Review of Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) by Luke%20 C — 17 Jan 2018

Adjusting score to one star due to RT not counting 1/2 star ratings, Which I find very worrying.

In terms of my review I found the film aesthetically well-constructed, and at times enjoyable. Rian Johnson in the TLJ has sought to deconstruct the underlying hero's journey, which is the underlying theme to the Star Wars mythology that George Lucas created approximately 40 years ago. Luke Skywalker, which for many fans was the quintessential hero has been repositioned as a lost soul who wallows in his victimhood and appears as a tragic hermit. In addition, the force and the concept of the Jedi, which over the last 40 years has gained an almost religious adoration amongst fans has also been deconstructed. Consequently, the dark and light sides of the force have been treated with an almost relativistic indifference and the films overt intersectional politics overwhelm character and plot development.

In this regard TLJ is essentially a postmodern reworking of Lucas' various underlying universal themes such as the hero's path, and the eternal conflict between the dark and light sides of the force. We are told by Disney executives that this reworking is in order to take the brand in "bold new directions". Hence in a scene, which almost breaks the fourth wall, Kylo Ren the new emo villain of the series outlines the new path of the franchise by stating, "Let the past die. Kill it if you have to...". Hence, one cannot help but come away with the impression that the film has been produced by disgruntled nihilists that believe that their vision will usurp George Lucas' vision. In this I believe they are mistaken.

The concept of a hero's journey is a universal one that transcends culture, religion and gender. It is a concept that George Lucas well understood having been heavily influenced by the work of Joseph Campbell and the concept of the monomyth. Unfortunately for Disney, the hero's journey is not compatible with postmodernism's inherent nihilism and victim reverence. Luke's fall has broken one of the central tenets of the hero's journey 'The Return' in which the hero returns having retained the wisdom gained on the quest and thus ultimately achieves bliss. It is therefore little wonder that Mark Hamill and many superfans were deeply hurt by the unwinding of Luke's hero journey. According to Johnson, Luke was a victim and not the hero many visualised.

I believe that the franchise has been irretrievably damaged by the insertion of this path into the SW mythos. Damage, which I believe in time will be studied in universities much in the same way as the brand damaging New Coke/Classic Coke fiasco did to Coca Cola in the 80s. Although many preferred the taste of New Coke the decision was a disaster. Much like Coke Disney has misunderstood the power of the core tenet upon which a brand stands. Unlike the Coca Cola fiasco, however, the damage will be a near impossible task to minimise less undo. I believe in time this film will be seen as a franchise killer, hence my low rating.