This franchise just got interesting.

Rating: 8/10 (23 December 2017)

Wow, just wow.
I am not talking about the movie, it was okay. Just another holiday popcorn sci-fi, no biggie.
No, what I am wowing about is this very awesome, and very original marketing ploy to sell tickets. Someone is a marketing genius over there
at Disney Industries.
"Hey, let's start an online campaign that appears like fans are panning the
movie. The 'actual fans' will follow blindly because that is what they
do...and the next thing you know, we will have a juggernaut at the box
office because EVERYONE will be talking about The Last Jedi."
Well, it's working. People are flocking to the theaters to see who's right -
the gushing critics or the die-hard cry-babies.
I would not be surprised if this one breaks the record for profit haul. I am
sure this idea has been thought of before, but not to this degree of
success. There is a saying in show business: "There is no such thing as
bad press".
I am not sure this ploy was needed though. The Star Wars brand is going
to do well at the box office anyway. But maybe the studio was worried
about recouping their investment for whatever reason and concocted this
online blitz idea to hedge their bets?
When the film is viewed in this light, it takes a back seat to an even larger,
and arguably more interesting, story ~ the story of us, the movie goers.
Somehow we have become unwitting tools of the industry to sway the
money in a certain direction. We are just pawns with disposable income.
I am giving The Last Jedi 7 stars. It has solid production values and
the storyline at least held my attention. As a stand alone film, it easily
rates 7 stars. I will not respond to the film as an entry into the Star Wars
canon or lore, I don't like being a pawn even if others do. I give an extra
star for the brilliance of the marketing campaign. Peace out.