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Et Tu, Finn? John Boyega Criticizes ‘The Last Jedi’

Articles, Pop CultureBrandon MarcusComment
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It’s been a couple of years since Rian Johnson’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi was released to great critical acclaim, a positive response from (most) fans and heaps and heaps of cash. Yet, the movie remains controversial. In fact, I will wager that, unlike Empire Strikes Back, The Last Jedi will only become more divisive as the years go on. I think it’s a challenging film for diehard fans. It shakes up what we think about Star Wars, fandom and the modern popcorn film. It also defies expectations when it comes to the new trilogy’s story, characters and the overall trajectory of what was established with The Force Awakens. Johnson threw a few curveballs at the audience and I think people will be debating the film for a long time to come.

Personally I am a pretty big fan of the movie. I really, truly loved what Johnson did in regards to the characters of Kylo Ren and Rey and how he essentially deconstructed the idea of a traditional blockbuster. I adored that. The dynamic between Kylo and Rey in that film is fantastic and cemented Kylo Ren as the best Star Wars villain ever.

But I also took issue with a few things too. I thought the pacing of the film was very different for a Star Wars film. It felt episodic and far-removed from the galaxy-trotting adventures we have grown used to with this franchise. It felt very self-contained and, frankly, small compared to previous entries. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s just very different. It also put a few of the supporting characters on the back burner, including both Finn (John Boyega) and Poe (Oscar Isaac). They certainly got their times to shine but the movie didn’t feel like an ensemble as much as the other films did. Again, this isn’t the end of the world, just different. Different can be hard. But hard doesn’t always mean bad.

John Boyega had some issues too. In an interview with Hype Beast, the actor expresses his feelings towards the film and they aren’t all cheerful and dandy:

The Force Awakens I think was the beginning of something quite solid, The Last Jedi if I’m being honest I’d say that was feeling a bit iffy for me. I didn’t necessarily agree with a lot of the choices in that and that’s something that I spoke to Mark [Hamill] a lot about and we had conversations about it. And it was hard for all of us, because we were separated.

Boyega goes on to explain that his issue with the film relates explicitly to the lack of a Rey-Finn-Poe relationship:

I guess the original Star Wars films there was much more of a trio feel where it was essentially about Luke’s journey, but Han and Leia there was a strong dynamic, which I think, I don’t know how quickly we’re going to be able to establish that longterm dynamic with Nine. But if it’s exploring that dynamic, then that would be cool.

Boyega adds that “even after three films still, we don’t know them as much as we got to know Han, Luke, Leia.”

These are all totally valid points. Much of what Boyega is saying is stuff I agree with. On one hand, I wish that the trifecta of Finn, Rey and Poe felt stronger. It seemed as if that element of the story was going to be built on in The Last Jedi but that wasn’t necessarily the case. On the other hand, it would be a shame if the new trilogy just mimicked the structure of the original trilogy. So what if this movie isn’t about the three leads and their growing bond? Like The Last Jedi stressed, we shouldn’t hold to the past so fiercely.

I think it is refreshing to see an actor involved with the series speak his mind. Make no mistake, he doesn’t say that he disliked The Last Jedi and he’s obviously proud of the film. He just had some issues with it and that is totally okay. However, I am a bit afraid that his nuanced, measured approach to his feelings will be seized on by whiny cry babies who disliked The Last Jedi for all the wrong reasons. Remember, there is a large swath of “fans” out there who hated the film. They are outraged at the risks Johnson took, outraged at how human and complicated Luke was, outraged at how — gasp! — a girl was the lead character. They are outraged for all the wrong reasons. And those are NOT the reasons that Boyega cited in his mild complaint of the film. But I am sure that there are those out there who will grab hold of his statement and use it as some sort of evidence that they were right all along. Oy.




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