In a galaxy not so far away, lightsaber duels and intergalactic space travel found their way to the big screens in a new trilogy made “for the fans.” Since 1977, the Star Wars franchise has excited movie-goers with an out-of-this-world experience like no other. However, Disney’s newest trilogy in the series (episodes 7-9) is nothing but a waste of time and a money grab. The lack of character development and the repetitive graphics make these movies less than stellar.

In 2015, fans from all over the galaxy sought out the butter stained seats of the movie theater. Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens brought to the box office an upwards of $2 billion worldwide. The main character, Rey, is replica of a Leia archetype with an underwhelming backstory and a boring life on a desolate planet. Her introduction into the franchise could have been left out. In short, the seventh movie leaves fans hungry for another thrilling journey through space: the one they were given just didn’t live up to their expectations.

Two years after The Force Awakens, Disney released the second installment in a series of disappointing failures: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi. Unfortunately, this film leaves fans wishing the epic series had ended at Episode VI. Before Disney took control of the franchise, journeys to space thrilled me. Now, I leave the movie theaters un-amazed. Episode VI’s only accomplishment seems to be how it steals two and a half hours of my life. If I had wanted to watch the same laser graphic over and over again, then maybe the movie would have been good. The return of Luke Skywalker, which brought much hype to the fans, only resulted in a disastrous depiction of a beloved character. If I didn’t already hate the trilogy, this would be the main target.

The over-hyped Episode IX concluded a series of tragic films that left me wondering why. The static characters lacked excitement and development. Kylo Ren, the villain of this trilogy, changed from the new definition of Star Wars super villain to a new kind of Darth Vader. His seemingly endless pursuit of power left him with the most boring, cliche, and nostalgic ending imaginable. I was less than impressed. The visual effects, while much better than the older movies, remained monotonous. They were nothing but the same stale lasers and white dot stars that did nothing but add a subtle hint of the glories of previous films.

Instead of bringing exciting characters to life in a brand new trilogy, the Star Wars franchise lost the out-of-this-world experience I so desperately craved – and Disney is to blame. When considering watching the latest trilogy, keep in mind it will never live up to the hype that the original Star Wars movies (episodes 4-6)  brought to the big screens. The newest trilogy is nothing but a waste of time.