I don't know how to use spoiler tags and since the thread title has fair warning I will just post my thoughts.
Kylo Ren is the villain Star Wars has been missing since the Empire Strikes Back. Vader was a tool in A New Hope and a lapdog in Jedi but he was a monster in Empire. Then we meet Kylo Ren and learn Vader blood is bad news.
The pacing was perfect I never once felt like I was bored or wondering what is going on, it wasn't convoluted and busy like the prequels and it wasn't boring and slow like A New Hope. I think Empire was the only one to get the pacing right, Phantom Menace came close second and then A New Hope, the rest were usually too busy then too slow then back to being busy again.
The special effects worked good I think, I liked how it had a modern film look and wasn't trying to look like it was made in the damn 70's like some fanboys wanted. It needed to be believable like this universe could exist and these people really were just living their lives.
The big stormtrooper that everyone was hating was perfectly cast he added so much to the film it otherwise would have lacked, the film didn't necessarily need more "diversity" but there was nothing wrong with that character at all, and I am from Texas where the only toys NOT selling are the ones with his face on it.
Han, wow it was like he learned from the mistakes of Krystal Skull and stepped back into Han Solo like it was yesterday. Chewie was funny in this movie, something that felt a little out of place because I never associated him with humor. But it was the right kind of humor that was not at all annoying, eye rolling, or cursing your existence bad like Jar Jar.
The villains were pure evil, their motive is restore evil to the galaxy plain and simple, wipe out the good once and for all. They fact it didn't even try to hide that the First Order/Empire were meant to be Nazi's was good it showed that the film makers still had their balls in place and Disney wasn't able to castrate this film like people feared they might.
Not the films fault but the theater going experience was sort of ruined heading into a new STAR WARS film only to be forced to sit through a STAR TREK trailer, that was kind of bullshit but whatever. Not as bad as all the commercials reminding the world Disney is perfect and your childhood belongs to them.
The music was weak, it was too safe too familiar I think this film needed some more themes of it's own, the themes it did introduce were great but the important scenes all relied too much on familiar there was nothing as amazing as Duel of the Fates, but there was not Duel of the... wait shut up nevermind.
That brings me to the lightsaber battles, FINALLY done right, not over the top not underwhelming but actually believable and relevant to the story for a change. Even if barely.
The starkiller was awesome I loved it, and the, was that a SUper Super Star Destroyer or an Ultra Star Destroyer? It shows how heavily the Empire/First Order relies/Relied on technology to do their bidding because while the cult of evil was effective, they couldn't reach everyone.
First viewing I didn't like the Han Solo introductory scene it felt too Doctor Who for me, not Star Wars at all. Upon second viewing, after having time to reflect on the whole movie, it still felt too Doctor Who but it reminded me of stuff from the novels that could happen but never did in the films so it was nice to see them actually acknowledging the books they no longer accept as cannon but were okay with taking ideas from.
Rey was awesome, I fell in love with her the first viewing and I want to see more of her. I didn't care for Padme/Amidala because in Phantom Menace it was too confusing trying to figure out when it was her, when it wasn't her, what she was doing, what was her role, why was she so important, etc. In Clones she was better but still annoying until the end when she became almost likeable but all likability went out the window when she tried to seduce pretty boy in Revenge.
Speaking of pretty boy, looks like they wanted someone who had Vader blood in them this time. Luke well he wast first so it wasn't his fault Lucas failed to find someone believable as his father, but Ben Skywalker could easily be the kin of Anakin.
The Yoda of the movie was a little offputting the first viewing, the second viewing I warmed up to it, I am not sure how much it will, was it a she or was that confirmed? In today's world you can't make assumptions, anyways no they did say it was a she, the new yoda, whatever her name was, I am not sure if that will be the new Jar Jar or some throwaway character we don't see again, considering you know, what happens.
The cantina scene wasn't a straight rip off but it was done well enough. It reminded me more of the Jabba's Palace scene but not as bad as the sports bar in Clones. Or the stupid out of place 50's Diner, that was just wrong.
Other than that, well there was just too much to take in all at once. Despite all the reports I didn't spot R2-KT anywhere in the film so they must have hidden it pretty good or else I wasn't looking hard enough. I am also unsure if they stuck to the tradition of throwing THX-1138 references in there like Lucas always did or if they abandoned that to make it their own. It would be sad if they didn't because it would really distance this one from the OT and PT a little but not any more than not having the Fox Fanfare which was actually jarring but it wasn't that bad the second time. I actually would have preferred a Disney castle or something despite not wanting to remember it was Disney just something to fill those 20 seconds that they cut which just dropped you into the movie with no warning, so a minor gripe but there needed to be something equivalent to the fanfare and there wasn't so these films will have to stand on their own.
Overall I loved it and will be going back again.