With this post I take a break from my regularly scheduled economics programming to express some sadness. The subject of my sadness is Star Wars, specifically The Last Jedi. Star Wars is one of my few guilty pleasures. I grew up with the original trilogy, and I’m a fan. Not an Ultra Passionate Fan, as Mark Hamill would say, but a fan nonetheless. Like many, I went to see The Last Jedi on opening night. Like some, I left the movie theater disappointed, angry and sad. Admittedly, far more disappointed, angry and sad than a grown man should be after a movie. Alas, that was the power of Star Wars, or perhaps the weakness and immaturity of me.
I’d like to try to explain to all of you why some people (including myself) are so angry about this movie as I believe I am more or less representative of this demographic. For full disclosure, I am a 42 year old, clean shaven (no neckbeard), married (I do not live in my parent’s basement) white male. You can call me a fanboy or not, I have no idea what that really means.
This is not meant to be a movie review. There are countless of those out there on the internet, some made by folks far more knowledgeable about movies and far more knowledgeable about Star Wars than I. Having said that, let me begin with the following (with minor spoilers). As a standalone modern sci-fi/fantasy/action big budget blockbuster, The Last Jedi was good though certainly not great. It had some major plot issues, underdeveloped characters, a boring 2nd Act, misplaced humor and too obvious political correctness. But it had fewer issues than most other contemporary sci-fi/fantasy/action big budget blockbusters.
On the flip side, it had some terrific scenes, awesome visuals (Superman Leia notwithstanding), great music (mostly legacy melodies) and was far more thoughtful, surprising and original than most other sci-fi/fantasy/action big budget blockbusters. In a nutshell, it makes perfect sense that critics and most audience members are overwhelmingly positive. (As the middle chapter of a trilogy, there are some additional and significant issues with The Last Jedi, but they are not pertinent to this discussion.)
So why the intense hatred? It has nothing to do with Snoke’s lack of a backstory or Rey’s anonymous parents, as some have suggested. It does, however, have to do with fan expectations as others have surmised. In short, the movie mocks the Star Wars I grew up with. It makes fun of the mythology, it negates everything about the original trilogy (The Force Awakens is equally, if not more guilty here). Our heroes are back where they started, having accomplished nothing. Most importantly, The Last Jedi obliterates the character of Luke Skywalker that I’ve known for 40 years. In doing these things, it mocks, makes fun of, negates and obliterates a small part of my own life. Director Rian Johnson isn’t just saying that the Jedi are fools. Or that Luke had been a fool. Or simplistic good vs evil is foolish. He is implicitly saying that I have been a fool for being a fan. That hurts.
Now, you can tell me that I’m immature, that I need to grow up, that Star Wars is just a meaningless B-movie/space opera with cheesy dialogue. You would be right. But that doesn’t negate the fact that after seeing the The Last Jedi, I do feel an emptiness and a betrayal for having been a Star Wars fan for my entire life.
I need to explain what made Star Wars so special to so many (more special than any other movie or book series in entertainment history). There are three things: 1) the enormous world building/universe, 2) the mythology/religion that is as interesting (and of course as unrealistic) as any mythological stories here on earth and 3) the characters. The first two are obvious but let me explain the characters.
Star Wars created perhaps the greatest villain in movie history (Darth Vader), perhaps the greatest, and second greatest Wisemen (Yoda and Obi Wan) and one of the greatest AND most relatable superhero protagonists in Luke. That he is relatable is crucial. All of us were at one point (or perhaps for some readers of this site, will someday be) whiny, impatient, impulsive, bored teenagers who need to grow up. We ALL wanted to be Luke. (As a side note, this is not so for Rey and it has nothing to do with her being a woman. She is NOT relatable because she is already perfect.) Luke is a landmark and should have been treated as such.
Having said all that, I suspect that the majority of fans with similar views to my own are about my age, and grew up with the original trilogy and not the prequels. The reason is that the prequels (which were generally lousy movies) already began the process of changing (ruining) Star Wars. It hurt the mythology (midichlorians,etc.) but more importantly it damaged two of the three great characters of the original trilogy. It made Yoda (and the Jedi) seem like idiots. And it turned Vader into a whiny brat (or more accurately, turned a whiny brat into Vader for no good or comprehensible reason).
But, and this is important, it did two things right, and this is why we can forgive or ignore or even enjoy the prequels. It did not impact our real hero, Luke. And more crucially, the movies enormously expanded the Star Wars universe (not always, but mostly for the better). And this is why the prequels, as bad as they were, are still an integral part of Star Wars.
The Force Awakens (which was really a reboot, not a sequel) and more importantly The Last Jedi fail to be Star Wars, in my opinion. Or at the very least, they substantially decrease the essence of Star Wars rather than increase it. They make the universe seem small, not large. Most planets are copies of those seen in prior movies. The First Order and Resistance are essentially just smaller versions of the Empire and the Rebellion. Second, the new movies (specifically The Last Jedi as I already mentioned) blatantly destroy the mythology of Star Wars and the Jedi. Third, the characters are weaker, and less relatable copies of the originals. Lastly, Star Wars is meant to be escapism from the real world (even if it has subtle or not so subtle underpinnings of social commentary). The Last Jedi’s self awareness and cynicism were exactly the opposite.
I am sad after having seen The Last Jedi. I don’t think that’s the emotion that the director intended for many fans to feel. I do think this movie was as big of a failure for the Star Wars universe as it is a commercial success. I will probably see Episode IX out of curiosity but I have zero anticipation for it, something I never would have thought I would say after a Star Wars movie.
Finally, and for what it’s worth, I don’t place the full blame on Rian Johnson. He was dealt the hand that JJ Abrams left him, and he clearly wanted to go in a different direction and make his own movie. I get that. I do, however, blame Disney/Lucasfilm. They decided to make these movies before they had any stories. They clearly had no plan. For all the hundreds of millions of dollars invested in making these movies, and for the billions of dollars of revenue they generate in movie tickets and merchandise, Disney should have had a good story and a real plan for the trilogy. Most importantly, they should have been respectful of what came before and they never should have let fans of 30 or 40 years down the way they did. There’s simply no excuse for that.