In the original trilogy, we were sure we knew good from bad. A New Hope made that clear to us, but the lines blurred in Empire Strikes Back, when Vader turned out to be Luke's father, and Lando, a seemingly out-n'-out rotter, let us know he had a good reason for giving Han and the gang over to Vader, and then quickly redeemed himself by trying to save Han as well. In Return of the Jedi, we saw that there was still good in unknown parts of the galaxy, as Vader turned on the Emperor, thereby saving his son and himself.
In the prequels, good and bad blurred quite a bit more. The innocent slave-child Anakin was soon manipulated by Palpatine (secretly Darth Sidious), into becoming the galaxy's boogie man, all through fuelling and feeding into Anakin's fears and weaknesses. More importantly, it appeared the Jedi ways weren't always kosher. There was espionage, battles, and political takeovers (whether legitimate or not); this was George Lucas' way of inveigling the politics of that time into his work. The best sci-fi is always the kind that reflects the truth we do not want to see right in front of us. Whatever the prequels' flaws, it certainly didn't paint anyone as completely right and wrong. Not even Sidious, who had worryingly apt observations about the Jedi ways not accepting all the abilities of the Force.
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| Where are you now? |
In the prequels, good and bad blurred quite a bit more. The innocent slave-child Anakin was soon manipulated by Palpatine (secretly Darth Sidious), into becoming the galaxy's boogie man, all through fuelling and feeding into Anakin's fears and weaknesses. More importantly, it appeared the Jedi ways weren't always kosher. There was espionage, battles, and political takeovers (whether legitimate or not); this was George Lucas' way of inveigling the politics of that time into his work. The best sci-fi is always the kind that reflects the truth we do not want to see right in front of us. Whatever the prequels' flaws, it certainly didn't paint anyone as completely right and wrong. Not even Sidious, who had worryingly apt observations about the Jedi ways not accepting all the abilities of the Force.
Additionally, the theme of Kylo Ren being torn apart by the Light and Dark sides of the Force were central to The Force Awakens. But, questions of whether redemption lay in his future were in doubt after he killed his own father, fan favourite Han Solo.
In The Last Jedi, we are told that not everyone in the galaxy falls neatly into the categories of bad and good. The profiteers on Canto Bight are making money from the First Order and the Resistance - this is news to Finn who is quite an innocent to the world. He is easily swayed by what others tell him, because he is little more than a recently liberated child soldier, who has known nothing but the First Order all his life (something we learned from The Force Awaken).
More importantly, The Last Jedi comes a year after Rogue One, a film that was truly refreshing and new. If we compare this film to that one... well, let's not. Rogue One shone a light on the grey areas of the Rebellion and we loved it for that. Or, at least most of us did - every film has its detractors and champions. Rogue One showed us the ugly side of war in its own sanitised way, so why are we congratulating The Last Jedi for its ham-handed exposition regarding this side of things? Had it subtly included the perils of choosing a side, then the execution of story and plot would have been better, but it is much easier to hit us on the head with lazy writing, than incorporate it into the actual story of the film. I am sure had any other film approached the topic in this fashion, we would have seen negative reviews like those that Bright is (rightfully) receiving. Who's the fanboy now?
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| Canto Bight - You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and vil... wait a second! |
More importantly, The Last Jedi comes a year after Rogue One, a film that was truly refreshing and new. If we compare this film to that one... well, let's not. Rogue One shone a light on the grey areas of the Rebellion and we loved it for that. Or, at least most of us did - every film has its detractors and champions. Rogue One showed us the ugly side of war in its own sanitised way, so why are we congratulating The Last Jedi for its ham-handed exposition regarding this side of things? Had it subtly included the perils of choosing a side, then the execution of story and plot would have been better, but it is much easier to hit us on the head with lazy writing, than incorporate it into the actual story of the film. I am sure had any other film approached the topic in this fashion, we would have seen negative reviews like those that Bright is (rightfully) receiving. Who's the fanboy now?
Also, on the sequence of pointless exposition Canto Bight, Kelly Marie Tran's Rose Tico takes a moment out of the Resistance's ever-decreasing fuel time to gaze lovingly at some space-horses and explain tearfully to Finn that she grew up on a mining colony where her family were robbed by the rich and left with nothing. We watch as the handlers abuse the animals and their child keepers and we are meant to feel rage at such injustice. These instances of realism on Canto Bight have been heralded by all as the reason why The Last Jedi is just so radically different from all Star Wars films before.
Ahem, look above, please. Anakin and his mother Shmi were slaves; The Force Awakens already told us that Rey was abandoned and Finn was taken away from his family to be indoctrinated into the First Order - the Star Wars universe can be a sucky place for many people to live in - we know this and The Last Jedi could have reiterated that by expanding on the story of its existing characters, which would have made a better, tighter film. More importantly, it would have done its job as the sequel to The Force Awakens. But it doesn't.
Ahem, look above, please. Anakin and his mother Shmi were slaves; The Force Awakens already told us that Rey was abandoned and Finn was taken away from his family to be indoctrinated into the First Order - the Star Wars universe can be a sucky place for many people to live in - we know this and The Last Jedi could have reiterated that by expanding on the story of its existing characters, which would have made a better, tighter film. More importantly, it would have done its job as the sequel to The Force Awakens. But it doesn't.
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