Samuel L. Jackson, a.k.a. Mace Windu in the Star Wars prequels, didn't seem to enjoy The Force Awakens all that much.
In a new interview with Peter Travers promoting Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight, the actor was asked if he had seen the new Star Wars film and what he thought of it. His initial response was...unenthusiastic, to say the least.
"It's, it's done in the spirit of the Star Wars films," Jackson says in the least excited tone possible.
Travers follows up by calling Jackson's response "a diplomatic answer", which causes Jackson to elaborate a little further.
"It's got the same spirit, it's adventuresome and exciting. In a way," he says. "I think the kids need to go to lightsaber fight school. You know? That's just me thinking that."
Jackson concludes the segment by saying the stars of The Force Awakens definitely have time to get better with a lightsaber, given this was only the first film of the new trilogy.
Of course, Jackson would know a thing or two about lightsaber battles, having played one of the most fearsome Jedi ever seen on screen. The prequels are known for their over-the-top duels that make the original trilogy's lightsaber fights look like kids playing with sticks. Director J.J. Abrams took direct inspiration from the original trilogy's fight sequences for The Force Awakens, which goes a long way towards explaining the choreography of the fight towards the end of the film.
Even ignoring Jackson's beef with the lightsaber fights, it's easy to believe that the actor might not be too keen on other aspects of The Force Awakens as well. His body language and tone all seem to indicate he didn't enjoy the movie, but that he doesn't want to be too critical of it in a interview that will be seen by thousands. Jackson wouldn't be alone in saying he felt the film relied too heavily on moments and imagery from A New Hope, but if that is how Jackson truly feels, he's keeping it to himself for now.
