In rather bizarre news, Star Wars: The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker were declared "mediocre and schlocky" by Ninth Circuit Court Judge, Kenneth K. Lee. After George Lucas capped off the Star Wars prequel trilogy in 2005 with Revenge of the Sith, Disney revived the dormant Skywalker saga a decade later with The Force Awakens. J.J Abrams' first installment in the sequel trilogy was well-received by both fans and critics for invoking the glory of the original trilogy while also injecting the property with new life.
Abrams then handed the reins over to Rian Johnson for the follow-up, The Last Jedi, the most polarizing installment of the sequel trilogy. The critical response to Johnson’s sequel was overwhelmingly positive, just as it was for its predecessor, but it caused a massive rift amongst fans. The fervent debate surrounding Luke Skywalker’s fate and Finn and Rose Tico's story arcs continues to this day. For the final film in the fabled saga, The Rise of Skywalker, Abrams returned to the director's chair and produced a threequel that satiated many fans, but critics deemed it uninspired fan service.
Now, as the debate surrounding Star Wars’ sequel trilogy rages on, Ninth Circuit Court Judge, Kenneth K. Lee, is here to settle the case, calling The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker "mediocre and schlocky" in an official court ruling. Per CBR, Judge Lee was writing an opinion on a case involving ConAgra Foods Inc. and Wesson Oil when he made a comparison to Star Wars, saying “That is like George Lucas promising no more mediocre and schlocky Star Wars sequels shortly after selling the franchise to Disney. Such a promise would be illusory," followed by the footnote, “As evident by Disney's production of The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker.” Read the excerpt from Lee’s opinion below, courtesy of Ted Frank on Twitter:
While Judge Lee groups Last Jedi and Rise of Skywalker together, the two Star Wars films were disliked by different groups for different reasons. Rian Johnson’s installment was praised by critics for subverting expectations with surprising twists, but it went a little too far for diehard Star Wars fans. Many took issue with the film’s treatment of Luke Skywalker, the once-hero of the saga who was regulated to a recluse on Ahch-To. Mark Hamill even voiced his displeasure with this version of the character.
On the other hand, the same critics who lauded Last Jedi believe that Abrams ignored much of what Johnson had established in the previous film and instead used Rise of Skywalker to provide a more fan-friendly conclusion to the saga. He did, for the most part, save for shoehorning Emperor Palpatine back into the plot. While The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker capped off the Skywalker Saga, their far-reaching influence will likely be seen for years to come.