The Star Wars saga has always enthralled audiences because of its epic space opera stories, endearing characters, and unforgettable moments. However, even among the massive Star Wars fanbase, opinions on the various films can be sharply divisive. Actor John Boyega, who plays Finn in Disney’s Star Wars sequel trilogy, recently gave his honest review of episodes eight and nine, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, respectively.
Boyega’s comments have sparked a lively discussion among fans who question the sequels’ artistic direction and character growth. The Star Wars fandom is notoriously passionate and opinionated, so Boyega’s forthright critique has added a new dimension to the ongoing discussion about the films.
John Boyega’s Rankings Stir Controversy
John Boyega was recently interviewed for the Hot Ones episode of First We Feast on YouTube, where he was given the unenviable task of choosing his favorite of the three Star Wars films in which he has appeared.
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Fans were waiting for his response, and Boyega didn’t disappoint by starting by saying that Episode VII: The Force Awakens was the best film in the trilogy. The Star Wars fandom was shocked when he ranked Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker higher than Episode VIII: The Last Jedi.
“‘Rank the three Star Wars films you are in from best to worst.’ Hell yeah, I’ll do it. ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ is most definitely the best. Second for me comes ‘Star Wars 9.’ And the worst, in the most respectful sense, ‘Episode 8.’ But they’re all lovely.”
Boyega’s ranking was met with immediate support and criticism, even though he acknowledged and appreciated all three films. Fans who loved the frantic action and throwback references in the last chapter sided with Boyega. At the same time, Boyega’s apparent dismissal of The Last Jedi was disheartening to those who appreciated the film’s subversive and thought-provoking qualities.
The Rise of Skywalker is *easily* the worst. I don’t like The Last Jedi that much, but at least it felt like a director’s real vision with real choices behind it.
The Rise of Skywalker is a dry fart of “We’re sorry, please clap now”.— Richard (@RichardOcelot) July 20, 2023
I feel like nine was worse. It’s only watchable as little clips on YouTube if you watch them outside of the context of “the plot”
I didn’t like The Last Jedi, but at least it felt like a movie
— 𝕹𝖎𝖈𝖍𝖔𝖑𝖆𝖘 𝕯𝖊𝕺𝖗𝖎𝖔 (@nicholasdeorio) July 20, 2023
He’s wrong. Rise of Skywalker is a disaster.
— Occam’s Rusty Spoon 🐀 (@OccamRustySpoon) July 20, 2023
Has he watched Rise of Skywalker at all?
— Casual Disaster (@Casualdisaster) July 20, 2023
At least The Last Jedi tried to be original. The other 2 movies were retreads of the original trilogy. pic.twitter.com/OE4fWKh66S
— Stryker Shenoy (@StrykerShenoy) July 20, 2023
John Boyega has been vocal about his displeasure with Star Wars: The Last Jedi. He expressed his concerns about the movie’s story in a previous interview with Hypebeast. Boyega said that The Last Jedi deviated from the character growth seen in The Force Awakens, leaving Finn’s storyline unresolved and the film feeling disjointed.
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John Boyega’s Vision for the Stormtroopers
John Boyega feels like stormtroopers, a key part of the Star Wars universe, were underutilized in The Last Jedi. Finn’s transformation from a devoted member of the First Order to a courageous member of the Resistance was especially poignant because he was once in his shoes.
Boyega has stated his desire to see stormtroopers play a larger role, with the possibility of a stormtrooper rebellion being explored. The actor’s idea of a rebellion among the stormtroopers was novel and could have given the story more nuance.
Evidently, he believed that showing the stormtroopers’ fight for identity and freedom would have improved Finn’s arc as a character and the Sequel Trilogy as a whole. John Boyega also felt that Luke Skywalker’s redemption arc was underdeveloped in The Last Jedi.
Boyega believed that expanding Luke’s moments of redemption could have resonated deeply with Star Wars fans, despite the difficulties the creative team faced in wrapping up such a beloved character’s arc. The English actor emphasized the significance of spending additional time with the legacy characters to give them the resolution and development they deserved.
Source: First We Feast
