The Star Wars saga is ending for the third time with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the supposedly final movie of the polarizing “sequel trilogy” in George Lucas’ epic space opera that started more than four decades ago. For the film that will conclude the now dubbed “Skywalker Saga,” Disney-Lucasfilm went with the safe route and handed over the reins to J.J. Abrams again to finish what he started in 2015’s The Force Awakens. And he really did just that.
The Force Awakens is a spectacular reintroduction to the mythology of Star Wars to modern audiences, albeit being a rewrite of 1977’s A New Hope. Years after it’s released, I still find it refreshingly fun on a rewatch, and that speaks for Abrams’ ability to reinvigorate old and tired properties. He’s an excellent choice for launching the story threads of the new trio Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), and this trilogy’s Vader-like villain Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). It brought a new hope, pun intended, to the saga, until the release of Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi in 2017. It surprised everyone by circumventing the preconceived cliches of what a Star Wars film should be, boldly delivering a core message of leaving the past behind for the new generation to thrive. It’s not perfect, but I commend its bravery in bringing something original to the series, however opinions may vary.
Weird but perhaps inevitable, The Rise of Skywalker is not a continuation of the The Last Jedi but more of its undoing. Much of the themes introduced by Johnson in the previous entry are largely ignored, and characters like the charming Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran) are brushed to the sidelines to pave way for the warm safety of old conventions. Perhaps it is due to the absurd fan backlash of the previous film, or Abrams finally saw the chance to make the movie he wanted from the start, but to put it simply, The Rise of Skywalker is full of nostalgic retread that will surely appease the “true” Star Wars fan, or at least what Disney thinks they want. As a result, we ended up with a messy and rushed movie.
Watching The Rise of Skywalker had me asking a lot of whys and hows in regards to the decisions in Chris Terrio and J.J. Abrams’ script. Even the iconic opening crawl, which serves as premise set-up in every Star Wars film, feels very much forced, completely relying on contrived explanations later on. And on a final desperate move, Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) finds his way back into the narrative again after dying with finality in 1983’s Return of the Jedi – not a spoiler, since he’s in the promotional materials – and has been silently scheming in the background as he always does. As they strive to explain his return, abruptly connecting everything to a nostalgic character without laying any groundwork simply just leaves you with a big “wait, what?”
For all its misses, The Rise of Skywalker is full of exhilarating action sequences and attractive visuals. Abrams is masterful at churning out highly entertaining moments one at a time, at the expense of the whole narrative. There’s engaging action everywhere they go, from scene to scene and location to location – Rey and Kylo Ren’s lightsaber fights are a highlight. It’s spectacle for spectacle’s sake, with no opportunity for rumination. There’s a particular point in the movie where the dynamic of Rey and Poe can be further explored and possibly add some semblance of a real friendship between them, but it’s left hanging in the air. Only Rey and Kylo Ren get their deserved completion to their arcs.
To be perfectly honest, this trilogy has never felt particularly right. It’s clear, having seen it all now, that no defined vision has been set when this started. A lot of interesting concepts are introduced, only to be thrown away by the next movie. The Knights of Ren were introduced two movies ago, and left to be someone else’s problem to develop. It’s utterly disappointing that we’ve reached the end in The Rise of Skywalker, but still feel so little emotional connection to it.
For what it’s worth, and I’m speaking from personal experience, Star Wars will always be Star Wars. Its legacy changes over time. I still remember how fans tore apart the prequels as they were being released, but now look back on them – as terrible as they are with the exception of Revenge of the Sith – with fond memories. Star Wars will continue on with more movies and shows, and I’m sure a lot will be incredible. If anything, I find it comforting that the “Skywalker Saga” has finally come to close so we can move on. Will it go down the same fate as the prequel trilogy? Only time will tell.
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
The Talking Screen 