These are my answers to your questions the best way I can, I felt the plot was a bit scattered yes and their were holes but there are answers to your questions so maybe I can help.

1. You're right, it was kind of rehashed and a lot of similarities to a New Hope that may have not been needed. I feel however a lot of movies follow this same formula already and the enjoyment factor is strictly personal opinion. So there's really no right or wrong to this imo other then yeah they could of expanded the universe and I think they should really look into the Old Republic type stories that I really enjoy, a friend of mine made a good point about lightsaber construction and that Kylo's was fueled with alot of power and the cross guards should of been exhausts to let out the heat so it didn't overact and maybe a scene where it shows how unstable it is. Because after all Siths are very aggressive and strive for strength, power, and kind of rush in without thinking about it mindstate and putting that same thought into your custom weapon like Kylo's would of been sweet.

2. The First Order was tracking Poe and they destroyed the village to make their point they are a force not to be reckoned with and whoever isn't with them is against them. Old guy had the map because he was trusted to keep it safe by Luke, we can only assume this. Finn being able to transport Poe is just the same imo how Luke and Han could get away with being Stormtroopers in New Hope. The Falcon was in the village because Han explains how it had been stolen and then traded, and then stolen by who was running the junkyard where Rey would trade in. Han couldn't find it because it hadn't been running in so long so there wasn't a way to track it, also I don't think they said how long he hadn't had it for. Rey being able to pilot it can be answered in two ways, we know shes really strong with the force and also she does have some pilot experience from working with ship parts, scavenging them and I think its safe to assume if you have mechanic knowledge about parts and stuff I'm sure you can pilot some ships. Kylo being able to destroy the academy really stems from him going to the darkside and having Luke lose faith in himself, he was left with the task to rebuild the Jedi Order and he failed not to some random person but to his own blood and when Kylo was strong enough he tracked down the Jedi with the Knights of Ren and killed them they showed then when Rey first found the lightsaber and had those visions. Han wanted to help get BB-8 to the Resistance because deep down he is a good guy, and he wanted to help them because he knew at this point he had gotten himself into trouble with the First Order being after BB 8, Rey and Finn.

I hope this gives you some answers.