Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Directed by JJ Abrams
Starring Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, and Carrie Fisher
Star Wars - Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker concludes the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy that started with Episode VII: The Force Awakens four years ago, and the main storyline that began with the first film released over forty years ago. That's a lot to handle in one film. It's almost like the Avengers: Endgame of Star Wars films.
Perhaps it's not the "grand finale" many expected, but it's a captivating viewing experience, and a wonderful, flawed, film.
Rey (Ridley), alongside Finn (John Boyega), Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaacs), Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) and C-3PO (Anthony Daniels), embark on a mission for The Resistance, as they prepare to make a final stand against The First Order. Meanwhile, Supreme Leader Kylo Ren (Driver) is on a mission of his own to secure his rule over the galaxy, operating under the guidance of the resurrected Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), who lurks in the shadows with a plan of his own...
A lot of the film plays out like an Indiana Jones quest/adventure as our heroes move from location to location. It definitely boosts the scope of the film and gives it that "cinematic road trip" feel. It's really nice to see Rey, Finn, and Poe finally work together, and I wish we had more of this in previous films.
As great as it is to see Ian McDiarmid on screen again playing Palpatine...bringing the Emperor back was a mistake. He's a big bad for characters that led a different trilogy. Not the ones that lead this trilogy (Rey, Finn, etc.). We know he's a threat because of his presence in past films, but his connection to these characters is flimsy. That said, everything they do with him his great. The scenes with him, the atmosphere, and Ian McDiarmid's performance is on point, and are enough to keep the audience engaged.
I put this review off for so long because of all the backlash the film received, and how vicious the Star Wars fandom can be not just to one another, but to the cast and crew that make these films. So I just need to say my piece and then we will resume normal review-talk.
Star Wars is a franchise unlike any other. It's Sci-Fi that can be enjoyed by viewers of all ages. It's like the gold standard of the genre, and to an extent blockbusters in general. Star Wars is also unlike any other franchise, in that no other film series has been so significantly affected by its fans, and not in good ways. The unrelenting hate of the prequel trilogy led to George Lucas selling his creation to Disney. Harassment from fans drove Daisy Ridley and Kelly Marie Tran (Rose Tico) off social media, and almost destroyed Jake Lloyd (Young Anakin) and Ahmed Best (Jar Jar Binks).
So the flaws I see in The Rise of Skywalker, I know are 100% a result of the never-ending, grotesque hatred of The Last Jedi that ran rampant throughout the internet. So much of Rise of Skywalker feels like its course-correcting its predecessor, from Rose Tico's limited role, to the back-peddling of Rey's true parentage (It's been a few months. Mild spoilers are allowed.). But doing this doesn't hurt The Last Jedi, it hurts itself. A film should be an escape from reality into a fantasy world, and Rise of Skywalker is plagued by outside influences, and as someone who loves movies, that really upsets me.
If you didn't like this film, that's fine. We all don't have to like the same things. But if you're attacking and bullying people online about it, or bashing the people that make these films, I hate to say it but you have no one to blame but yourself. Disney, LucasFilm, and JJ Abrams heard your constant whining about The Last Jedi, and did their best to try and please you, and it backfired. It's nuts because people complained The Force Awakens was too much of the same, then they complained The Last Jedi was too different, and now this. There's just no pleasing some people I guess.
That said, the powers that be at Disney & LucasFilm need to take some of the blame. Episodes VII, VIII, and IX make for a very clunky trilogy. The puzzle pieces don't quite fit together. Was there a plan from the get-go? Maybe. Did they just make it up as they went? Maybe. Did plans change from film-to-film as a result of backlash from the public? I'd say smart money's on that. Anyway I'll just wrap this portion up by saying The Rise of Skwywalker, and the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, are a perfect example of A. Fans having too much power, and B. A lack of cohesive storytelling.
Alright. Back to our regularly scheduled review...
So yeah, despite all the nonsense, I like The Rise of Skywalker. I'm a sucker for the nostalgia. I enjoyed a lot of the callbacks to the older films. It's not like a Disney remake where the film is literally using nostalgia as life support. There are a lot of great action scenes, particularly a speedster chase through a desert and a shootout on a Star Destroyer. There's some really great lightsaber fights, of course between Rey and Kylo Ren. Rise of Skywalker has many sequences that will stay fresh in the memories of fans, and plenty of great character moments.
Out of all the characters Rey and Kylo Ren are served the best, as they're at the heart of the film's conflict. Finn and Poe have plenty to do, but by film's end their arcs don't feel as complete, although I'm sure we will see these characters again (Don't kid yourself there will definitely be a new trilogy in the future where these characters are the old guard guiding some new ones). Speaking of new characters, many of them feel underdeveloped, and merely plot points for the major players. Janna (Naomi Ackie) is just kinda there as support for Finn. Keri Russell as Zori Bliss is cool but is only there to develop Poe's backstory. Richard E. Grant is his typical great self as General Pryde but he doesn't have much to work with.
Daisy Ridley is wonderful as Rey, commanding every scene she's in. Her performance is absolutely charming and she shines whenever she's onscreen. I don't think this is John Boyega's best performance out of his three appearances as Finn, but he has a lot of cool, heartfelt moments that stand out in my memory. His chemistry with Oscar Isaacs's Poe Dameron is unmatched. Isaacs himself is great as Poe Dameron, showing Poe's suave confidence, but also his insecurities. Again I really hope we see these three again down the line. Adam Driver as Ben Solo/Kylo Ren is superb. Like Boyega, I don't think this is the best of his three appearances, but there are a lot of iconic moments.
Anthony Daniels is always top-notch as C-3PO. I do have to say Domhall Gleeson as General Hux was terribly underused in this film. He started out with so much potential in this trilogy and it goes all to waste. Mark Hamill and Billy Dee Williams get some great moments as Luke Skywalker and Lando Calrissian respectively.
We have to address how the film handles Leia, after the passing of Carrie Fisher in 2016. The film repurposes unused footage from the last two films to keep her character in the film, and conclude her story properly. Despite the circumstances, they handled the situation extremely well. It never feels choppy or forced to me, and it's a meaningful, poignant conclusion for the character. Leia playing a part in Rise of Skywalker boosts the emotional weight of the film.
One thing that is always on-point in a Star Wars film is the music of John Williams. His score brings the world to life, and elevates what's onscreen to new heights. So many iconic, key moments in the film are made that much better by the Maestro's work. Man, could you imagine if both John Williams and Alan Silversti got nominated for Best Original Score at the Oscars this year (They probably would have just cancelled each other out and it would still go to Joker anyway...)
The Rise of Skywalker is not what many expected, or wanted, but it's an enjoyable film with many bright spots, wonderful characters, and despite outside factors, a still-cohesive narrative. Episodes VII-IX, to me, are three good films that make a clunky trilogy, and I can live with that. I love The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi (I think it's the best of the trilogy...). Much like how The Prequel Trilogy has come to be appreciated over time, I hope the same will be true for The Sequel Trilogy in the future. Maybe years from now a new generation will be introduced to them and come to love them (Assuming their parents aren't still bitter Last Jedi trolls-Alright I'll stop.). Hey, I heard Return of The Jedi wasn't super well-received way back when!
Ok, that's enough Star Wars talk for awhile. May the Force be with us all...
