I neither like nor understand Disney’s Luke Skywalker. He isn’t the same character that exists in the original trilogy and the expanded universe.
I’ve completely soured even on his limited deepfake appearances as well. Who does he still have a glove on his hand and didn’t get his prosthetic hand repaired. Nothing Disney did with the character made sense.
I can only enjoy Last Jedi as a what if tale. But everything else they’ve done with the character sucks.
First order and Resistance instead of New Republic and The Empire is nonsense. It was just a lazy reset. Should be hundreds of Jedi. No there was only two left one on the light and one on the dark side, and then only one.
The myopic lack of lore or backstory/ worldbuilding. The sequels have great art direction and cinematography; being shot on film they look great. Last Jedi was also digital but, you know what I mean. They have a good cast and relatively good to less than good acting, and good music scores. But they don’t add to the Star Wars mythos. They are completely like what James Cameron said, retreading old ground offering nothing new.
I think they are better than George’s proposed sequels, but water is wet. We still don’t have a sequel of merit, that makes sense or is good. That isn’t fanfiction. You have two vastly different fanfictions, the one in Legends. You can just ignore the bad books you don’t like. And the one Disney made. The alleged canon sequel. The one where all our heroes died and were nothing. Universe refreshed and reset with all new Disney characters we sort of like, I suppose. I didn’t mind them. But Luke and Han and Leia are basically just cameos, and could easily be written out of the story.
Without reference to the OT the Disney trilogy could have been set in any era. They merely brought back Mark, Carrie and Harrison to get older people to pay money to see these movies. And it worked for that trilogy at least. But Carrie is gone. and they killed off Luke and Han, and Mark and Harrison are both older and done. Literally what is there to return for Gen X fans. If you go to see Star Wars for Luke’s adventures. Nada. Not even whatever the prequel trilogy was. A promised backstory for Luke’s father and Ben Kenobi.
The franchise is all member berries and nostalgia. The framework is set. its Episodes 1-6. Where can you go with a story with no defining characteristic, and no central hero to anchor the viewer. I related to Luke, he was like the story avatar for the film viewer. Just like you go with Frodo and Sam on their Journey to Mordor, watching Lord of the Rings. I do not relate to any of the new characters, nor did I relate to Hayden Skywalker in the prequel. It’s why for me the original trilogy is fundamental; the prequel is at best supplemental, and not necessary. The sequel trilogy is like a legends reboot on film, or Star Wars Infinites.
I think the second two Star Wars trilogies have major issues. The OT isn’t perfect or holy writ, but it has relatable and likable characters and even though it has ropey dialog. it doesn’t have anything near the awfulness of the prequel. There is a more natural way people talk. And of course, unlike the sequel trilogy you don’t get they fly now, or somehow Palpatine returned. The most ridiculous line is probably, a certain point of view.
A critical as I am of George Lucas he might have a point, and Mark Hamill had a point. The Saga has a beginning, a middle and an end. The original is about Luke. The prequel is about the downfall of Anakin Skywalker, as poorly as it was done, regardless. that was Lucas intention. Unless you do a sequel where you have a period of rebuilding and democracy restored, I don’t see a point. The Jedi thriving and vibrant under the New Jedi Order of Luke Skywalker. And how difficult it is to keep the peace. And the threat of the return of evil. It basically would be like Tolkien’s return of the shadow, that he never completed.