Oh, Return of the Jedi – that one time when Star Wars pulled the Jedi Mind Trick on us. Despite being considered the weakest of the Original Trilogy of Star Wars films, Return of the Jedi still has shining moments. But let’s be real here, the logic behind some of the scenes is about as solid as Jar Jar Binks’ acting skills.
Yet, there’s one scene that GFR calls out as ‘making no sense,’ and I think the problem is deeper than just one moment of jibber-jabber. Leia, a strong and capable leader, gets reduced to a clueless toddler when it comes to communicating with Jabba the Hutt. Seriously, girl? You couldn’t come up with a better plan than repeating “kyoto kyoto” and hoping Jabba would magically understand?
Let’s not forget about the science and technology aspect of it all. Han magically survives being frozen in carbonite – the only thing that happens to him is temporary blindness. No freezer burn? No frostbite-induced loss of limbs? Lucky Han. I mean, it could be hand-waved away as advanced technology, but let’s be honest. Those plot points in Star Wars reflect a tendency to simplify things for the masses instead of challenging them to think critically.
The thing that gets me about this is how it reflects a larger issue in our society – the constant need to dumb things down in order to make everyone happy. But here’s the thing – we deserve better. We deserve smarter and more complex storytelling, especially in a franchise as beloved as Star Wars. Good enough isn’t good enough, especially when it comes to science and technology.
It didn’t have to be this way – Take the recent Mars Perseverance rover landing, for example. It was a complex and challenging mission, but the scientists and engineers involved didn’t dumb it down for the public. They trusted that we could handle the complexity and appreciated our interest in understanding the science behind it.
So, to all the storytellers and creators out there, let’s not underestimate our audience. Don’t be like Star Wars and pull a mind trick on us. Instead, challenge us. Make us think, and entertain us without dumbing things down. Because in the end, we all deserve better. And as for Leia, well, she may have had her moments of weakness, but she’ll always be a badass princess-turned-general in our hearts.
