she have to tell Finn that a lightsaber is a weapon when he has already seen one being used before? Why does she have to explain what the force is when Han already did so 5 minutes earlier in the film?

Furthermore, it ruins the pacing to the movie, she is a character that is given all this time and dialogue, yet is nonessential to the plot in any way.

I just don’t understand why she is a part of the movie to be honest.

Also, don’t get me started on how much the CG stands out for her character when even the random background characters in the film are full practical creatures. This applies to Snoke as well.