The long wait is finally over. Two years after Star Wars:
The Last Jedi, the final installment in the Skywalker saga has arrived,
much to everyone’s delight (or for a very small portion, dismay). In a year
where it seems every big pop culture pillar is pitching in a bases loaded, bottom of the ninth, game
seven pressure situation, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker seems to be
facing an even bigger obstacle than that: Star Wars fans.
The surviving Resistance faces the First Order once more as
Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega) and Poe Dameron's (Oscar Isaac) journey
continues. With the power and knowledge of generations behind them, the final
battle with Supreme Leader Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and the First Order
commences.
After the middle chapter in the trilogy changed the status
quo for the whole franchise, a small subsection of the internet decided that it
was the worst thing in the world, and unfortunately, Disney appears to have
listened. J.J. Abrams returns to the director’s chair to make a direct sequel
to his Episode VII, completely disregarding the themes and messaging of Episode
VIII almost entirely. Some things obviously couldn’t be retconned or forgotten,
but if Abrams and crew could change something, they did.
This approach forces Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker to
become two movies in one. It has to establish a new narrative, introduce
multiple new Macguffins, and generally change the past to try and make the
current film work. Calling the script by Chris Terrio and J.J. Abrams a mess
would be an understatement. There are still some smart choices in there of
course, but they’re buried under the really baffling and rash decisions that
make up most of it.
Baffling. The word that feels like the best way to describe
this film as a whole. The highs are incredibly high. For one, the cast has
never been better. The trio of Ridley, Boyega, and Isaac get more time together
and their chemistry and friendship is perfect. And we all already know how
brilliant Adam Driver is, but his final turn as Kylo Ren only supports that.
There are some really fun and exhilarating action scenes, particularly the
finale in its multi-layered, visual goodness. Plus Babu Frik, the pint-sized,
mechanic alien, raises this film at least half a point.
But when the lows come, they’re pretty low. None of it is
worth talking about currently, most of them would involve spoiling plot points
that shouldn’t be spoiled, but they’re there, and they’ll be the subject of
conversations on Star Wars for a while, for better or worse. Regardless
of the potential flaws, the film moves so quick it’s hard to dwell on anything,
and before you know it, the credits are rolling and the Skywalker saga is over.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is not a bad film,
despite what many seem to be spouting as loudly and as much as they can. There
are some major flaws, but for the most part, the good outweighs the bad. If
you’re a fan of Star Wars, it’s a satisfying ending, a last chapter in
the story of Skywalker before the world opens up to tell new stories about the
galaxy far, far away.
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