For 40 years, the Star Wars saga has been one of the most influential and popular franchises the world has ever seen. It’s had its ups and downs, particularly with the Prequel Trilogy, but even at its worst, Star Wars still means something to so many people. It has captured the imagination of entire generations and influenced some of the greatest film directors of all time. We can all thank George Lucas for creating something that changed the way we look at movies and how they were made. 5 years ago, Disney had purchased Lucasfilm and all the film rights owned by George Lucas for about 4 billion dollars. When that happened, Disney informed the public that we would see not just a new Star Wars trilogy, but spin-off movies as well. The first film in the new trilogy, The Force Awakens, opened to critical acclaim around the world. This was the beginning of a new trilogy that we never thought we would ever get. Well, this is now 2017 and the next episode in the epic saga, The Last Jedi will open December 15 of this year. Today, we got our first glimpse into what the new film has to offer so far.
In The Force Awakens, we saw the galaxy in turmoil once more with the arrival of the villainous First Order, which rose from the ashes of the Empire. Lead by the mysterious Supreme Leader Snoke and his second-in-command, Kylo Ren, The First Order was on a quest to destroy the last Jedi, Luke Skywalker. By the end of the film, we witnessed Han Solo murdered by the hands of his own son, Kylo Ren, only to be defeated by Rey, a young scavenger from the planet of Jakku. The last we see of her is on an island on a mysterious planet searching for Luke Skywalker. As she finds him, she holds out the lightsaber that used to be Luke’s. From what I understand, this is where The Last Jedi begins. So, obviously, they found Luke Skywalker, and Rey is beginning her training as a Jedi under Luke. So, the question remains: What was Luke doing on this planet? It was inferred by Han Solo, that Luke had gone in search of the first Jedi temple. Why? It was speculated that Luke felt responsible for the destruction of his Jedi Academy by the hands of one of his own students, Ben Solo a.k.a Kylo Ren. I think, however, Luke went to find the first Jedi temple to find answers about the nature of the Force and the enemy that he may have encountered at one point: Snoke. So, who is Snoke? What is he? Why did he show up now? We don’t know, and that’s one of the questions that we hope gets answered to a certain degree during this new movie. The other question is: Who is Rey? Why does she have the abilities she does? How was she able to defeat Kylo Ren in her first encounter with a Force-user? While I don’t expect every answer in The Last Jedi, I do hope that we get some clue as to who some of these characters really are.
During the trailer, we get to see Rey training a little bit with a lightsaber, which is totally cool. We also get to see a new planet. There also appears to be an epic space battle that takes place, which I can’t wait to see. At the end of the trailer, we hear this line: “I know one truth: It’s time for the Jedi to end.” It’s actually hard to make out whose voice that is: Benicio Del Toro’s or Mark Hamill’s. If it’s Luke Skywalker, the implications of that are staggering. That means that Luke no longer considers the Jedi Order to be worth saving. If that is true, that would mean this is the biggest game-changer since Empire Strikes Back, when Vader revealed his true identity to Luke. Honestly, the idea that the Jedi Order is no longer useful enough to fight the Dark Side is very intriguing. So, it is entirely possible that the Jedi Order will no longer exist by the end of Episode IX. At this point, it’s all speculation until we see the final film, which is written and directed by Rian Johnson. While Episode VII played it safe, it looks like The Last Jedi is going to be taking some major risks. I like that. If this is the case, then I see Luke Skywalker creating a new order of Force-users: An order that is not bound by the rules or traditions of the ancient Jedi. The Sith and the Jedi appear to be extremes in terms of the force, both sides very rigid in the way they operate. What this new trilogy appears to be doing is shaking up that idea that the Light Side and the Dark Side are exclusive to one particular ideology, because they really aren’t. It depends on the person wielding the Force. The fact that this new movie is adding a bit of a gray area to the whole conflict. I, for one, am excited to see how this all turns out. So, I’m definitely looking forward to December. Are you?