Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker

At this point in the Star Wars climate, voicing your opinion about The Last Jedi and this new trilogy as a whole is nearly equivalent to voicing your political leanings. You're bound to be called names from someone for your opinion of the two very different films. And, much like politics, I find the answer is somewhere in the middle. As a lover of The Force Awakens (ok, maybe I overrated it a tad, but it's still a bonafide franchise starter and builds mystery well) I find that The Last Jedi had some significant flaws, but I never felt the experience was ruined for me. A recent rewatch confirmed what I liked/loved/disliked about the film. 

The Last Jedi, a film that is more divisive than some would like to believe, is also not nearly as "game changing" or awesome as many critics originally cast it as. Sure there are shocking moments, but it basically takes the wind out of the sails for all the mystery that was built in the previous installment. Two of the biggest questions in mystery are basically given the middle finger and the film still ends with good guys vs. bad guys showdown/escape. It has other issues, but while I harp on it I should also mention that it's not nearly the travesty that many claim it to be. Luke's ark is worthwhile and interesting as are the discoveries in the lore of the Force. Add in some striking visual setpieces and you've got generally an entertaining film. So no, it's not the "death" of Star Wars, but it's also not the masterpiece some claim it is. 

What I feared about this trilogy from the beginning however has now reared its ugly head in truth. And quite frankly it pisses me the f**k off. With Rise of Skywalker, it's abundantly clear there was no plan from the beginning. There were no broad strokes of storylines once the original screenplay was written and there was no management from up top making sure it all ran smoothly. Instead it was JJ Abrams making his movie, Rian Johnson making his based on JJs setup, then JJ coming back and saying "Hmmm, that's not quite what I had set up" and packing his likely whole trilogy plans into the final film (which also goes to prove that not all that much actually happened in The Last Jedi). 

"Coming soon to Disney World...explore the entire crashed Death Star!"

It makes Rise of Skywalker one of the most infuriating, disappointing, but damn entertaining films that I can remember. And it's times like this - where a coherent trilogy can't even be planned out and produced - that you realize just how impressive the MCU is (I could literally write a whole Write-Up about it because I'm that fired up). 

Rise of Skywalker - again, much like politics - isn't nearly as bad as you've heard. My fury and frustration with it comes from the fact that it's a film that operates at such a breakneck pace, it loses a lot because of it. In fact, in a lot of ways it reminded me of the final few episodes of Game of Thrones. It's good in the fact that you're entertained, but what the actual f**k is going on? How did X person get there that fast? What are we doing right now? Who's this? Where is other Y person? These were all questions I had throughout Rise of Skywalker on more than one occasion. And it all becomes frustrating - not because you're confused - but because you quickly realize that Abrams is trying to fit two movies in one. Blame it on Rian Johnson, Kathleen Kennedy, or Abrams (whoever you want really), but it's readily apparent that Abrams had an idea where he wanted this trilogy to go and, after being hired on to save the final film from the direction of Colin Trevorrow (which was a foolish decision in the first place), he basically said "screw it, I think I can get it all in this 2ish hour window!". 

Personally, I really enjoyed where Rise of Skywalker went with the mysteries that were established. Some shock, some I need to think through (and none will be spoiled here) but it's clear there was a mildly intricate web being weaved within The Force Awakens. I don't see it as a franchise stuck in the past because that's a large reason why people go to Star Wars films. The characters. The mysteries. The intrigue of learning more about the galaxy. There's a healthy dose of nostalgia, sure, but there's also interesting revelations that make the mystery worth it (as opposed to just discarding all of them like rotten fruit). My theater seemed to love these and often cheered or shouted "Oh my God!" as the plot was unfolding. For me? I found the effect of said revelations still had impact, but much like the whole of the film, it was lesser because everything was so rushed.

"I use Pantene Pro-V.
It gives me that shine I'm looking for"

Otherwise, I honestly had a blast with Rise of Skywalker. I could talk about how it being jam-packed and rushed adversely affects the film all day but I'll move on to the fun parts. Visually it's a stunning film - though nothing quite matches some of the cinematography and design we saw with Last Jedi - and the action is often exciting. Per usual, the sound editing and design is incredible and this may be John William's best holistic original score of at least this trilogy, potentially the entire franchise as it touches on musical moments from every Star Wars era. New characters are fun (though you can tell some probably would have made it into the previous film) and a very small droid-repairman was a downright scene stealer that had me rolling. The humor otherwise is snappy dialogue and droid cuteness and it's well timed, though never packs that same punch as what we saw in Force Awakens (thumbs-up BB-8 anyone?). The final battle is both generic and awesome at the same time, though some of the final moments of mystery unraveling is edge-of-your seat exciting. And then? It's all over, just as quick as it began. 

Having slept on it, I find myself confused with what this new trilogy set out to accomplish other than making tons of money. I enjoyed each film to varying degrees - including this one - but as someone who's a fan of this series (though not as hardcore as many others) I feel a bit empty this morning. I wish Rise of Skywalker had been better. I wish it had been an "Instant Classic". But more so I just wish that someone at Disney had taken the time to focus on story strategy, continuity, and getting from A (first moments of Force Awakens) to B (final moments of Rise of Skywalker). You can blame it on Rian Johnson or JJ Abrams all you want but ultimately this film suffers because of a lack of a story strategist. 

Cool battle, but nothing has come
close to the lightsaber duels of the prequel trilogy

And I hope they've learned their lesson for future trilogies. The Skywalker saga is complete. Let's focus on exploring this universe, with thoughtful planned storylines. It feels weird to me that the best Star Wars film (after multiple viewings) of the past decade is Rogue One - but it also seems to speak volumes. A recent videogame had an awesome storyline that was wholly original. The Mandalorian is also finding tons of success in both entertainment value and storytelling. There are thousands of years of history to refer to in the lore. Marvel is literally right there in the House of Mouse to consult with, and to use the tools and brain power they have to plan. This is too rich a galaxy to be creating trilogies with no endgame.  

In the meantime, it would seem that the highly divided fan base will rally behind Baby Yoda. 

CONS

• A 2.5ish hour movie that you can tell is trying to pack in almost two films. It leads to all of the things I took issue with like:
• Rushed character introductions
• Some disappointing subplots or ones that go nowhere
• Time/travel management through space not making sense
• Lots of "When the hell did X person get here?"
• Palpatine's return feeling like it came out of left field
• Rushed script moments
• BIG reveals or moments feeling more hollow than they should
• Several more
• Makes it readily apparent that this was a "make it up as you go" trilogy
• I very much enjoy lightsaber battles. This trilogy has been very "meh" in this regard, including this film

PROS

• Satisfying plot directions that make the mystery worthwhile. Lots of big reveals that generally work and are exciting
• Entertaining from start to finish, assuming you can keep up
• Visually pleasing with awesome special effects
• Incredible sound editing and design. The original score is another home-run from John Williams
• Still packs an emotional punch given how much time we've spent with some of these characters
• Humor is appreciated and one of the new characters was hilarious
• Wraps it up about as well as could be expected. My score is less indicative of how much I liked it but how frustrated I am about it as a whole

Rath's Review Score 7.5|10