Star Wars - The Last Jedi (2017)

In this week’s episode of Born to Watch, Whitey and Damo tackle one of the most polarising blockbusters in cinematic history—Star Wars: The Last Jedi. You’ve heard it before: The Last Jedi either reignited the saga with bold creativity or sent it careening off a cliff into a galaxy far, far away from anything recognisable. For Whitey and Damo, it’s the latter, and they aren’t afraid to say it. If you’re tuning in for a spirited debate, prepare for a critical breakdown of what went wrong in the eighth chapter of this iconic franchise in they're The Last Jedi Review.

A Bold Direction, But At What Cost?

There’s no denying that director Rian Johnson set out to craft something new. From the opening moments, it’s clear that The Last Jedi wants to subvert expectations. But sometimes, as Whitey and Damo point out, subversion isn’t enough. It’s one thing to challenge the audience and twist the familiar beats of a beloved saga, but The Last Jedi feels like it’s actively rebelling against its own DNA.

Despite its criticisms, The Force Awakens almost worked because it carefully balanced nostalgia with new storylines. It honoured the past while paving the way for new heroes; if honouring is completely copying the original movie, then it did an exceptional job. Johnson, however, appears to toss all of that aside in The Last Jedi. Characters you thought would be key players are sidelined. Moments that seem set up for major payoffs are ignored or reinterpreted in ways that feel detached from the series’ core.

Whitey and Damo’s frustration comes down to one fundamental gripe: legacy. The Last Jedi isn’t just telling a new story—it feels like it’s actively undoing everything that came before it. The legacy characters—Luke, Leia, and even Han, by extension—are treated in ways that left fans scratching their heads. “Why bother bringing them back at all if you’re just going to dismantle their arcs?” asks Whitey, echoing a sentiment that has been brewing since the film’s release.

The Luke Skywalker Dilemma

One of the biggest sore spots for fans (and for Whitey and Damo) is the treatment of Luke Skywalker. Mark Hamill famously voiced his concerns over Johnson’s interpretation of Luke, and many fans, including our podcast duo, couldn’t agree more. Gone is the hopeful, idealistic Jedi we last saw in Return of the Jedi, replaced by a brooding hermit who has cut himself off from the Force.

Character evolution is important, and no one expects Luke to remain static. But The Last Jedi doesn’t show us how Luke got to this point—it simply drops us into a version of him that feels unfamiliar and alien. Whitey and Damo argue that there’s a difference between developing a character and fundamentally altering them. The Luke in The Last Jedi is so far removed from the original trilogy’s hero that it’s hard to connect with him on an emotional level.

Wasted Potential

Another major issue that Whitey and Damo have with The Last Jedi is its handling of certain story arcs set up in The Force Awakens. Love or hate J.J. Abrams’ mystery box approach established several intriguing threads: Who are Rey’s parents? What’s the deal with Supreme Leader Snoke? Will Finn’s stormtrooper past play a bigger role? Instead of building on these mysteries, Johnson seems to sweep them aside entirely.

Without diving too deeply into spoiler territory, let’s say that the answers (or lack thereof) are underwhelming at best. Rey’s parentage? A twist that feels less like a revelation and more like a dismissal of everything The Force Awakens set up. Snoke? Well, let’s just say his story ends abruptly, leaving many wondering why he was even introduced in the first place. Finn? Regrettably reduced to a side plot that feels more like filler than a meaningful con