I feel like TFA was a necessary first step/re-introduction to Star Wars for a mass audience. It was a fun, entertaining movie that left us with questions that are to be answered in the future. Was it flawed? Sure, but not so much that people walked out going, "Well, that was stupid." No, instead, we, the public, were eager to go a second or even third time to see if there were any clues about the future and to enjoy the ride again. And, we were introduced to new characters for the future Star Wars movies.
If they had produced a film like R1 for TFA, would it have captured the imaginations of the younger generation? I tend to think not. I think fewer kids would have gone (if it had the gritty feel of R1) and fewer would have enjoyed it.
I guess
@lockedoutlogic, you would argue the entire TFA story needed to be stronger - completely redone. But, I think it accomplished Disney's goal of creating a new generation of SW fans while mostly satisfying the current generation.