Star Wars: The Last Jedi - 9 Episode VII Problems It Must Avoid

The Force Awakens went out of its way to give a Rey a chance at beating Kylo Ren, with him taking what was essentially a shotgun blast to the stomach before their duel. Likewise, her grabbing Luke's Lightsaber with the Force is a fight-or-flight response previously established in the Rebels TV series. The problem is her successful use of a Jedi Mind Trick, and not just because it was an easy get-out that lessened the impact of the Lightsaber moment.

To wear the nerd Stormtrooper helmet for a moment: the Jedi Mind Trick has always been established as a very difficult technique, not only in Star Wars lore, but as a way of showing a character's abilities. When we first see it in A New Hope, it's a sign of the true power Obi-Wan has, and it takes Luke and Ezra Bridger years to master, being a sign of their growing strength as Jedi.

This is also Screenwriting 101 when it comes to the hero's journey, because you can't make your hero too powerful too quickly without hurting the story. Anakin and Luke Skywalker don't get one-on-one victories until their third movies, and even then it comes at the price of tapping into the Dark Side, so that they are held back from being too powerful in order to give them a chance to grow, and to suffer at the hands of their enemies.

What The Last Jedi Should Do: Keep the focus on Rey's raw strength, while keeping in mind that she is untrained and undisciplined, instead of her being an instant master of the Force.