By: Keaton Marcus

Alright, ladies and gentlemen. I finished off part one by covering Luke’s character, and to start things here by continuing just that, except through different aspects. So many have argued that Luke in The Last Jedi obliterated his happy ending in Return of the Jedi, and that simply isn’t true. Remember in part one when I discussed this cycle of light and dark? Well due to that, it was bound to happen again, meaning Luke’s temporary peace and happiness was still going to end up ruined. In this movie, he’s attempting to end this cycle by finishing off the Jedi, which is both right and wrong, as I discussed previously. This is where themes become most important in the film. There are the general themes that I explained before, but then there’s the deeper ones with the most impact. First of all, we have destruction versus preservation. The older ideas must be abandoned at some point and cannot stay forever, but simply burning everything will result in good things being lost. This, in fact, is why Kylo Ren is the villain of the trilogy. He wants to let all things of the past die while asking Rey to join him. But he’s wrong. There must be a balance between old and new in order to have a balance in the Force, and neither Luke or Kylo understands this. Finding that balance gives some of the best conflict these characters have in the three movies. Luke’s constant reluctance to train Rey and insistence that the Jedi must be lost has practically aligned him with the bad guys like Kylo and Snoke. Of course the latter is a little bit more extreme, but you generally get what I’m saying, right? The next character that this important theme affects is Poe, surprisingly.

Poe may be more of a supporting character, but The Last Jedi gives consistently fantastic development for all of its heroes. In his opening scene, the theme of preservation versus destruction is essential to his arc in the movie. In the scene where Poe goes against orders and attempts to destroy a dreadnought, Leia is all about the preservation of their fleet, and is simply desiring to escape once the last ship is ready. Poe, being the rash pilot that he is, disobeys her and orders the bombers to attack the dreadnought. The attack initially goes horribly wrong and puts the entire fleet at risk, forcing Rose’s sister to sacrifice herself to save the resistance. To save the greater good. Also, I know it’s off-topic, but the seen where this character deploys the bombs on the dreadnought is so intimate and beautiful. It makes a small sacrifice look massive, and props to cinematographer Steve Yedlin for that. Poe believes this is a victory because they blew up a dreadnought, but Leia thinks it is a failure because of the people they lost. Believe it or not, but Leia is right. As we get deeper and deeper, the film makes this clear. The Resistance doesn’t even have a fleet for that ship to be a threat to by the end. Those people and resources were just more valuable than his empty victory of destroying something. Leia expects Poe to take over for her, but unfortunately, at the beginning of the movie, he only understands leadership from the perspective of an X-Wing pilot. Similarly to Luke with the Jedi, he’s filled with misconceptions about what his role really is. So what does Rian Johnson do about it? He takes away his X-Wing pilot and forces him to learn it the hard way with Lieutenant Holdo, which I’ll get more into later. To him, leadership is all about being a hero and having bravado, even if it’s at the expense of many lives. However, this is only a fraction of what being a real leader is all about. By the end of the film, his character grows to realizing that protecting the resistance and his friends is far more important than blowing up a big spaceship.

Although readers may not like it, the film applies this type of development with the Rose-Finn relationship. Yes, I understand most people think Rose is an annoying, pointless and wasted character that’s only there to undermine Finn, but it’s time to debunk that. When Rose saves Finn from sacrificing himself in the final battle, she says: “That’s how we’re going to win. Saving who we love.” Although it is a seriously cringe-worthy line, the film ultimately earns it by absolutely hammering this point in from the very first few minutes of the running time with Rose’s sister. Blowing up the cannon on Crait would have simply delayed the inevitable. Remember, the Resistance’s only goal was getting out of there alive, and Finn does thanks to Rose. No matter if you hate her character or not, Kelly Marie Tran was fabulous in the role, and her character actually helped Finn realize the importance of being a hero. From The Force Awakens we know that he isn’t necessarily a hero, just an average guy trying to do the right thing, or what he thinks is the right thing. In his case, it’s running away from the First Order after being a stormtrooper. But all he really wanted to do was vanish, afraid that his past would eventually catch up with him, especially after lying to Rey about him being apart of the Resistance. He was never apart of the Resistance, and truly only stuck around for the fight to save Rey. As he says on Star Killer Base, “I’m just here to get Rey.” Regardless, in The Last Jedi, he literally becomes a hero overnight without even being aware. What Rose demonstrates is the important effect his actions have had, but is quickly deflated to know that Finn was simply deserting in the beginning of film. Over the course of the story, however, Finn is forced and pressured to live up to the high expectations he and Rose have set for himself.

