No. People give the prequels a lot of flack. But I think the story, with Episode 3 especially, positively towers over 7. 3 was a story of corruption from within. About a free people becoming complicit in the destruction of their own democracy to thunderous applause. It was a brilliant story with weak execution. Which, in my opinion, trumps a weak story with brilliant execution every time. That's pretty much how I feel about 7. It's basically an episode 4 retread.
We've seen super weapons blown up by snub fighters on two occasions at this point and they do it again. It's becoming a point of comedy. Disney pulls all kinds of gymastics to make the good guys the "underdog" too, despite the fact that the former rebels basically are the primary power in the galaxy at this point. The First Order are the rebels. But they aren't portrayed that way. How cool would it have been had 7 been about the challenges of going from a hit and run military into a government that works? How cool would it have been for devout imperials to see the destruction of the second death star as an act of terrorism that cost the lives of many of their comrades? Now they're the rebels. Blur the line between rebel and terrorist. It could have been brilliant.
But no. Disney didn't have the balls. They dumbed down what it could have been for the sake of drawing in newer audiences that never saw a Star Wars movie in their life and the film was all the poorer for it. Rey is also way too powerful, using the Force and wielding a lightsaber with skill with basically no training. How cool would it have been for Luke to have made his entrance at the part where Kylo is reaching for a lightsaber with the Force, only for it to fly into the palm of a familiar robotic hand? The camera pans up to reveal Luke's face and the audience would have cheered with applause.
Instead of having Luke make a mind blowing entrance however, they just make Rey god like and have her beat Kylo herself. Luke is relegated to taking off his hood with a blank stare before the credits role. Just meh...
So much wasted potential.