STAR WARS: EPISODE IX – THE RISE OF SKYWALKER REVIEW
Starring: Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, and Oscar Isaac
Directed By: JJ Abrams (The Force Awakens, Star Trek (2009))
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 2 hours 21 minutes
What a complicated movie to review.We’re going to do it spoiler free.So, don’t worry if you haven’t seen it yet.I want to say this about the movie.I had fun.I enjoyed myself.But this movie has a lot of flaws.They’re valid.They’re apparent.But, none of them stopped me from having a good time in the moment.
The Rise of Skywalker tells the presumably final chapter of the Skywalker Saga.Star Wars debuting 42 years ago with A New Hope.It gave us the origin of Darth Vader in the prequel trilogy that premiered twenty years ago.Now, Luke’s story and the story of the resistance get their conclusion in this newest installment.
Behind the scenes, this movie had an uphill battle.A small but very vocal minority of the fan base loathed the previous film in the franchise, The Last Jedi. It dared to be different and not rest on nostalgia alone.Fans didn’t care for that for some reason.Rise of Skywalker’s original director was booted off this film for “creative differences” and the director of The Force Awakens JJ Abrams had to step in and finish the film.Oh yeah, and fan favorite Carrie fisher died before shooting began.They had to use unused footage of her in this film, so they were hamstrung in certain aspects of that one character.
But on screen, Episode Nine is fast paced, this movie moves.Try and keep up!The first two acts are really incredible, but there’s this overwhelming feeling that it’s trying to undo the events of the last movie.The third act is a bit of a mess, it feels rushed and it also feels incredibly similar to ending of Return of the Jedi.
JJ Abrams was criticized for making his Star Wars film, The Force Awakens, too similar to A New Hope.Now, he’s ended that trilogy by repeating plot points from Return of the Jedi.An interesting choice for a director who announced on this press tour that he doesn’t know how to write endings.This movie really made me question whether or not JJ Abrams is a hack or not.That’s a topic for another show, but he seems to be the nostalgia king and nothing else.Rebooting Star Trek and Star Wars and having trouble directing other projects.
For casual fans of the franchise, the action is fun and frequent.There’s a lot of strobe light action in this movie, so parents of kids with epilepsy be warned.I think the younger fans and the more casual fans of the series will be able to look past the holes in this movie.The die-hard fans, may take a look at this movie trying to undo the one before it, coupled with The Force Awakens just copying A New Hope and wonder why this trilogy even exists.
Rise of Skywalker feels like it’s doing certain things just to mess with you.We reveal Rey’s parents which has been a long awaited secret.But the endgame isn’t what you would think it is.It leans too heavy on the nostalgia.There’s too many references to the previous films.It’s as if it was afraid to tell its own story because fans who had been dreaming about where the story went in their mom’s basement for four decades would be upset if it didn’t go the way had dreamed it would.
Marvel movies succeed because there is one person overseeing the product.One guy controls the overarching story from movie to movie.This most recent Star Wars trilogy desperately needed a person like that.One person controlling the outline of the story.One writer telling the directors what to shoot.Instead of each director taking a stab at telling part of a three part story.
All in all, there’s a lot of good in this movie.There’s a lot of bad.There’s a lot of blame to go around.But I feel the need to reiterate this to you.I had fun watching this.I enjoyed myself.The plot was a little bit of a letdown.But that’s fine.It didn’t do what I wanted it to.But I’m fine with that.It felt too scared to be bold a lot of the time.
You can call this movie lazy.You can call this movie nothing but fan service.You can call this movie fun.You can call this movie fast-paced.It can be all of those things at the same time.It is unambitious and an absolute roller coaster of emotion.
I said this earlier in the week and I stand by.There’s a million stories in this universe to tell.They don’t have to involve the Skywalker family.Be creative.Take a chance.Tell me a different story.I was ready for the next phase of Star Wars after Rogue One and The Mandalorian proved to be brilliant.Now it’s time to take that next leap…into a Skywalker-less Star Wars Universe.
On a scale of “See It/Stream It/Skip it” – See It – If you’re a fan of the franchise, there’s no sense in waiting.It may not be everything you want it to be, but you’ve got to see how it ends.This movie isn’t for new fans.
If you liked The Force Awakens, Return of the Jedi, or Revenge of the Sith you might enjoy Rise of Skywalker.
3.5 out of 5 stars for Rise of Skywalker.Much more a retread than I would have liked, it did accomplish its mission of delivering a fun time at the movies.Albeit not much else.