1. Max Landis Called Rey A "Mary Sue" (And Had A Ton Of Other Issues)
And so this list reaches screenwriter Max Landis, who - amongst Hollywood's inner circle - is perhaps the most outspoken of celebrity critics when it comes to The Force Awakens. Quite simply, he found a lot to dislike about the movie and took to the internet to spread his thoughts far and wide (and in the process presumably talked himself out of ever writing a movie for Disney). Landis is a huge Star Wars fan, too, which made his attack on the movie even more surprising (it's not like anything he's ever written is anywhere near as good). Landis' biggest issue with The Force Awakens was with the character of Rey, who he branded a "Mary Sue." In case you don't know, a Mary Sue is a low-ranking or young person character archetype who "who saves the day through unrealistic abilities," sometimes as a writer surrogate. Basically, Landis hated the way that Rey became so prominent with the Force in just one film, that all the other characters like her, and that she's perfect. Landis has a point, but his delivery of the criticism - by way of a serious "maddened fanboy rage" video on YouTube - angered Star Wars fans the world over. Landis also derided the other characters in the movie, branding them as one-dimensional. One of his most controversial comments concerned Finn, who he claimed has less depth in one whole movie than Lando Calrissian did in his few scenes. Landis wasn't a fan of all the unanswered or ambiguous aspects of The Force Awakens, either. "That's not how movies work," he said in response to vague story details that are set to be filled in in the sequels. He has a point, but did he have to be such a d*ck about it? Like this article? Agree or disagree? What do you make of these celebrity comments on The Force Awakens? Let us know your thoughts on the matter in the comments section.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
