Star Wars: The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson has some interesting opinions on Star Wars’ comedy, and the filmmaker is right about what works or not in terms of humor for the saga. Arguably the most divisive Star Wars movie ever made, The Last Jedi became known for trying to subvert expectations after Star Wars: The Force Awakens felt too familiar to the original trilogy. Still, Johnson’s Star Wars movie never shifted away from what makes the franchise so special.
The Last Jedi split audiences over several elements, including, but not limited to, Luke Skywalker’s characterization and the fate of the First Order's Supreme Leader Snoke. The Last Jedi’s comedy was also greeted with criticism, especially in moments like Poe Dameron making fun of General Hux at the beginning of the film. According to Rian Johnson (via GQ), The Last Jedi’s humor was no different from other Star Wars movies.
Star Wars Has Always Had Comedic Roots
As divisive as the Poe Dameron and General Hux scene at the beginning of The Last Jedi was, Star Wars has always had comedic roots. As Rian Johnson explains it, no matter how serious a Star Wars movies can be, there has always been an element of self-aware silliness that embraces all the sci-fi possibilities within the galaxy far, far away in a comedic manner. It only takes a few minutes for A New Hope, originally titled just "Star Wars," to follow two droids, one of whom only communicates with beep sounds, as they banter during their journey through the desert of Tatooine.
Star Wars' opening sequences or character introductions in general usually lean into comedy. Before Han Solo sent Boba Fett into the Sarlacc or Leia killed Jabba, Return of the Jedi spent significant time visiting Jabba’s Palace as Max Reebo’s band performed "Jedi Rocks". That is not to mention everything about the Ewoks, which led to some Han and C-3PO moments that felt like they came from a cartoon. Star Wars’ comedic roots were present in the Star Wars prequels as well, with new characters like Jar Jar Binks created almost solely for comedy relief. Compared to other Star Wars movies, The Last Jedi’s humor is not really that different.
Andor Proves Star Wars Can Balance Darker Shows With Its Comedy
The fact that Star Wars has always welcomed comedy and silly humor does not mean that the saga cannot take itself seriously. Even The Empire Strikes Back, one of the darkest Star Wars movie, is full of comedic moments. Recently, as Star Wars redefined itself with live-action TV shows, the separation between “serious Star Wars” and “silly Star Wars” risks became a problem. Fortunately, shows like Andor prove that there is room for different tones within the universe. Andor’s approach to Star Wars is quite different from that of The Mandalorian, yet they both feel like Star Wars.
After three Star Wars trilogies, multiple spinoffs for film and television, and countless hours of Star Wars animated content, it is impossible to define what Star Wars is or should be. Still, both The Last Jedi and Andor managed to embrace everything that had come before while also adding a new spin to it, although with very different approaches to the Star Wars universe. As a re-evaluation of Star Wars as a myth, Star Wars: The Last Jedi took a risk with the self-aware humor, but it worked. Andor, on the other hand, risked “trying too hard” not to be Star Wars, but it never made that mistake.