#16: Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker (spoiler free then spoiler-y)
Wednesday December 18th, 36 hours before seeing the movie
This week I will read the opening crawl to the 9th and final chapter of the Skywalker Saga. I’m starting this article before seeing the movie and I'll finish after seeing it on Friday afternoon. I wanted to get some initial thoughts, feelings, and predictions documented, mostly to know how I felt going into the movie but also to see if my predictions come to pass.
First, I want to start with my history with Star Wars. (Skip the next 4 paragraphs if you don’t care).
I love Star Wars. I’m not a fanboy who dresses up and attends conventions, but I do love it. I can’t remember the first time seeing any of the original trilogy, but I do remember watching them over and over. We had the VHS box set, THx remastered (whatever that means), and since our VCR couldn’t rewind fast enough, we had a stand-alone VHS rewinding machine shaped like a red convertible. Return of the Jedi was always my favorite because to me, it had the most action. During the opening action sequence at the Sarlacc pit, Luke falls off the plank, spins, grabs the plank, and uses it to launch himself back up onto the ship. So cool. 12-year-old me, who thought he was going to be a stuntman when he grew up, would try to recreate that scene on my friend’s swimming pool diving board. I lost a lot of skin on my fingers and never quite mastered it.
When the Phantom Menace came out I was 15 and just excited for more Star Wars. I didn’t think Jake Lloyd or Natalie Portman acted well, but Ewan McGregor and Liam Neeson were amazing and Duel of the Fates thrilled me. That light saber was two-sided!! I also watched the VHS for that movie over and over again, making fun of Jar Jar and the pod racing, but loving all the good stuff. It was all down a huge CGI hill from there. I’ll withhold my comments on Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith other than to say that Hayden Christensen is the worst casting choice in movie history. I’m leaving it at that.
Fast forward to 2015: The Force Awakens! New actors, new storyline, updated technology, a worthy director, practical effects…what a ride. There are sensational moments in that film even if it retreads many of the same beats of A New Hope. Who cares! Star Wars is back! Rey uses the force because she believes she can, not because anyone showed her how. Kylo Ren is presented as a powerful foe yet he doesn’t get the best of her. Finn is a stormtrooper who defects! He and Poe have great chemistry! Harrison. Freaking. Ford. I could go on and on.
Then, The Last Jedi! I’d love to go into great detail as to why this is an amazing Star Wars movie – on how it is highly original yet true to the world and characters, irreverent yet respectful, shocking and surprising yet consistent with the character’s motivations and objectives. It IS a good movie and I stand by that, but I’ll save it all for another essay.
Now here I am, a mere 36 hours before seeing Episode IX, and I just want to see a good movie. I’m a little worried that Rian Johnson, the writer and director of The Last Jedi, rocked the boat so much that JJ Abrams, writer and director of The Rise of Skywalker, is going to come in and undo it all. Rey actually does have special force wielding parents, the Jedi title really is reserved for a select few, and Snoke had a rich and interesting back story we should all care about. I don’t want to see an overpowered Rey taking out the First Order with a laser sword (or two laser swords). I want the theme and ending of The Last Jedi to be honored with people from across the galaxy answering the call to join the rebellion, fanning the spark to a flame that burns the First Order down. Rey, Finn, Poe, and Leia can all lead in their respective ways. That’s what I’m hoping for.
Saturday December 22nd, 24 hours after seeing the movie
Spoiler Free Thoughts
There are things I enjoyed about this movie, namely:
I loved more time with Rey, who I still think is an amazing character played so well by Daisy Ridley. She stands out in my mind as one of my all-time favorite heroes and one of the best parts of this new trilogy. Loving her character so much is also why I’m so angry with what they do to her in this movie.
Decent use of practical effects although very CG heavy. I loved the clever new creatures and puppets.
The evolution of Force FaceTime was fun and I bought it.
There were some original and cool action set pieces that made me smile and cheer.
Genuinely witty lines and humorous moments.
As always, goosebump inducing music.
It’s impossible to talk about what disappointed me without mentioning spoilers. If you've read this far, I sincerely thank you and hope you'll see the movie so we can talk about it.
Spoiler Time Spoiler Time Spoiler Time Spoiler Time Spoiler Time Spoiler Time Spoiler Time Spoiler Time Spoiler Time Spoiler Time
The Rise of Skywalker disregards the exciting idea of democratizing the Force. This complaint has been expressed much better by others in essays I’ve read online and I’ll link to a couple at the very end. I may be a minority in having loved the subversion in The Last Jedi that Rey has no special parents or grandparents. She is a nobody from nowhere. What a bold and exciting idea that a powerful Force wielder can come from anywhere and be anybody! How inspiring to think that some people can be special based on their choices and sensitivity and not just lineage!
Some will argue that lineage is a major theme of Star Wars, and guess what? It still can be. Nobody is taking that away. Why can’t both ideas exist together? Lineage can continue to be important for people like Kylo, but it doesn’t have to be important for someone like Rey. The Rey reveal in The Last Jedi felt fresh, inclusive, and full of potential for future stories. I also heard The Last Jedi writer and director Rian Johnson say it was the hardest thing for her to hear, just as “I am your father” was the hardest thing for Luke to hear, thus making it true to Star Wars.
When The Last Jedi ended, there was plenty of dramatic conflict with Kylo as a super angry Supreme Leader and Rey as a powerful Jedi with greater understanding. He still wants to turn her, she wants to redeem him. We are in a good place, people. The First Order is still a real threat and the Rebellion has a lot of work to do to get more people fighting on their side. There is potential for character moments with Poe assuming leadership and Finn and Rose taking on important roles in the rebellion. Perhaps they are Force sensitive and are looking for other Force sensitive people? Lots of exciting possibilities!
Rise of Skywalker says “PUMP THE BRAKES! The Last Jedi had it all wrong.” First, Rey does have a special lineage. Second, Kylo isn’t your big bad because the Emperor is back and has been pulling all the strings. Third, Poe is now a sidekick on video game quests. Fourth, we’re gonna sideline Rose and her relationship with Finn and put him back with Rey as her concerned bodyguard. What could have been an intimate, character driven, fresh movie became this bloated, nostalgia heavy, overdone mess. It took everything bold and different that Rian Johnson was trying to say about Star Wars and flushed it.
You could say my main criticism is this: Either have a clear plan for the trilogy at the outset and execute it or make room for some improvisation and then go along with it. Rian Johnson improvised a bit with the Star Wars formula and it was divisive and made fans angry. But a major rule of improvisational comedy is that no matter what a fellow performer gives you, you never negate it. Rather, you do your best to build off it by saying “Yes, and…”
JJ Abrams broke that rule and said “But, no…” and it wasn’t funny.
Link to articles that do a better job explaining my frustration. By the way, if you have articles detailing why the twists and revelations were wonderful and amazing, please send them to me.
Joanna Robinson from Vanity Fair: https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/12/star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker-rey-origin-palpatine-nobody-nowhere
Alex McLevy from AV Club: https://film.avclub.com/the-rise-of-skywalker-walks-back-the-last-jedi-s-best-d-1840513344