THE SOFTBOX REVIEWS
STAR WARS : THE LAST JEDI
 
 
 
 



As a someone having grown up with a disinterest in action and science fiction epics due to a lack of heroic female figures, Star Wars was never something I yearned to be a part of. As years went on and my cinematic pallet shifted, I revisited the ones made during my lifetime. Again, I found myself uninterested in its story.
 
Then The Force Awakens happened. I found myself enthralled. I felt myself immersed in this world. I knew fans were split down the middle in terms how the film accurately portrayed the franchise. It was as if I had experienced a Star Wars rebirth.
 
I found myself completely submerged in fascination, specifically a fascination stemming from my curiosity with the universe this story belonged to. I knew still a lot of female screen time was lacking, but it was the stripping of sexuality that bewitched me. For the first time, the women wasn't an object. She was a hero. She was flawed. She was neither a saint, nor a villain. She was in between. So often we get a Pollyanna character and this was a better in between than most had before shaped.
 
It was as if I had experienced my own Star Wars awakening. A renaissance of exploration. As I continued to examine my new found fascination, I found the interest was shared by young girls in a more universal sense.
 
I knew this meant, this Star Wars was for our new generation. It was mirroring our current political climate and showcasing what women have so often fought to find. Rey, of course, is not its first of its class to portray a strong female character. I think instead she represents a revamping of characters from a franchise so universally masculine. This brings us to The Last Jedi.

The Last Jedi showcased not only women in high positions and increased in talking roles, but it also featured a variety people of color. While problems still exist in forced relationships between people of color (Finn and Rose) and continued coupling of white characters (Rey and Kylo Ren), while not presenting further range of ethnicities, it is still a small advance in the many hurdles towards inclusivity.