To compare the action scenes fro movies made in 70s to movies made in 2015 is not really fair. At the time the space fights in the original movies was cutting edge and blew everyone away. Same thing with the acting. They spend a lot more time on casting and reshooting then they did back then and there was a lot more tolerance for cheesy lines. I will admit the acting in New Hop was only average while Force Awaken was above average but budget more the directing skill is accountable for that.

Look at some of the charters Lucas has created. Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Hans Solo, Chewbacca, Princess Leia,R2-D2, C3PO Yoda, Indiana Jones, Darth Vader, Willow ect ect. Which characters has Abrams created?

If anything the Force Awakens was the plot driven version of this story and that is what I criticized it for. Rey doesn't have a character arc and starts off pretty much the same as she finishes. She learns to use her power and accepts whoever she was waiting for is not coming back but their is not really much in the way of character development. She started a bas ass and finished a bad ass. Finn had a little more development but he still started off confused and ended confused. He biggest flaw is what you dismiss as simple annoying political correctness, he was made to weak in an effort make Rey more dominant. In New Hope on the other is your basic hero's journey and was the characters and the story that made it timeless.

Abrams had great characters in lost and Armageddon but nothing that has iconic weight of the characters created by Lucas.