Critical response to Star Wars: The Last Jedi

This blog was created in order to showcase the varied and sometimes contradictory responses to Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the ninth film in the Star Wars franchise. This is a project for American Digital Culture course at University of Warsaw the articles, videos, etc. are shown in the chronological order

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December 9, 2017  - December 20, 2017 (27)

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Star Wars: The Last Jedi

In Lucasfilm's Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the Skywalker saga continues as the heroes of The Force Awakens join the galactic legends in an epic adventure that unlocks age-old mysteries of the Force and shocking revelations of the past.

date: since before the official release; still updating

author(s): multiple, user input

description: A page for Star Wars: The Last Jedi on Rotten Tomatoes, a website dedicated to collecting opinions about films given by critics and regular viewers. The page shows a large disparity between the positive response from film critics, and a negative response generated by the audience.

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‘Star Wars’ Has Put Women in the Back Seat Before, But in ‘The Last Jedi’ They Call the Shots

The second film in the newest trilogy shines its brightest light on compelling and complex female characters, from Rey and Leia to Rose and Captain Phasma — and many more.

date: December 12, 2017

author(s): Kate Erbland

description: The author of the article noted that the makers of Star Wars: The Last Jedi decided to include numerous new female characters. They are all distinct and play different roles in the story, the same way male characters usually do.

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Critical posts about The Last Jedi, written and directed by Rian Johnson.(+ posts about the parts...

date: 1st post December 13, 2017

author(s): unknown

description: A Tumblr blog that was created in order to critique and post about Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Since December 13, 2017 it primarily posts and reblogs negative opinions about the film's characterization and plot. It is still updating, although in the last few months its content changed from purely focused on The Last Jedi to a more general Star Wars blog.

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The Last Jedi Doesn't Care What You Think About Star Wars

With fans debating the merits of the new Star Wars movie, we offer up a The Last Jedi defense: Rian Johnson succeeds because he doesn't care what you think.

date: December 15, 2017

author(s): Jacob Hall

description: According to the author of the article, Star Wars: The Last Jedi opens new directions in which the franchise could develop next. The Star Wars films from the beginning carried radical political statements, and The Last Jedi returns to this tradition. The film includes relevant commentary about the today's world and because of this becomes something more than escapist entertainment.

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Star Wars: The Last Jedi Offers the Harsh Condemnation of Mansplaining We Need in 2017

An eerily perfect installment for the post-Trump era.

date: December 15, 2017

author(s): Joanna Robinson

description: According to the author of the article, Star Wars: The Last Jedi presents relevant commentary on work relations between men and women, and the fact that femininity does not signify lack of competence. In fact, in the film women are often right, and men are often wrong. The film presents a relevant political commentary, because it tells its audience that despite setbacks minorities will prevail.

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How 'The Last Jedi' Lands So Many Big Twists

Rian Johnson’s sensational "Star Wars" film recognizes that to keep an old franchise vital, you have to break its rules.

date: December 17, 2017

author(s): Spencer Kornhaber

description: The author of the article points out that franchises need to add new elements to their stories in order to remain relevant. Star Wars: The Last Jedi does just that by subverting the audience's expectations about what a Star Wars film should be like.  

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Just How Seriously Should We Take This Star Wars: The Last Jedi Backlash?

Is this really the most divisive installment in the Skywalker saga?

date: December 17, 2017

author(s): Joanna Robinson

description: According to the author, fans who disliked Star Wars: The Last Jedi are a vocal and sexist minority, who dislike the fact that the leading character of the film is a woman, or people who created their own elaborate theories about the film before they have seen it. Additionally, unlike Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the The Last Jedi does not rely on nostalgia. The author personally considers the film to be extremely well written.

