December 2017 was the month that comic book nerds everywhere were waiting for. The entire calendar year was packed with highly anticipated, blockbuster films from “Logan” to “Justice League” to “Spider-Man: Homecoming.”
It was a year to remember for those who bask in the glory of this golden age of comic book and sci-fi media. However, the exclamation point on all of it was the December release of “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.” While the film has been a success both commercially—with roughly 1.3 billion generated at the box office—and critically—garnering a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes—it has been one of the most polarizing films in recent memory. This begs the question, why so much hate?
Fans have been split in two opposing sides on this movie, and the gap is massive. It is either one of the best installments of the saga, or by far the worst. I will go on record saying that I love this film. Personally, I think it is the second-best film in the Star Wars franchise. However, I am no stranger to liking films that most people do not. I am of the rare breed that liked “Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice.”
Here’s what perplexes me about the response to “The Last Jedi.” I can see many of the flaws that fans were talking about in “Batman vs Superman.” There were other things I liked and I felt that the good outweighed the bad. With “The Last Jedi,” I don’t see many of the issues fans are talking about as flaws, if I see them at all.
Were there some risks taken in “The Last Jedi”? Of course, and that’s one of the things I liked about it. The first film in this new Star Wars trilogy, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” played it very safe with a plot that was similar in many ways to the first Star Wars film. That was fine for that first new movie. However, some hoped that they would try something fresh in the sequel, which they did. This new film used moments of nostalgia that were reminiscent of “Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of The Jedi,” but nothing plot wise. These were just little scenes, settings, and dialogue between characters. However, one of the major complaints was that the movie was “too different from the originals.” The fans who believe this tend to be the very same ones that believe that “The Force Awakens” was too much like “A New Hope.”
What do they want from these filmmakers? Ultimately, I believe that these are fans of the original trilogy, still fearful that Disney will ruin a staple from their childhood. They are so worried that they are searching for flaws and rejecting any kind of added diversity or new concepts to established Star Wars mythos.
Another component is that “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” created a lot of opportunity for fan theories to be made. From the origins of Supreme Leader Snoke and Rey, to why Kylo Ren killed his father Han Solo, or if he did at all. When these theories didn’t come to be, fans felt betrayed. However, what needs to be understood is that these filmmakers are trying to construct a new Star Wars world for this generation, reminiscent of the one we all grew up adoring. That can’t happen if every little theory comes true. It’s time to sit back, stop rejecting the Disney Star Wars films, and let the force be with us all.