The official web site of A.H. Lloyd

The reviews for the new Star Wars movie are starting to come in and they're overwhelmingly positive.

And yet, I find myself feeling that I'm going to see The Last Jedi because I ought to, not because I want to.

Such is the burden of the Twenty-First Century Star Wars Fan.

Yes, I'm a big Star Wars fan.  Or at least I was.  I still own a movie-grade set of stormtrooper armor.  It sits in a storage bin in the basement.  I last put it on for Halloween when my youngest was in 5th Grade.  The class seemed to appreciate it.

I think about selling it, but I put a lot of effort into the thing, so I take the easy path and do nothing.

Which is exactly how I feel about the new movies.  I want to take the easy path and do nothing.

I must be honest.  I hated The Force Awakens.  I really did.  It took me a while to put aside sentimentality and the fun of seeing Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher again, but I really really didn't like that movie.

It wasn't because I was a Star Wars fan, either.  It was because I am an author.

Once you've started writing or creating a story, you become more attuned to elements of plot, character and the importance of keeping things consistent.  There is no longer any consistency in Star Wars.  It's basically a cross between Star Trek and the Avengers.

I freely admit I was annoyed that the heroine – Super Jedi Girl – could do everything better than any other character.  She was a better pilot than Han, a better mechanic than Chewbacca and – upon picking up a lightsaber for the first time ever – dusted the villain.

And so now she's going to get trained.  But why?  She's already the Bestest, Most Awesome Hero Ever.  She's a 50th level fighter/magic-user/thief/cleric in a 3rd level dungeon.  Who can possibly stand against her?

Well, I guess that's what we're going to find out.  This is the Second Movie in the trilogy, so the Good Guys get screwed. 

I suppose I should be more optimistic, but the last five movies were a disappointment, so I don't think it's unreasonable to suspect the sixth will be as well.

And in case anyone wonders – no, I'm not expecting lighting to strike again, I'd just like a movie that is good on its own merits.  I find the fact that we have to add the qualifier "Star Wars movie" a true indictment on the finished product.  We're clearly grading on a (very forgiving) curve because when you get down to it, these are actually pretty awful films that would have gone nowhere without having "Star Wars" in the title.