Then there’s DJ, another character who people have come to think of as pointless and someone having no prominent effect on the story. He tests Finn’s commitment to playing hero with an outright muddied point-of-view of the general right and wrong, but one thing it does do is appeal to his still unquenchable desire to flee. Eventually, however, Finn does overcome his uncertainty and realizes that this is where he belongs. By the end of his arc in The Last Jedi, he is actually that hero Rose initially thought him to be. Even Rose herself is inspired to move on from being a mere technician and become a true hero, even if her moment to shine is only brief. Unfortunately, JJ Abrams listened to the fans too much and completely sidelined her character in The Rise of Skywalker. What Rian Johnson is basically saying is that it is ok if the hero doesn’t match up to the myth, because it’s not about that individual. It’s really about the larger idea that they are the fuel for. Luke is potentially the biggest hero in the galaxy, and people thought him just returning would solve everything and bring balance to the Force, but it’s not that easy sadly. And that is what fans hated about all of this. Throughout The Force Awakens, our heroes believe in this myth that Luke Skywalker is an unstoppable hero who doesn’t exist. King Arthur has of course been a huge influence on Star Wars since the beginning, but this is especially obvious in the new movies. Rey basically offers Luke his excalibur to return as a hero, to which Luke bitterly rejects and throws away. But wait isn’t that out of character? Luke would NEVER throw away his lightsaber like it was garbage…Oh wait, he did in Return of the Jedi. It’s kind of hilarious watching the amount of hypocrisy that lies with this fan base. That saber is a metaphor of everything that went wrong in his life, to which he resents and the myth surrounding it. However, it does put his character in quite the pickle as he knows everyone’s last hope is resting on him, and his resolve to stay disconnected with the Jedi and the Force begins to shatter. He’s inspired of the good he was also able to accomplish with the Jedi myth, and the bad that happened while he wasn’t there to protect people. One of the focuses in the Rey-Luke relationship of this film is to wear down himself to the point of returning to create a diversion for the Resistance.

When Rey leaves and Luke is convinced he’s lost her forever, he resorts to attempting to burn the Jedi Temple before Yoda sets him straight on the other prominent theme in the movie. This is, of course, failure. As the Force Ghost of Yoda says, “The greatest teacher, failure is,” during their conversation. This series is absolutely jam-packed with “That’s just crazy enough to work” scenarios, but this may be the first time something like this doesn’t work out in the end. Now that is subverting our expectations. In a good way, I may add. Failures are ultimately an inevitable part of life that people have to live with, and when they happen, it isn’t always for poetic reasons. This is one of the things previous installments of the series lack. Don’t get me wrong, I love Star Wars. Especially the original trilogy. But it doesn’t mean they don’t have any flaws. Failure, however, is not an easy way out to stop trying to do the right thing. Luke still needs to pass on the knowledge he has obtained to Rey, who is naturally his apprentice. So his response is do what she wants him to be: stand up to the First Order. What does he do on Crait? Face an entire army with no fear. He’s using the lightsaber that rejected Kylo Ren, and Luke is rubbing it in Ren’s face. All Kylo has wanted to do from the start is kill Luke as Vader did to Obi-Wan in the original trilogy. Luke, knowing that anger and hate is Kylo’s biggest weakness, easily exploits it. And this isn’t only to create a diversion, but it also comes as a final lesson. Although Luke is saving the Resistance on a literal level, he is also tying the loose ends that are the themes together, which are the ones I just discussed. He finally understands that completely erasing the Jedi will not save the future generations, and he takes up arms to save his friends using the Jedi way. The lessons of their failures will help carve out Rey’s future path, and he has accepted that his “hero myth”, shall we say, is the most important thing in the galaxy at the moment. Fans also hated that Luke died of “weakness”, however, he really died in strength. Yes, his literal self was too weak to handle the Force projection, but his legend will always live on, which is why he had a look of peace and acceptance before he passed. It’s a beautiful, emotional finale for the character that stays true to these deeper themes. Luke is sacrificing himself for something much larger than the character. He is that spark when the fire that is the Resistance burned out.

