Skip to main content

Review: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

Disclaimer: Though there are no explicit spoilers here, there is general discussion of the film that may warrant SW aficionados wait until they have seen the film before reading (though I'm sure they have all seen it by now anyways...)

Let's all just be honest for a moment, it was self-fulfilling that this film would not please everyone. Star Wars is one of the most beloved franchises in the history of pop culture and The Rise of Skywalker was to be the final instalment of the original 42 year and nine-film long saga. If that wasn't daunting enough, what is, is the fact that Lucasfilm dug themselves into quite the hole with not plotting out this final trilogy ahead of time. The damage of this studio decision is awkwardly apparent throughout ROS. Following this trilogy's pattern of fan-service and retreads (TFW), to breaking molds and moving in surprising new directions (TLJ), and now back again to fan-service (ROS), this new trilogy is nothing if not a mixed-bag of emotion and expectation. For that reason, I cannot say that The Rise of Skywalker is a resounding success - and simply saying those words really does break my heart just a little bit.

I am going to go into all of this in a future spoiler-y post, but, for now, I'll try to be brief with my criticisms. There is a lot of awkwardness in this film... like a lot. New pivotal plot points are shoehorned in at every turn, especially in the film's exposition-heavy first thirty minutes. At the same time, a ton of what transpired in TLJ is quickly ret-conned, such to the extent that, on future watches, you could probably jump straight from TFW to ROS and not miss a beat (save for a certain key character's demise). As mentioned, ROS is all about fan-service and it lives off of the nostalgia of the franchise with moments, appearances and plot points that all harken back to previous films. Fans may love many of these moments for this reason but I believe these decisions are a disservice to the overall weight and progression of the saga. Nothing in this film feels like it is taking risks in moving Star Wars forward but rather it has its eyes focused on the rear-view mirror. While the Rey and Kylo Ren material is the best of the bunch and Ridley and Driver are at their very best (as it has been for the entire trilogy), the material left for the other characters is very much lacking. Both Poe and Finn have new plot points that, if fleshed out more, could have been quite intriguing and exciting. However, Finn's is left confoundingly ignored in the end and Poe's is left more as a tantalizing piece of his story without any concluding significance.
All of that being said I love Star Wars. Whether one of the new films is a resounding success or not, I will always enjoy watching (and reading) new stories that expand the world and history of Star Wars. Sure there are times when I have to put the blinders on when my critical self wants to start tearing things apart that don't necessarily work, but that is part of the joy of being a diehard fan. For better or worse, we all care far too much about what happens to these characters. And, sometimes, you need to just strap in for the ride and see where it takes you. There is a lot to enjoy here too, with stunning action sequences, new worlds explored and moments that will surely have longtime fans wiping away a tear or two. Even now, only a short while after seeing the film, there are overall arcs and interactions in this new film that I like and think are fitting concluding pieces to the saga. The issue however is in knowing that when you actually rewatch the film, the blunders in getting to those moments become ever-apparent. One may have gripes about the prequel trilogy but one thing you cannot say is that it didn't have a unified vision and trajectory. The new trilogy, on the other hand, is a cornucopia of big emotional and fan-pleasing moments laden in an overall mazelike story filled with plotholes and messy-to-questionable payoffs.

With regards to my specific score I will, firstly, preface by saying this personal score may change over time. That is just the nature of Star Wars to me - I could see myself potentially become more forgiving to this instalment in the future and simply take it for what it is and recognize the uphill battle it had in fulfilling everyone's expectations from the get-go. Now, in getting to this specific score I tried to be diplomatic. I had two scores in mind when reviewing the film. One was the score I gave it as a true critic and someone who studies film - 5.5. And then there was the score I gave it as someone who has grown up his whole life with Star Wars and, in much of my creative endeavours, been inspired by Star Wars - 8.5. And, therefore, my resulting average score - 7.

Now, unleash the fandom... let me hear all your questions, queries and qualms!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review: The New Mutants (2020)

The New Mutants (2020) TLDR: A sad, dismal final chapter in Fox's once-acclaimed X-Men saga. The New Mutants shows promise in fragments, but its poor script and plot and often awkward execution makes for a sickly overall package that is quite fitting for this equally-sickly year that it has finally been released in... The New Mutants were an alt-X-Men team created in the early 80's in an effort to revamp and re-contemporize a new team of teenage X-Men. The new series became a smash-hit with new star mutants like Magik, Cannonball, Sunspot, Wolfsbane and Mirage, all of whom continue to headline Marvel comics to this day. Josh Boone's The New Mutants, which was announced more than five years ago and shot in 2017, has finally seen the light of day in 2020... The film seeks to adapt the team's beloved 'Demon Bear' storyline, while introducing audiences to this fresh team of mutant superheroes. In doing so, Boone tries to create an omelet-homage from the likes of Ste...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: How to With John Wilson (Season 1)

How to With John Wilson (Season 1) TLDR: It's hard to describe exactly what How To is or why exactly it works, but there's a certain point in every episode when the comedy begins to click and then the human element - the surprising poignancy and the everyman/woman relatability - comes out in spades. This documentary series is unlike anything else out there and absolutely worth your time. Who exactly is John Wilson? That's the first question that comes to mind when HBO's new documentary series is recommended to a new viewer. The name is in the show's title, and yet John Wilson is rather a nobody in the grand scheme of things as well as in the entertainment industry (at least he was prior to the becoming a bonafide hit). However, not long ago, contemporary comedy icon Nathan Fielder discovered Wilson and, after seeing his work and style, decided to jump on board as a producer for a new series made by Wilson.  So, again, what exactly is this show? Well, each episode of...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: Soul (2020)

Soul (2020) TLDR: For a year where many may feel like they have lost a little piece of their own, Soul has arrived to remind us all what's most important in life. This is a Pixar film that is arguably more important for adults to watch than kids: it is beautiful - in both story and art, it is quirky, it is heartfelt and, as these trying times endlessly push on, it reminds us that there is still a lot of good in this world to enjoy and reflect upon.  Note: some spoilers below. It takes a little bit of time to ease into Disney/Pixar's Soul. Though the film starts out in a lush and beautifully rendered NYC filled with delightful jazz music as we follow Joe around his everyday boroughs, things very quickly run astray. Suddenly, we are thrown into an abstract world filled with Picasso-like wiry characters and massively heady existential concepts like 'where do we come from', 'the great beyond', and much more. If it's not immediately apparent, it soon becomes clea...
Post a Comment
Read more