Looks kind of dumb, so it's very Star Wars alright. (Off-Topic)

by CruelLEGACEY , Toronto, Tuesday, April 16, 2019, 17:22 (2046 days ago) @ EffortlessFury

3. The name is stupid. And it goes against the entire point of the last film, but whatevs.

How's that now? IIRC, we witness essentially the dissolution of the Jedi Order. That's entirely separate from the actual workings of the Force, or the impact the Skywalker lineage has on the SW universe. Much in the same way that our universe has a certain order to it, regardless of whether or not (insert organized religion here) came to be.

Just so we're on the same page, what do you believe was the "the entire point" of tLJ?

When I initially made that post, I was referring to the forced importance of a Skywalker in the Star Wars universe. The point of TLJ was that the Force could be wielded by anyone. Royal lineage or lowly stable boy, it's a force that flows through all living things.

The importance of Luke Skywalker was never his power... it was his behaviour. Luke’s “power” is a direct result of his moral choices, which are expressed in Star Wars terms as his serving the “will of the force”.

Anakin’s tale is a cautionary one that, among other things, warns of the destruction that ensues when you prioritize power over what is right and good. That’s the significance of the Skywalkers. Something that the current creative team at Disney and Lucasfilm seems to have forgotten.

Have they forgotten? I mean...it seems that these movies could be saying exactly that. We'd need the final entry to know for sure though, no?

It depends. If Rey does end up being a Skywalker, as is looking quite likely IMO, then I’d say they have utterly missed the point. I like Rey from a personality point of view, but she’s been developed terribly. She’s just impossibly powerful for no good reason. It isn’t tied to her developing her character, inner strength, moral compass... there’s no echo of Luke or Obi-Wan’s or Yoda’s “power”. For all of the great Jedi, their power was a manifestation of their inner strength and moral character. Rey is perpetually unstoppable, and always right.

The reason any of these stories is compelling on a personal level is that we see characters struggle, make mistakes, fall short, and then grow in strength of character as they make the right choices and proper sacrifices. Luke’s Jedi powers, Harry’s wizard abilities, Neo’s ability to control the Matrix, Aragon’s ascension towards ultimate leadership; these are all outward manifestations of these characters’ inner commitments to truth and goodness. None of that is present with Rey. There’s no real growth. She’s already perfect, without ever earning it (as far as we’ve been shown).

That said, there is loads of potential for Kylo. I mean, they could turn around and deliver a compelling hero’s journey for Rey in episode 9 too, but in Kylo’s case, the groundwork has already been laid in 7 and 8. He has been growing into his position, like a shadow version of Luke in the OT. I’d hoped they’d develop him and Rey in contrast with each other... almost like Neo and Smith. But intentionally or not, he’s the only force user in this new trilogy that has an arch, so far. Fin had a good trajectory of development after 7, and I wondered if they’d develop him into a Jedi, but they went and repeated his exact arch in 8, so I don’t think he’s in a position to be thrust into the true spotlight.

As far as episode 9 is concerned, I’m still waiting and hoping for the filmmakers to treat Jedi as something more than just an warrior with super powers. Because that’s not at all what the Jedi represent. One of the crucial subplots in the prequels was that the Jedi had largely devolved into a group of warriors with super powers, and that’s why they were so vulnerable to destruction. Much as I’ve enjoyed both 7 and 8, I’m not convinced that the current team at lucasfilm actually understands anything that the Jedi are supposed to represent.