Although the final film in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, The Rise of Skywalker, would ultimately prove to be even more divisive (some would say outright despised), The Last Jedi was not very well-received by a portion of the fanbase when it hit theaters back in 2017.
The film's detractors took issue with several aspects of the story, but what arguably ended up coming in for the most backlash was The Last Jedi's depiction of Luke Skywalker.
The legendary Jedi's decision to abandon his nephew and exile himself on an island planet simply didn't sit well with those who felt it was out of character for Luke to "run away," but director Rian Johnson has always had a different take.
“The final images of the movie, to me, are not deconstructing the myth of Luke Skywalker, they’re building it, and they’re him embracing it,” the filmmaker explains to Empire. “They’re him absolutely defying the notion of, ‘Throw away the past,’ and embracing what actually matters about his myth and what’s going to inspire the next generation. So for me, the process of stripping away is always in the interest of getting to something essential that really matters.”
Johnson has always defended the movie to those who just didn't seem able to grasp what he set out to achieve, and the director goes on to admit that he "even more proud" of The Last Jedi now.
"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.”
What do you guys make of Johnson's comments? How do you feel about Star Wars: The Last Jedi five years on? Drop us a comment down below.