Star Wars: Frank Oz Doesn’t Understand ‘The Last Jedi’ Backlash

The latest film in the Star Wars saga brought back may fan favorite characters including Luke Skywalker and Yoda, but some fans weren’t satisfied with the storyline.

Legendary puppeteer and director Frank Oz revealed he doesn’t understand the reaction to Star Wars: The Last Jedi. During a recent interview with Collider, he spoke about being a huge fan of writer and director Rian Johnson’s surprising film.

“Yeah, there’s a whole backlash. I couldn’t understand that whole backlash. I didn’t get it,” Oz said. “I thought it was a great piece of work. I never understood that backlash. I’m somebody that works with the script, and if the script is there and I believe the script is organic and right for the moment and the character, then that’s kind of all I think about. I don’t think about extra powers or anything, I just go with it. I just don’t consider that really.”

Oz returned to the Star Wars saga for the new film not only to give the voice to the legendary Jedi Master Yoda, but to also take the lead on puppeteering the character.

“I was everything. That’s what they hired me for. They had two people, three people turn on a grate to help me It’s a four-person character,” Oz said. “I flew back and forth to London about three times and rehearsed for a couple weeks with them. It’s very intense rehearsal because you have four people trying to do one thing, very, very specifically.

“So, every single word, every single move, had to be rehearsed again and again. Therefore, we don’t take time on the set. The last time I flew over there, I rehearsed with the three guys again, and then we went and shot for a day and a half- night and a half.”

The documentary about the making of the film called The Director and the Jedi captured a powerful reunion between Oz and Mark Hamill, who hadn’t shared a scene together since Return of the Jedi. Oz said he was grateful to take part in such a homecoming.

“It was like an old glove. It just felt so at home, you know. Mark is a wonderful, great, great guy. People don’t realize that a great part of the reason why Yoda works, is because of Mark,” Oz said. “It’s because if Mark doesn’t believe in that character, nobody else will. What he does there is extremely important, always has been. When we got together it was just like old times. He never changed; he is just a wonderful guy- very funny too.”

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is now available on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD.