William Hughes – AVClub:
the truth that Johnson teases out of Rey and Ren’s heart-to-heart carries neither Lucas nor Abrams’ fingerprints; is, in fact, a pretty glaring “Fuck you” to the storytelling styles of both of Rey’s off-screen daddies. As Ben says—and, as a dazzling bit of mirrored surrealism earlier in the film hints, Rey has always, on some level, known—she’s really just a nobody, parentally speaking. No secret lineage, none of Lucas’ love of monomythic, Harry Potter-style “unknown king growing up in the wilderness” tropes. No deeper Abrams-esque mystery. Just Occam’s Lightsaber, chopping through the bullshit, and leaving a powerful young woman with no lingering, grasping connections to the wider Star Wars universe.
This was a powerful scene, without precedent in any Star Wars film: the hero and villain having established a dialog spanning the film to this point briefly acted together, saving themselves. In the process of disagreeing to work together further they destroy Luke Skywalker’s blue lightsaber.
Rather than sitting through an elaborate exposition about who Snoke is, we saw him cut in half. Bye-bye.
We learn that Rey’s parents were, like almost everyone else in the galaxy, nobodies.
In the waning moment of the film, a stableboy is seen using the Force to sweep the floor.
This diminution of the Star Wars/Force magic is likely what has the fanboys’ panties in a twist. Well, suck it. It made for great story telling, just not the story they wanted to see.
As my pal Neal has written, Rian Johnson’s direction was likely not a “fuck you” to Abrams or Lucas. Both are reported to have loved the new film, as did I.
#StarWars #TheLastJedi #Rey #Ren #RianJohnson #controversy
A Random Stroll 