The Last Je... The Last Star Wars? Leaving behind a legacy.

*SPOILERS BELOW*

"Let the past die. Kill it if you have to"

First heard in the second trailer for The Last Jedi, you wouldn't be mistaken in thinking that this Kylo Ren quote is just another of his angsty teenage rants in his quest to become the most dreary sci-fi villain of all time. However, after watching Rian Johnson's entry into the Star Wars saga, this line has stuck in my head and I'm only just realising why. Hidden behind possibly the most plot hole ridden plot of any film this year, Disney are very clearly trying to hammer home that Star Wars is their baby now, and they will do whatever they want with it. Whereas many criticised The Force Awakens for being a carbon(ite) copy of A New Hope, The Last Jedi tears itself away from the Star Wars that we know and love, doing its best to "kill the past" and move on to a new story, one without Skywalkers, Solos or the Sith.

Leaving the cinema, I can only say I was confused. With the credits preceded by a heartfelt tribute to Carrie Fisher, it is hard to see why, given plenty of opportunities, the film did not retire Leia's character in a fitting way for the princess-turned-general. Escaping death is nothing new for the leader of the resistance, but being blown out to space, only to float around for a while before flying back to her ship like superwoman just felt bizarre and disrespectful. Then, after the snails pace space race (sorry), the most noble of sacrifices is made by a new character who we are supposed to pretend we know and care about? When Holdo 'saves the day' after sitting around doing very little for the past hour, Leia can only sit and watch as the first order fleet is utterly annihilated. Why grant such a pivotal moment of glory to this Star Wars newcomer? What better way to send off the fearless general than saving the rebellion she has given her life to, in the most epic scene of the film? Instead, we are now left with the question of what on earth Disney's plan is for Leia, going forward to episode IX. Im wracking my brains to think of a respectful choice, and neither CGI-Leia nor an off-screen death seem fitting.

2 years ago, The Force Awakens left fans waiting with baited breath for the next instalment, thinking all their questions would be answered. Just who is Snoke? What will Luke teach Rey? When will captain Phasma start living up to her reputation? The Last Jedi did a stellar job of answering exactly zilch.

Snoke? Forget about him (both halves). Killed off in the biggest waste of Andy Serkis to date, we have to accept Kylo as the big bad now, and those two films of him being tempted towards the light side? Ignore them.

Rey? Swinging a lightsaber round her head for 2 hours, staring at a shiny wall for 20 minutes, then suddenly eliminating the entire royal guard and lifting a mountain. When did she learn that? Don't worry about it.

Phasma? All dusted off and re-shined from her embarrassing trip to the trash compactor, she's back to... die from a bump on the head. (And not on a low door frame)

These all highlight my main problem with The Last Jedi. Why tale the time to establish these dangerous villains and the power of training in the force, only to throw it all away, abandon any kind of character development and expect viewers to happily agree with the chaos of explosions and lasers put before them. This is the danger of releasing 3 films all by different directors and writing teams, and calling them a trilogy, The Last Jedi does nothing to expand upon the new universe and backstory created in The Force Awakens, and doesn't leave us with an Empire Strikes Back cliffhanger either. While watching a child use the force to pick the broom up is... interesting?, it does little to get us excited for the future of Star wars. The forced humour, frustratingly adorable Porgs and 'anyone can be a hero' dogma in this film show us that Disney has abandoned the tried and tested formula of

40 years of the epic space opera, making Star Wars the newest victim of Disneyfication in the film industry.