Darth Maul voice actor Sam Witwer accuses Star Wars: The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson of not understanding Star Wars. It's no secret The Last Jedi, the second installment in Disney's sequel trilogy, was one of the most polarizing films in recent memory. To this day, more than two years after the movie's release, audiences remain divided on its various creative choices. For every person who believes The Last Jedi was the breath of fresh air Star Wars needed, there's someone else arguing it ruined the property beyond repair.
Even those directly involved with the Star Wars franchise, including J.J. Abrams and John Boyega, haven't exactly minced words when it comes to discussing The Last Jedi. One of the more biting takes came from Force Awakens editor Mary Jo Markey, who argued The Last Jedi "consciously undid" its predecessor. Now, another prominent member of the Star Wars family has weighed in, giving their two cents on the film.
While streaming Star Wars: Battlefront II on Twitch (hat tip CBR), Witwer talked about The Last Jedi and had some pointed thoughts about it:
"Last Jedi, to me, felt like a movie made by a guy who hadn't quite done his homework. I think Rian Johnson's a talented guy, but Bruce Lee didn't develop Jeet Kune Do without learning Kung Fu first. You can't reinvent Star Wars without knowing Star Wars first and he didn't -- for me -- make a compelling argument for why Luke didn't go and help his sister.
There were a lot of things in The Last Jedi I found compelling in a Rian Johnson filmmaker point of view. They just didn't fit into Star Wars. I don't think he did his Star Wars homework. The themes, what it's about, what the characters are about. But as a standalone film, if I don't know what the Jedi are or who Luke is or what he represents, I think there's some compelling things in there. If that's meaningful to you, that's awesome."
After The Force Awakens' blast of nostalgia, The Last Jedi aimed to deconstruct the 40-year-old franchise's mythology with a fresh take. The film definitely took some surprising twists and turns, subverting expectations viewers had going in. A key sticking point for many (including Witwer) is The Last Jedi's depiction of a curmudgeonly Luke Skywalker who grew disillusioned with the Jedi way, convinced the galaxy would be better off without him in the fight. That portrayal, which Mark Hamill infamously fundamentally disagreed with, was quite different from the idealistic hero of the original trilogy and didn't sit well with some longtime fans. However, Luke's viewpoint is rooted in concepts from the prequels (namely, his critique of the Jedi Order's hubris), so in some ways The Last Jedi was a thoughtful rumination on that particular story thread. As for Luke's exile, it's not like he was the first Jedi in Star Wars to go into isolation after watching a powerful student turn to the dark side. Failing as poorly as he did with Ben Solo filled Luke with terrible shame.
To be fair, Witwer is complimentary of Johnson. He seems to be arguing The Last Jedi is a good movie, just not a good Star Wars movie. It's an interesting distinction Witwer isn't alone in making, illustrating how everyone has their own ideas about what Star Wars is and what it can be. That's why The Last Jedi split viewers and continues to inspire heated debates about its relation to the rest of the series. It's important for Star Wars to grow if it is to remain viable in the coming years, but it's been proven something that strays too far off the established path could alienate moviegoers. This puts Lucasfilm in a precarious position as they plot the next slate of movies. They'll be criticized if they hew too closely to what's come before, but also if they mix things up a bit. Hopefully, the new Star Wars films find a good balance that pleases most people.