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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!
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