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Captain Phasma Deserved Better in The Last Jedi

The first female villain of consequence in Star Wars, Gwendoline Christie's Stormtrooper commander Captain Phasma was full of promise. So what happened?

date: December 18, 2017

author(s): Kaila Hale-Stern

description: As the author of the article points out, although Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie) is the first prominent female villain that appeared in the Star Wars films, she does not have a large impact on the plot and does not have a character arc, despite the promotional material promising otherwise. It seems that she was created solely to sell merchandise, and convince potential viewers to watch Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

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The Force Reinforced: How The Last Jedi Reaffirms the Values of Star Wars

—this piece contains major spoilers from The Last Jedi— “Light … darkness … a balance.” “It’s so much bigger.” Those lines, in the first teaser for The Last Jedi, led to a mountain of s…

date: December 18, 2017

author(s): Mark Eldridge

description: According to the author of the article, although the film subverts expectations, Star Wars: The Last Jedi does not undermine but reinforce the message of the previous films in the saga. Fear is still shown as dangerous, the balance (also within oneself) remains important, the negative aspects of the "dark side" are shown once again, and the Jedi will continue existing.

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The Last Jedi's best moment is a "fuck you" to George Lucas and J.J. Abrams

Note: This article reveals major plot points of The Last Jedi.

date: December 18, 2017

author(s): William Hughes

description: According to the author of the article, the most important revelation in Star Wars: The Last Jedi is Ray (Daisy Ridley) learning that her parents were no one important. In a franchise that relied heavily on characters that have a connection to preexisting ones, she is an interesting outlier. Moreover, this turns The Last Jedi into a more political film - it turns it away from being simply another part of a family saga, into a film that encourages everyone to fight for a better future.

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In 'The Last Jedi,' the Heroes Are Finally More Than Just 'the Good Guys'

Unlike most "Star Wars" movies, Rian Johnson’s film goes beyond the battle between Light and Dark—and digs into the systemic oppression the Resistance is fighting against.

date: December 18, 2017

author(s): David Sims

description: According to the author of the article, Star Wars: The Last Jedi fleshes out the main conflict better than the previous films, as it shows why exactly our heroes are good and the people they oppose are evil. The film tells its audience that it is not enough to oppose the enemy, one needs also to remember about one's moral integrity.

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The Resistance Rises: 'Last Jedi' Overtakes 'Attack Of The Clones' As Most Disdained Star Wars Pic

With the ninth film in the ‘Star Wars’ franchise, Disney has done what no one thought possible: make a movie even more reviled by fans than ‘Attack of the Clones.’

date: December 18, 2017,

author(s): Rob Cain

description: Article reports that on December 18, 2017 Star Wars: The Last Jedi became the lowest ranked Star Wars film on Rotten Tomatoes. The author observes that the critical comments left on the website seem to be well thought out and valid.

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Something You Should Know about The Last Jedi

This article was created by Tumblr user tk-603, who previously wished to remain anonymous, who first noticed the similarities between the fanfiction and The Last Jedi. The article was intended to b…

date: December 18, 2017

author(s): Krasava M

description: The author of the article reports that certain plot points of Star Wars: The Last Jedi are startlingly similar to scenes from a certain fanfiction series. The fanfiction was published a month after Star Wars: The Force Awakens appeared in cinemas, and focuses on a relationship between Kylo Ren and an original character. Given the number of similar scenes and details that appear in both The Last Jedi and the fanfiction, the author claims that it is not impossible that the film's script was influenced by the fan series.

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A celebration of George Lucas’ complete Star Wars series, and an ongoing tear-down of the...

date: 1st post – December 18, 2017

author(s): unknown

description: A Tumblr blog dedicated to critiquing films that are a part of the third Star Wars trilogy. It was created after the release of its second part,  Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The blog sporadically posts and reblogs critique of the aforementioned films, the majority of which are connected to The Last Jedi, and compares them to the original Star Wars trilogy.

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Star Wars: The Last Jedi Forces Old Fans to Abandon Ship

I’m sick of fans being derided. I’m sick of criticism being disregarded as not “getting it”. I get Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and I don’t…

date: December 18, 2017

author(s): Jack Delaney

description: According to the author, the media's response to fans' disgruntlement about Star Wars: The Last Jedi is overly dismissive. Fans of the franchise dislike the film not because they do not understand its messages, but because they do not like how those ideas were executed.

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Weigh in on The Last Jedi’s fan controversies

Our reader poll explores the plot points that have viewers riled up about the latest Star Wars film.

date: December 18, 2017,

author(s): Tasha Robinson

description: The page shows the results of a reader poll, which asked about their reaction to various plot points of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Responses are mixed but remain generally positive.