Oh but then there’s Broom Boy, a minor character that shows up at the very end of the film for seemingly no reason. Back in 2017, I was absolutely hyped that he would be the focus of Rian Johnson’s Star Wars trilogy, but that never happened. Why? Lucasfilm will always pander to the fans in desperation, and that’s just the way things go. That’s a whole other story, however. The real lesson is showing audiences how Luke’s heroic stand on Crait has influenced the galaxy, as it shows this child and his friends playing with a homemade action figure of Luke on Canto-bight. The boy is reenacting the battle between Kylo and Luke. As he makes one last look to the sky as the camera zooms in on his ring donning a Rebellion Sign, it’s a clear sign of newfound hope and peace to the galaxy. Unfortunately, the hate on Rian Johnson was too grand for him to explore more of this incredible universe. I’m sorry, but to all of those people who sent out death threats, said Mr. Johnson ruined their childhoods, destroyed the original trilogy, and made it so the sequel trilogy literally collapsed on itself with Episode IX, FUCK YOU. I understand the folks that despise this movie with the respect to listen to other people’s opinions, but it’s absurd what the power of some angry fans can do to an entire trilogy of films. I will be writing about The Rise of Skywalker for the next few days, but let me tell readers something…JJ Abrams did NOT have to clean up this crap, and blaming it on him is disgraceful in my opinion. He is a fan of this franchise like any one else and just because some assholes with a grudge against doing something cool, bold and special feel hateful does not mean we utterly ruin the life of a director. Rian Johnson is a fantastic filmmaker. With Looper, Knives Out and TLJ all scoring well in the box office and with critics, I cannot wait to see what this man has to offer in the future. And it’s horrible that he needs to limit the comments on his social media posts. Alright, sorry for my elongated and mean rant, let’s carry on.

The odd thing is was the last shot was never about setting up Johnson’s trilogy. Fans went nuts with the moment, claiming that he sacrificed a good, satisfying ending to get people excited about his own movies. YouTubers I have seen argued that this was both a corporate project and a weird idea of a bizarre filmmaker. What? How does that combination even work? Also, if it really was a “corporate, studio-influenced decision”, we would have seen soulless fan service with no room for creativity. One other video even said that Poe Dameron was the only one with a true arc. Readers who have been paying attention for this long (if you have, you’re a God) have noticed that I have discussed in detail every character’s arcs. Luke overcomes his failure by resurrecting his legend and saves the universe, influencing an entire generation of heroes. Rey (“SHE’S A MARY SUE WITH NO WRITING!! 😡”) puts her troubled past aside in order to move forward and take her rightful place as the sole heir to the Jedi legacy. Finn abandons the First Order and accepts his place as a badass Resistance hero. Rose (Yeah, I’m defending her) starts as a meager technician, answers the call to adventure and discovers her true potential, both inspired and inspiring Finn. Kylo breaks free of Snoke’s manipulation and sets his future on his own path, taking role as the Supreme Leader without any instruction, defying control. Is that enough intricately written, downright brilliant character writing for ya? I guess not after the polarizing audience reactions.

