"the last jedi"

Lucasfilm

"Let the past die. Kill it, if you have to. Only then can you become what you were meant to be." These of course, are the now-infamous words uttered by resident goth bad boy Kylo Ren, which have subsequently became synonymous with the film's frigid, if not acrimonious, reception from its fans. Rian Johnson's eighth installment in the space opera saga, menacingly titled "The Last Jedi," currently holds a 93% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, yet yields a 55% disapproval rating from audience users. "TLJ," which continues the events of Star Wars: Episode VII, sees Rey further develop her force abilities alongside a recalcitrant (and super depressing) Luke Skywalker, while Finn, Poe, Leia and the rest of the Resistance continue to battle Snoke, General Hux and what's left of the First Order. If that plot line sounds painfully familiar, it's probably because "Last Jedi" relishes its high-wire semblance of homage and blaspheme, blowing up everything we held dear as children to smithereens in a rousing, if not dispiriting second act. And if that isn't enough, Yoda makes a triumphant return to Ahch-To, only to destroy the sacred texts of the Jedi Masters of yore.

For the record, most '80s movie critics were none too pleased with "The Empire Strikes Back" when it was first released, citing the impish muppet as one of the core deficiencies in Lucas' bizarre follow-up to A New Hope. Though, as "Empire" abandoned the garish Flash Gordon-aesthetic of its predecessor (in favor of a darker and more polarizing shift) it is now regarded as the best of the OG trilogy. If nerds want to gripe with Disney over its mishandling of a Star Wars chapter, they should blame Kathleen Kennedy and Lucasfilm for deciding there needed to be a Star Wars prequel, sequel and spin-off every year until 2020. There is simply NO NEED for all these secondhand chronicles. And if you've been living under a rock these past two weeks, then you probably haven't seen the trailer for "The Avengers: Infinity War," an array of billion-dollar merchandising packed into a two-and-a-half hour cosmic showcase that pretty much sets up the battle in Part II (yes, there is a PART TWO) of this quaint auteur yarn. Sadly, all that we've got left to look forward to in multiplexes are installments, chapters, ingredients, but not films. Gone are the days when major studios could make upwards of twenty-five movies a year — with each top-grossing tentpole release, that number has dropped precipitously, and unless the so-called Spielberg blockbuster "bubble" bursts any time soon, that assembly line mentality won't change. Compound this reality with the news that Disney just bought 20th Century Fox for a whopping $54 billion, and it's clear stories aren't the only thing being monopolized at the global box office. Disney seems to have less in common with the Rebels and Avengers than it does with Thanos and the First Order; they're out to reap our ca$$h, no matter how much we grumble about it.

For a motion picture studio founded on the work of fantastical public domain properties, they sure have worked tirelessly to upend the laws that made those stories available to the masses in the first place, and this push to acquire even more capital, clientele and wealth paints a far less egalitarian picture of Disney  than that happy, little go-lucky mouse would ever have us believe. I commend Rian Johnson for thumbing his nose at speculating fanboys, as no self-respecting person should spend two + years obsessing over the lineage of a major character's bloodline. And while we're at it, who really gives two shits about Snoke? He's a stock baddie, not the twisted reincarnation of Mace Windu. Don't like the idea of seeing minority actors in lead sci-fi roles? It's 2017 people, get over it. Don't relish the idea of having Daisy Ridley as the face of the franchise simply because she's a woman? GTFO. Disney may not even care either, as "Jedi" stands to rake in almost half a billion off its first two weeks alone. The longterm effect of this gamble, however, is that overshooting the studio's wad with so many derivative Star Wars films could soon have a saturating effect on the market, and eventually cause the once-omnipotent brand to suffer. Corporate looting strategies like this won't last forever, but as long as we're arguing on Twitter whether Luke Skywalker should be chucking lightsabers over his shoulder or drinking green milk from a Thala-siren's teat, their gambit might just hold-o.

"STAR WARS EPISODE VIII: THE LAST JEDI" Rated PG-13. Running time: 2 hours 32 minutes.