Post-Viewing: Solo, The Last Jedi and the current state of Star Wars

For a franchise that has spanned over forty years, Star Wars has branded itself into popular arguably more than any other franchise; we’ve seen collectables, action figures, video games, fan-fiction and expanded stories among many other components. But as of 2018, the franchise appears to be in a bit of a rut. We’re just over halfway through Disney’s new foray into the science fiction series, which has been rocked by a major backlash and a mediocre spin-off tale.

First, let’s talk about The Last Jedi; part of the reason why I didn’t write a post-viewing for Episode VIII last year is because the backlash was so severe, I didn’t want to open The Cainage Critique to all kinds of nasty comments. The film is by far the most divisive Star Wars film ever released and the fact that it’s a mainline episodic entry in the franchise only amplified the hate that poured all over the internet. Most of the mega-fans I talk to have a deep dislike for Episode VIII, saying that it all went downhill as soon as Luke Skywalker tossed the lightsabre that connected the three trilogies. But more specifically, I’d say the three pet peeves with Rian Johnson’s effort are as follows…

1.     Luke Skywalker’s Overall Character Arc

2.     Supreme Leader Snoke’s untimely demise at the hands of Kylo Ren

3.     Rey’s parents being insignificant and not tied to any previous characters

Each of these, the fans tell me, ruin the story threads of episode VII among other aspects of the film that disregard the nature and rules of Star Wars as a whole. It got so bad that a petition was signed by thousands demanding The Last Jedi be removed from official canon. But for a fictional tale set in a galaxy far, far away, do any of the decisions made by Rian Johnson really break the franchise completely? Believe it or not, there was a time when Star Wars fans were eager and welcoming of new material and authors working to build upon and expand the original fiction. This took shape in the expanded universe, which has since been retconned by Disney but still holds sway with some parts of the fanbase. After taking some time to consider it, many now hold different views about Episode VIII and some of these are shared by the film’s creators; Mark Hamill himself called the film “incredibly daring”. My problem with The Last Jedi’s backlash is that fans have become so attached to theories and their own self-imagined plotlines in recent years that they subsequently turn very hostile to change that doesn’t fit their viewpoint. They cry foul at Episode VII for essentially being a remake of A New Hope one minute, then shout even louder at its sequel for going too far with change the next. Personally, I feel people, particularly long-time fans should try to be more open-minded to things they don’t expect. In the YouTube essay: “Forcing Change” by Lessons from the Screenplay, one key quote stuck out to me: “The Last Jedi directly answered all the questions it thought were worth answering and dismissed the rest”. Some enjoyed Episode VIII, myself included and others feel that the franchise has now been written into a corner, having cast aside every inch of not only the mystery set out by The Force Awakens but also the lore of Star Wars as a whole. In truth, it will be up to JJ. Abrams and the as-of-yet unnamed Episode XI to end the sequel trilogy on a high note. But the state of Star Wars isn’t only taking a downturn for its main entries.

Now we come to Solo: A Star Wars Story, which as you know I didn’t really enjoy so much; while not claiming the title of worst Star Wars film (Episode I: The Phantom Menace holds that dubious honour for me) it came off as incredibly lacklustre and more importantly, unneeded. Clearly audiences at large agree with the latter as it was recently revealed that Solo could be the first Star Wars film to lose money for its production company; it needs 500 million dollars to be successful and is currently sitting at 267 million. Some have called the film, the first “money-grab” rather than a coherent part of the franchise and I can’t help but agree. Rogue One used fan service to pronounced effect (That final Darth Vader scene is still fantastic…) while also patching up gaps in the timeline with an entirely new set of characters and a dramatically different tone. Solo tried something similar, but without giving much depth or arcs to its characters. We’re supposed to see how the likes of Han and Lando got to where they are at the start of the original trilogy and yet Solo didn’t tell me very much. The production troubles that plagued the film may have resulted in a less-than-stellar final product; 70% of the film was reshot by Ron Howard and this inconsistency undeniably takes the wind out of the spin-off’s sails. Solo is falling short right now for three reasons…

1.     The film’s lesser quality when compared to others in the new series

2.     The general audience’s lack of enthusiasm for a Han Solo origins story

3.     The overall animosity following The Last Jedi’s mixed reception in December 2017

In summary, the two biggest problems plaguing Star Wars right now are a somewhat over-entitled fanbase who are resistant to change and an inconsistent production when looking into the spin-offs. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion of course, but the overall level of backlash is a bit too high right now and this will end up impacting the future films to come if the filmmakers take it to heart. Simultaneously, Disney needs to take a step back and get the balance right; find out what the fans are after when it comes to spin-off stories without being afraid to let the filmmakers put their own spin on Star Wars as a whole. The franchise has survived 40 years and a trilogy of lacking prequels. It can certainly bounce back from the bad feedback it’s been getting in recent years. I continue to look forward to closing chapter of the sequel trilogy in 2019. 

(Images used for the purposes of review and criticism under fair use)