I could almost guarantee that if TLJ’s story beats exactly matched expectations of what people were speculating, many people would have accused the film of being predictable and boring.
I would have settled for a competently told story, and one that spent less time on pointless sub-plots, useless characters, & cartoony gags, and more focus on the critical themes surrounding our hero’s struggles and growth as she takes the next step of her journey.
Because there never were any cartoony gags in the OOT.
Nope, not even close to the extent of the gags that were placed throughout TLJ. The only thing in the OOT that feels like a “gag” is the Tarzan yell in ROTJ, which fortunately is brief and not in-your-face, like the TLJ stuff.
Anyway, the gags are just one aspect of what’s wrong with the movie.
Mhm. Not every superficial similarity disproves an argument against TLJ. The mouse droid moment wasn’t in the script and was funny because it was such a one off, fleeting, and slight gag.
Han speaking on the com in the cell block was an intentionally cringy moment, funny because it felt relatable and played not as a joke, but as a real moment played straight.
The Chewie yell in ROTJ was over the top but fleeting.
We don’t need to love every tittle of the OT to point out substantial flaws in the new films or explain differences.