It’s a real shame that the Star Wars series don’t support the grand argument you’re making here. It would’ve been a slam dunk if it had… alas.

I’ve seen a great many people make this argument, and all of them seem to not remember the original – surprisingly progressive – films at all. There are plenty of deserving targets out there, but Star Wars, and Star Trek and Mission Impossible, don’t deserve to get dragged though the mud.

My first memory of Star Wars was asking my mum what it was and her eyes lighting up as she remembered queuing to see it in 1977. “Princess Leia!” she said, beaming. I’d never heard my mum talk with such enthusiasm about a film ever before. But she wasn’t done: “Get that walking carpet out of my way!” she cried happily. This was unprecedented. Never had she quoted a line of dialogue from a movie – a film she’d seen once, a-decade-and-a-half earlier. This Star Wars must really be something, I remember thinking.

Far from Disney needing to reimagine the Star Wars princess, the very first film does that all by itself. Princess Leia is the most powerful and important non-evil person we meet in the movie. She is captured by the villains while on a daring mission. When the guys come to rescue her she is decidedly unimpressed, immediately takes charge and starts giving orders. She doesn’t fall for either of the two male leads, and the film ends with her handing out medals rather than a kiss.

And what of Luke our ‘chosen one’ ‘destined’ to save the galaxy. Well, there’s actually barely a mention of any of that stuff. We find out Luke’s dad was also a Jedi… and that’s about it. There’s no prophesy, no Obi-wan regaling Luke with tales of midi-chlorian counts, or the importance of the family lineage. It’s background colour… much less emphasised even than Rey’s parentage is in The Force Awakens.

Then we have 1980’s sequel The Empire Strikes Back. I’ll say that again. Released thirty-seven years ago. We open with Leia back in charge, running the show on Hoth. We follow her romance with Han, where she simpers after him and he acts all cool and distant… oh no wait it’s the other way around. Han’s got it bad, and Leia would rather just kiss her brother.

We also find out that parental lineage isn’t a guarantee of success with the Force, as we watch Luke fail every challenge set for him by his vastly more powerful alien mentor.

Oh yeah, and we also encounter a new character – the ruler of the most technologically advanced utopia yet seen. A character who is taken seriously by all and the only civilian in the entire saga we see conversing with Lord Vader – almost as a peer. That a black actor was cast for the role was monumental. I’d argue it should be up there with Black Panther for pop culture black figures of authority. Lest we forget, all these years later Finn is a mere junior stormtrooper-janitor. He’s a coward, a bungler, a runaway. Lando was a Baron Administrator, a solver of Union disputes – and later he became General Calrissian, and Gold Leader in the Battle of Endor.

Finally, and most importantly, what lesson does Return of the Jedi give it’s young fans about the way to resolve conflicts and the nature of heroism? Does Luke triumphantly best Vader in combat before lopping The Emperor’s head off? He does not. He finally understands Yoda’s lessons. Turns out Yoda wasn’t kidding about that whole pacifism thing. In the climax to the trilogy, Luke throws away his weapon and refuses to fight. I’m sure there are other examples of pacifist conclusions to blockbuster popcorn flicks, I just can’t think of any right now.

So, The Last Jedi wants to have it both ways: it wants to take potshots at what came before, while essentially rehashing the old material. It wouldn’t kill Disney to show a little respect.