Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker has the unenviable task of wrapping up the latest Star Wars﻿
trilogy, uniting a fanbase that's become increasingly divided, and concluding the decades-spanning,
so-called Skywalker saga. That's a lot for one film to manage. Does it pull it off? Well…yes
and no.
The Rise of Skywalker should've been Leia's
movie. Han Solo got the spotlight in The Force Awakens, and Luke Skywalker's story dominated
The Last Jedi. With The Rise of Skywalker, it was Leia's turn. Unfortunately, Carrie
Fisher's tragic death in December 2016 made a big Leia showcase impossible, forcing J.
J. Abrams to cobble together an arc for the princess-turned-general from old outtakes.
It's not perfect. Leia's dialogue is noticeably vague, and it's obvious that Abrams is using
a stand-in when Leia's face is hidden. She doesn't have any standout moments, the climax
of her arc is a little vague, and much of her plotline is carried by other people talking
about her, not what she actually does. However, it works pretty well, and it's much
bigger than a cameo. Leia is in multiple scenes, and she has a complete arc in the movie. Obviously,
it would've been better if Carrie Fisher were still around to give Leia the send-off she
deserves. Given what Abrams had to work with, though, Leia's final on-screen appearance
is significantly better than we expected.
The last entry in the Skywalker saga begins at a breakneck pace, and it doesn't slow down
to breathe until the film's final minutes. In order to set up its endgame, The Rise of
Skywalker introduces new characters, new planets, new gizmos, and new ideas so fast that it's
impossible to keep track of them all. Every new plot thread introduces a dozen questions
that Episode IX simply doesn't have time to answer.
While reports differ depending on who you're talking to, it seems pretty clear that Disney
and Lucasfilm didn't plan this new Star Wars trilogy out from the beginning. In The Rise
of Skywalker, that decision catches up with them. The first half of the movie, while full
of action, is mostly set-up for the second half. It would've been a lot better if some
of those ideas that suddenly show up in Episode IX had been seeded throughout the previous
two movies. "I have been every voice…you have ever heard…inside
your head." As it is, however, one film has to do all
of the heavy lifting, and there's not quite enough room. Returning characters like R2-D2
and Rose Tico barely make an impact. New characters, like Dominic Monaghan's Beaumont Kin and Naomi
Ackie's Jannah, hardly register at all. It all makes for a very bloated and unsatisfying
viewing experience. There's a version of this movie that's much tighter, but, unfortunately,
it's not the one we got.
You know who steals practically every single scene he's in in The Rise of Skywalker? C-3PO.
"Oh, they fly now!" For one, Luke's fussy protocol droid is funnier
in Episode IX than he's ever been. But he also proves surprisingly vital to the movie's
story. Even in A New Hope, C-3PO is mostly around to translate for R2-D2. This time,
C-3PO's translation skills are instrumental in moving the plot forward. If you told us
a few years ago that Episode IX would have us tearing up over C-3PO, a lifelong comedic
relief character, we wouldn't have believed you. And yet, here we are.
Did you like The Last Jedi? If so, sorry.
The Rise of Skywalker does a very good job dismantling pretty much everything that movie
put down. Supreme Leader Snoke's early demise? As it turns out, he wasn't really that important.
The near-extinction of the Resistance? It's only temporary. When we rejoin them, they've
found a lot of new recruits. Rey's parents? We'll put it this way: They were definitely
somebody. The Rise of Skywalker buries its predecessor
in a way that feels petty, sacrificing lots of setup in unsatisfying fashion. The only
thing from Episode VIII it really keeps are the Porgs.
Finn, Rey, Poe, and Kylo Ren are the best
things about the new Star Wars trilogy. Even when the script lets them down, these actors
are so charismatic that it's fun just to watch them run around, quip, bicker, and get into
trouble. The Rise of Skywalker gives us a lot of that,
and it's just as fun as you'd expect, even though Finn still doesn't have much of an
arc. Ultimately, though, the movie hinges on the
relationship between Rey and Kylo. Thankfully, Ridley and Driver are more than up to the
task. The chemistry that the duo shared in The Last Jedi is cranked up to 11 here, and
the two actors carry the movie. Given how bonkers the plot is, that's a massive feat.
Going into The Rise of Skywalker, fans had
some major questions. Now that it's out, they still do. We never learn how Palpatine came
back to life, he just…is. Rey's true nature comes out of nowhere and isn't adequately
explained, and many key plot points are glossed over completely. The movie constantly tells
us that things happened, but it doesn't tell us how or why.
You may recall that The Force Awakens did the same thing.
"Where'd you get that?" "A good question, for another time."
Granted, some of the Disney-produced spin-off materials offer a few clues. But viewers shouldn't
have to do extra research to understand the basic plot of a movie, no matter how much
Disney wants that to be the case. Best: A fitting conclusion
J. J. Abrams went big with The Rise of Skywalker, and if he didn't quite stick the landing,
he certainly at least tried. It's a movie that's full of spectacle. The dogfights, the
lightsaber duels, and the blaster battles are bigger than anything we've ever seen in
a Star Wars movie before. And the Easter eggs, cameos, and nods to past Star Wars films pop
up everywhere. It's hard to think of a better tribute to
Star Wars, especially given the final scene, which takes us back to where everything began.
The Rise of Skywalker is bold, ambitious, convoluted, messy, hopeful, overwrought, and
complicated. In other words, that's Star Wars in a nutshell.
This is it. Luke, Leia, Han, C-3PO, R2-D2,
and Darth Vader are done. For now at least, it appears we finally know how this story
ends. The same seems to be true for our new heroes,
too. None of the main actors involved with the sequel trilogy seem particularly keen
on coming back for more, and given The Rise of Skywalker's definitive ending, it's hard
to imagine that their future adventures will be quite as exciting as the one that just
concluded. True, Star Wars isn't going anywhere. Disney
will crank out new material set in a galaxy far, far away for decades to come. Still,
it's just not going to be the same without our old (and newer) friends at the helm. Thanks
for the memories, folks. May the Force be with you.
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