Just got back from a 2nd viewing, and I saw a few new things.

1st the music was more noticeable than last time with some good scores. 2nd the system that the weapon destroyed was the HA-Z-EN system(don't know how they spell it), and it seems that the Resistance, just thought the Republic fleet(or the part of it in the area) was gone not the whole Republic government.

3rd The First Order is using a new kind of Star Destroyer, rather than the Imperial Class from the original trilogy. 4th in Rey's vision when she picks up Luke's lightsaber at the end it sounded like it could be Snoke's voice, or the old man's that gave poe the map at the beginning.

Still a great movie, with the common complaints being the ones that can be offered about every movie and nothing else too major. I don't want to wait two years for episode 8

I don't think that TFA will be seen as only a remake of ANH in the long run. there are enough differences that it should stand, even if its not remembered to be as good as the Original Trilogy, but that was always going to be a hard goal. Some/most of the scenes that look like they are from ANH feel more like their honoring the movie rather than remaking it.

As for the escape scene I just watched it a few hours ago and the First Order bridge crew said their turbo-lasers had been destroyed after the escaping fighter fired on those two turrets. I'm quite certain now that ship was not an Imperial-class star destroyer.

In the end I think that they way Lucas had written the story for star wars movies will be very different from the way Disney is going to write the stories, it might take some getting used to.

After another rewatch:

The score is actually okay, but there is nothing "memorable". The only things which actually stood out were the OT themes, as said before.

For the superweapon firing and everything around it I still find nonsensical. They use the term "lightspeed" a lot more than any other SW film, I'm guessing that "Lightspeed" and "Hyperspace" are interchangeable... moving at light speed it would still take FOREVER to travel around.  I figured that as the weapon fires through hyperspace, that's why Han saw it as it was near a Hyperspace route? I never got the feeling that they were in the same system(if there's a source stating otherwise, please correct me). Yes, we see the planets blow up from wherever Han is but I'm going to put that down to the direction as opposed to them making sense.

The Republic "Fleet" seemed to be about a dozen bland tiny blips, looked more like merchant ships or something, so I'm still dissatisfied with that. Later on the rebels refer to their 2/3 starfighter wings as their "Fleet", which feels like a massive misuse of the term.

On the rewatch again it looks like Kylo gets his hand or at least a limb cut off in one scene, but in the next cut we see him with both hands.  I was paying specific attention this time and it did not look like part of his outfit or anything.  Looking forward for clarification on that front.

Defo convinced that Ray is of Skywalker lineage. A younger Solo or a Skywalker, but defo a relation. There's just something super weird about the meeting she has with Leia + that lightsaber stuff.  Bandus theory of a mind wipe of some time I think has merit.

Regarding Ray kicking pie with a Lightsaber, remember that Ren has just been shot with the Bowcaster. The bowcaster we saw Han go "woa" to and blow things to pieces multiple times in the movie. They were making a point in saying that that thing was powerful and Ren was still able to put up a decent fight after being hit by it dead on. At the point he got overpowered was when he had his guard slightly lowered as he did the "join the dark side" stuff too, not sure he was expecting such a ferocious counter attack to come from the opponent he'd pretty much already beaten.  The next fight we see from him I think will be a lot better.