Take Mr. Plinkett for example, who in one video was attempting to invent plot holes in the film. For one, he questioned how Snoke and the First Order found the Rebel Base. That was explained in The Force Awakens when Hux stated that they have acquired their location to Snoke. Secondly, referring to Leia as an “elderly lady” (She would kick your sorry ass), questioned why the bad guys would even bother chasing them down. Oh, I don’t know, they recently blew up their MOST POWERFUL WEAPON at the end of the previous movie! But wait for this one. Thirdly, he pointed out that the last time we should have seen Luke was when Rey left the island, abandoning him. If you have any common sense, readers may have noticed that Titanic didn’t conclude when the iceberg hit the ship. Seven Samurai didn’t end when the bandits attacked the village. How could that happen? Well it’s a little something called NOT ENDING A FILM BEFORE SPENDING TWO HOURS SETTING UP COMPLEX PLOT THREADS BEFORE RESOLVING THEM. I guess that’s a new term these days. People will make fun of Leia flying in space or point out something extra in the background that NO NORMAL PERSON WOULD NOTICE WHILE WATCHING CASUALLY. For example, some fans got agitated that a blade disappeared in the chaos of the Throne Room fight. But to notice this, you have to look frame-by-frame. Which person watching an awesome fight for enjoyment would do this? I really can’t think of anyone. Then let’s compare that with the instances in the originals where something similar happens. Vader suddenly stops talking in the background. When the Empire has a clear shot that would have won the war they don’t take it. An explosion has a 20 mile blast radius yet Han is completely fine. SUCH. DAMN. HYPOCRITES. Rogue One was more or less what people wanted from this movie, and while it isn’t a bad movie, it lacks creativity. They wanted movies that look like the originals, that remind us of the originals without bringing anything new to the table. Give us empty fan service, show characters doing the same stuff we have seen them do before, deliver a good dose of nostalgia without moving the story forward. Star Wars: The Last Jedi is a flawed movie, but a beautiful one. There are details that I would have changed, it’s just that a lot of those things are merely nitpicks, not something to hate a film for. To any people who downright hate this movie, I respect your opinions and even share a few of your complaints, and it’s completely fine if I haven’t changed minds. That wasn’t the point. The point of this analysis was to share my opinion and perhaps make folks appreciate the film a little more, maybe look at it from a different perspective. It’s often said that the sequel trilogy had no plan, but JJ Abrams himself said that there was a general roadmap, and that he was even jealous of Johnson’s script and didn’t derail his plot threads.

It is also often said that The Last Jedi only has 90% “Certified Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes because Disney pays everyone when the real suspicious activity comes with the audience reviews, which currently stand at 43%. An article from Polygon written at the time of its release even has a headline stating: “Star Wars: The Last Jedi is being review bombed on Rotten Tomatoes.” The absolute bottom of the fan base even attacked Kelly Marie Tran by driving her off of social media (both Twitter and Instagram). They threw racist and sexist insults, and hackers even edited her Wookiepedia page and it’s disgusting. It says: “Ching Chong Wing Tong is a dumbass fucking character Disney made and is a stupid, autistic, and retarded love interest for Finn. She better die in a coma because she is a dumbass bitch.” Ok, I can handle a general dislike for the film, but this is one of the many examples of taking it way to far, and being generally evil about a film that you happened to hate. Remember everyone, this is a fictional world. Daisy Ridley was driven off social media for a statement she made in 2016. Rian Johnson, being the straight-up badass he is, responded to all the hate, stating: “if someone is responding to diversity negatively, fuck them.” He’s absolutely right to say that. Jar Jar Binks’ actor Ahmed Best from The Phantom Menace contemplated ENDING HIS LIFE because of the backlash he faced. George Lucas doesn’t even have the desire to make any more movies, saying that “Why would I make any more, when everybody yells at you all the time and says what a terrible person you are.” Literally search Rian Johnson’s name up on the internet and you will see an unnatural amount of videos, articles and blog posts throwing slander at the man. And it isn’t poking fun or having a good, reasonable discussion about why they disliked the movie. It’s downright hate. Johnson has kept with the positivity, and so have I. There I conclude my analysis on Star Wars: The Last Jedi, my all-time favorite movie in the entire franchise. *Fails a mic drop.