It's not hard to understand, it just feels completely unearned. TFA is flawed.
That's my main problem with it as well. I mean, it's an explanation that I guess makes sense in the SW universe (pretty sure it doesn't contradict anything), but it feels unearned and like an asspull.
I think that the movie shoves way too many new concepts at you and doesn't justify them before having other concepts build off of them. For example, I could maybe suspend my belief enough to buy the idea that Kylo using the Force on Rey somehow awakened it in her (I'm pretty sure this is the first movie where anything like this happens), if it's the foundation for explaining why Rey is able to use the Force in the movie, then it's a flimsy one (seeing how it was only introduced in this film and I'm pretty sure that none of the other movies even hinted that such a thing was possible). A flimsy foundation could work if it doesn't push the premise too much, but stuff like knowing how to use the Jedi Mind Trick pushed way too hard and broke my willing suspension of disbelief in the character, taking me out of the movie. Like seriously, how does she know how the Jedi Mind Trick worked? It's like someone said earlier, if the Jedi and the events of the OT are just myths and legends to Rey, how does she know about a specific Jedi technique?
Also, if they maybe introduced the idea at the start of the movie, instead of right before Rey needed to use it (I'm pretty sure that her using the JMT to escape is her next scene after Kylo interrogates her), and let the idea have time to simmer, I would have bought it easier. But as it stands, it basically, like with the JMT, introduces a concept right before it comes into play, which makes it feel unearned.
The Jedi Mind Trick isn't mentioned in the movie as far as I remember and should've been, but I didn't see it as too much of an issue given that it happened only after her mind battle with Kylo Ren. And when she escapes, Kylo Ren says this:
Which is a pretty good set up, in addition to Kyle Ren's issues in his fight with her, that ultimately allowed her to emerge victorious.
I think the set up is passable in that case (it's introduced in TFA and as far as I know, there isn't anything like it in previous movies), but there is still
way too little time between the setting up that Rey can use the Force, and Rey actually using the Force (correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure the next scene with Rey after her interrogation is using the JMT). There is a significant amount of time that passes between the set up and payoff in ANH (the Death Star infiltration, Leia's rescue, and the Death Star trench run). With TFA, it feels like it introduces an idea just before the film uses it, making whatever it introduced feel like an asspull.
This is my problem with some of the criticisms. If you can accept that Kylo Ren performs multiple Force skills that we've never seen before at an advanced level with no explanation, why is it that crazy that Rey can do some "easier" Jedi skills as well. Especially because we don't know anything about her past, which just makes things more interesting in my opinion.
First off, a villain being powerful is easier to accept and requires less explanation than if the hero had those same abilities. There's different expectations for each. Villains are obstacles for the hero to overcome, so its easier to accept they are more powerful, since that makes the hero's journey all the more daunting, and makes us more invested to see the hero overcome the powerful villain. The villain being harder to defeat also adds to the stakes, as you wonder what the hero can do to beat such a powerful villain. With the hero, on the other hand, you follow along with them during the movie, and they're the ones you're rooting for, so there's a bit of an expectation that you
see their growth and its explained how they become more powerful. We also expect, because there's conflict in the movie, that the villains are at (or very close to) a point where they can prevail against the hero. The more powerful the hero, the lower the stakes. Take the anime One Punch Man, for example, where the main character's problem is that, since he can defeat anyone in one punch, his fights have no stakes. For ANH, you accept that the Empire has a Death Star, since that's what the plot is about, and you expect the heroes to find a way to destroy the Death Star. You also accept that Darth Vader is powerful guy, and he will offer a tough battle to the heroes. Now imagine if the heroes were the one with the giant superweapon and the powerful badass. In that case, you would wonder why were watching a movie where the heroes curb stomp the villains with no effort.
Secondly, there is an explanation in the film: Kylo was trained by Luke. In that case, since Kylo is a villain and part of the stakes of the movie come from wondering how he will be defeated, it takes less of an explanation to justify why he is more powerful, since him being powerful makes the movie more interesting, not less.
Also, not knowing anything about Rey's past (and the fact that the film teases you with it via the flashback) is one of the most annoying things about TFA. I shouldn't have to watch a future movie to justify this one, just like I shouldn't have to read a book to get a proper explanation about the difference between the Republic and the Resistance, and the state of the galaxy in TFA.
