In a recent interview, director Rian Johnson explained why he is more proud of Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi five years after its release. The second film in the Star Wars sequel trilogy was released in 2017 and was well-received by critics. However, fans were decidedly split with their reception, some calling it one of the worst entries in the history of the franchise. The film holds a high 91% Fresh rating on the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, while its audience score is a paltry 42%.
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The Last Jedi picks up directly after the events of Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens and sees the return of Daisy Ridley as Rey as she confronts the long-lost Jedi legend Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). After handing Luke his old lightsaber, he haphazardly tosses it over his shoulder in a flagrant rejection. Audiences soon learn that this Star Wars film will be unlike any other in the history of the franchise. Luke leads the life of a hermit, living in guilt for the loss of his attempted Jedi Academy and rejecting the Force. This crucial detail, among others in the film, harshly divided the fanbase, as some saw Luke as an unwavering symbol of hope who already flirted with the Dark Side and won, while others saw him as fragile as anyone else, still capable of succumbing to weaknesses subjected to the common man. With Johnson's bold take on the hero of Star Wars, a take even Hamill himself rejected, the film has gone down as the most divisive in franchise history.
In an interview with Empire, Johnson doubled-down on his support of The Last Jedi saying that he is still proud of the movie five years later. The director claims that his intent with his Star Wars entry was to dissect the "power of myth" and how that myth affects the fans as a whole as well as the director himself. Read what Johnson had to say below.
“I’m even more proud of it five years on. When I was up at bat, I really swung at the ball. I think it’s impossible for any of us to approach Star Wars without thinking about it as a myth that we were raised with, and how that myth, that story, baked itself into us and affected us. The ultimate intent was not to strip away – the intent was to get to the basic, fundamental power of myth. And ultimately I hope the film is an affirmation of the power of the myth of Star Wars in our lives.”
Johnson explained that The Last Jedi was his way of challenging the legacy of Star Wars. The director seemingly tackled this by also challenging the expectations the fans have for the franchise and using Luke as a device to examine myths in Star Wars as well as in audiences' lives. The Force Awakens uses Luke as a MacGuffin, a plot device to drive the narrative. By doing this, it uses the legend of Luke to propel the story forward as well as build up his status as a hero within the galaxy. The Last Jedi challenges that notion, showing the frailties that even the most powerful Jedi can hold, and by doing that, challenges the viewer with their own assumptions of the franchise and their hero.
Many fans did not take kindly to that depiction of Luke, calling it an affront to all of what George Lucas and Hamill had created before, and retreading ground covered in Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. Add that to the film's other perceived flaws such as General Holdo's (Laura Dern) failed leadership as well as Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran) and Finn's (John Boyega) arc, and it is clear as to why a portion of the fandom derides The Last Jedi. But it is also why a portion of the fanbase considers the film to be one of the best – it challenges Star Wars and myths in a way rarely seen. Whether The Last Jedi stands the test of time remains to be seen as audiences still debate the film's merits and faults. Regardless, Johnson remains proud of what he has accomplished, and perhaps he can still challenge the franchise when he returns for his future trilogy of Star Wars films.