Episode VII (spoilers)

[Drich]

I think this actually works. The Jedi order are gone so the new recruits for Sith Lords are relatively untrained. Kylo Ren is also not fully trained by the dark side either. He's a troubled teenager looking for an answer who has been manipulated by the dark side (analogy for Muslim extremism anyone?). If he had the self control then there wouldn't be a question of whether Leia and Hans Solo could save him.

Yeah, but it just wasn't believable that Kylo Ren was a total badass for the entire movie until he gets into a lightsaber fight with a woman that has just discovered she even has Force powers.  He was able to break Poe's will with the force, but then he struggles in a lightsaber fight against a stormtrooper and a noob?  I'm with Anomalocaris on this one.  It just wasn't consistent and left me with a bad taste in my mouth.

..and just who was kylo supposed to be sparing with to make him such a light saber master? Not to point out the obvious but look at the grace and elegant use of the lightsaber fights between obi and vader in E3 verse, anyone in this movie. They are all hacks! kylo has one or two levels of expertise above the either finn or rey. Rey has one lunge/stabbing move she tries 3 different times, which could easily be exploited by a trained swordsman. it obvious kylo is no vader with a light saber. His 'strength' is obviously the use of the force.

which the force requires concentration to use. something hard to do with a big hole in your side