Love it or hate it, one thing everyone can agree on aboutStar Wars: Episode VIII: The Last Jediis that it’s one of the most divisive pieces of media in the franchise. But even more so than the movie itself, it sports one particular sequence that even the most steadfast defenders will sometimes give ground on. The part in question involves a certain casino planet, and it’s one of the most hotly debated elements of the entire film. But it turns out at least one of the people involved had a blast with it during production.
That person is none other than Kelly Marie Tran, who played Rose Tico in the film only to seeher role diminished inThe Rise of Skywalkerdue to the demands of toxic fans. The collection of scenes in question are those that take place on Canto Bight, the gambling planet where Rose and Finn are tasked with finding a master codebreaker. It turns out that Tran not only enjoyed the scene from a storytelling and visual perspective, but also in terms of the experience in bringing it to life with co-star John Boyega. In a recent interview, she openly admitted that she’s partial to the whole segment due to her personal involvement, but it turns out her appreciation comes from more than just working on the film.
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“I love that scene. I mean, I’m biased so I guess I can say that,” Tran said when speaking to Collider Ladies Night about the Canto Bight storyline. “I remember John and I walking on set and being like, ‘This is the biggest set we’ll ever be on,’ and seeing all of the creatures moving and being part of this universe. These are the things I remember about being on set that day.” It’s understandable that someone would build a certain fondness for a scene like this when they’re personally involved with it, a fondness she also may have established whenshe joined Disney’sRaya and the Last Dragon. But she didn’t stop there, as her love for the scene involves more than just the intoxicating aroma of nostalgia.
From a more social standpoint, Tran said she appreciates how the sequence draws attention to the divide between the ultra privileged and those who have to struggle to survive, particularly how the former are rarely (if ever) even aware of the latter. That aspect seemed to hit close to home for her. “My parents are also from a war-torn country. They had to leave their home to escape it,” she continued. “So to be able to exist in a community where I think people weren’t really aware of the struggles that it took other people to even exist, yeah, I relate to that.”
Aside from the more unreasonable argumentsthat largely resulted inThe Rise of Skywalker, many of the popular criticisms of the Canto Bight plot inThe Last Jeditend to focus on how it breaks the pacing of an otherwise consistently laid out film. It’s a valid critique, of course, but many who utilize it tend not to acknowledge the importance of its world-building. MainstreamStar Warsmedia doesn’t often explore the more socially-oriented aspects of the overall universe beyond the surface level. So drawing attention to the people who profit off of the marginalized masses can not only go a long way in establishing the full stakes of the story, it could also set precedents for more intimate plotlines later on that address this uncomfortable portion of the galaxy.
However people want to view the scene, andThe Last Jediin general, it’s at least good to see that Tran herself still appears to be in high spirits after the toxic backlash she suffered for existing in aStar Warsmovie. There’s a real strength in maintaining optimism through trying times, and she may be one of the strongest and brightest shining stars out there right now.
Star Wars: The Last Jediis now available on Disney Plus.
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