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“We are what they grow beyond.” 
Jedi, Sith, and Old Guy.
We have arrived at the controversial apex of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The eighth chapter of the Skywalker Saga was directed by Rian Johnson and has proven to be controversial since it was released in 2017. Fans of the franchise feel that the movie played too fast and loose with the series. They think it included unnecessary humor and tried to subvert expectations to a detrimental extent. And most importantly – it lacks a big lightsaber fight sequence!
The Last Jedi is the middle film of the sequel trilogy. It continues the adventures of Rey, Poe and Finn as they battle the First Order and Kylo Ren. Rey seeks out Luke Skywalker so that the Jedi Master can aid the new Resistance. Poe learns some valuable lessons about leadership. Finn meets a new friend and heads to a James Bond-esque casino planet to steal some code breaking technology that can disable Snoke’s starship.
Into this plot steps Rian Johnson. Depending on how you view the film, the director either ruined the story or he designed a brilliant commentary on the entire franchise. His comedy pushed the series into a strange new space, but his analysis of the push and pull between the old and new perfectly encapsulates the battle within the fandom. The film doesn’t always manage to stand as a well executed narrative, but if you’re willing to take a chance and appreciate it as an odd, metacontextual perspective on a classic franchise you might find it to be an interesting concept.
In this podcast, Wes, Dave and Clay debate the merits and failures of The Last Jedi. They all have a different perspective of the quality of the movie and they all view the successes and failures differently. Who do you agree with?