STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER Review
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
A Review By Ben Hunter
2/5 Stars
GET TO THE POINT BEN!
Let’s just say I’m happy we’re burning it all down and building anew from the ashes on the next film … something we surprisingly could’ve done on the last one.
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“A Jedi’s strength flows from The Force. But beware of the dark side. Anger, fear, aggression, the dark side of The Force are they. Easily they flow, quick to join you in a fight. If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny. Consume you it will … as it did Obi-Wan’s apprentice.”
And so, we’ve witnessed the consuming of the dark side, only to be overcome by the good within (Darth Vader). To see that conflict and struggle resurface and begin anew in different characters surrounded by new characters that not quite resurrect the feeling, to put it lightly. The end of one era, the start of something new. A new director to take over yet again in the troubled new Star Wars era for the latest installment: The Rise of Skywalker.
This is the end of the Skywalker storyline in the world of Star Wars as we know it. Or the only storyline thus far. From here on out it will be something different (what Rogue One should’ve already began). So Skywalker was intended to tie up all of these character struggles and the entirety of the galaxy far far away as we’ve known it for the last 4 decades. Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) is supposed to come to grips with his pull, back and forth from dark to light and back again. That was never really made clear in the first place, especially when he went neutral and actually made sense by not going with either in the previous installment and then immediately became the stereotypical bad guy that was needed to finish up the film.
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| Rey, coming into "full Force". |
Finn (John Boyega) is supposedly more in tune with his place in the world as he cherishes what’s right in his heart after learning not to hate while still killing his non-relationship with his former boss (Captain Phasma) or whatever. So now he’s a completed and unnecessary character in a story that can only be fixed if the story is done over, but, here we are, at the end and there’s nothing we can do about it at this point.
And Poe (Oscar Isaac) has stepped in his leadership role with the correct heart. Slow to anger and less impulsive, ready to finally lead. Except this new Han Solo isn’t as connected to the new Luke and Leia. He’s just kind of off on his own and I don’t see him as apart of the trio as I did and cherished with Han. You have to remember and think what his connection is to all of this is again … Oh right, he owns BB8 (the new R2D2) … Well, why didn’t they factor that in more or something … Oh right, they added another robot, for comic relief. But Poe leads the charge and is now in command yada yada. And I don’t really think of him as connected to the other main characters so I can almost cry when he almost does when it looks like all hope is lost for The Resistance. And then actually cry when Fin does as the trio hugs it out in the end. Instead, I was stone. cold. sober. Not drunken with glee on how amazing this new Star Wars movie is playing out.
And that leads us to Rey.
*Checks Watch* How much time do we have? I can do an entire blog entry (or several) on just her.
As with Finn, there’s so much that could’ve been done differently. But here we are. So I can respect director J.J. Abrams making an attempt to tie this all up and salvage it as best he could. Both Kylo and Rey are the clear focus throughout this new saga. With Kylo, it sort of is what it is. Despite it kind of meaning more as he’s supposed to be the new Vader. But again, it’s all over now. But Rey … Rey is the chosen one. She’s our new Luke Skywalker and then some. Remember, in The Last Jedi (the previous installment), Luke Skywalker himself had never seen anything like her before. The Force in all its aspects (good and bad) flowed through her, to the point where it scared Luke away from mentoring her. Because she’s all powerful, all talented, all amazing than the biggest bag of chips or fish parcels on Jakku that Rey would dream of as an all virtuous orphan dreaming of seeing her parents again. No really.
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| Rey & Kylo face off, one last time. |
She’s perfect in every way. When there’s a problem to be solved, she knows the answer. When there’s crucial mechanical work that the Millennium Falcon desperately needs to escape so everyone can live, Rey conveniently knows how to fix it … by accident! In fact, she knows more about the Millennium Falcon than Han Solo! So she out maneuvers Tie Fighters in such an awe inspiring chase scene when Luke was only a mediocre pilot that made us cheer when he actually did something outstanding in flight chases. Rey is INSTANTLY knowledgeable about probing and utilizing Jedi mind tricks as soon as she opens up to this new thing she just learned about called The Force. When Luke consistently struggled to move objects with his mind and always doubted his abilities. Here’s Leia’s light saber Rey, catch! It’s yours now … yeah Leia was a top notch Jedi with the force and light sabers, we just threw that in there. She used the Force once, but a really big once, in the previous film, so it makes sense right (face palm)? To throw a cherry on top, how cool would it be to have Rey know how to speak droid and Wookie (Luke, to the end, had to communicate through C-3PO to understand R2D2). That way we can see even more how much of a good heart she has when she takes in BB8 as her own when she doesn’t have to. Or to solidify her instant connection with Chewie when they first meet. Maybe that’s why The Resistance immediately trusted her for the mission even though they barely knew her. And lo and behold, she doesn’t need people to constantly cover for her on said mission, unlike Luke the character’s she’s supposed to replace. She’s perfect in every way. Even when presented with the non-good or bad option of going neutral with Kylo. Wouldn’t even consider it, just went with her standard bastion of righteousness ("please, don't do this *cry emoji*"). That she cast no judgment upon Kylo with as she is so patiently waiting for his hopeful return to the good side.
Oh, and she heals people. Got stabbed with a light saber or shot with a blaster and on your death bed? Just go to Rey, she’ll bring you back to normal. No really.
Say it with me kids, “Mary-Sue”.
Let’s not forget, I HAVEN’T EVEN MENTIONED the forced political messages that are the engine burners propelling this ship faster and faster into the ground! That’s not even the main problem, as massive of a problem as that is. It’s the fundamentals, character design and story development, the basic building blocks of storytelling, that supersede all cultures and beliefs because they capture the human spirit. “The Force is Female!" “More diversity!” Forget Finn and the relationship with Captain Phasma, put an Asian girl there! Oh that was a bad idea (she was basically forced into hiding from all the VITRIOLIC backlash she got on instagram), yeah let’s give her 3 lines in the next film now (Skywalker). Having now completely ruined Finn’s arc with his former, evil Stormtrooper lady boss. A character I wanted to learn more about. So much for that!
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The Star Wars I’ve known, grew up with, was hoping for in a new, post-prequel era, and open to having my world rocked in however way as if I was in middle school all over again watching The Return of the Jedi on repeat, is just gone. I don’t care about any of this anymore! I’m just sad that this isn’t Star Wars. But a mediocre to lower quality sci-fi story.
All in all, I’m just glad this current phase is over and that we’re starting fresh with brand new material that isn’t talking about more of the same for over 40 years now. Again, Rogue One should’ve started this path but better late than never I guess. Hopefully then the Force will truly awaken, and finally be with us all, yet again.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Sci-Fi Action/Adventure, 142 Minutes, PG-13
Based on Characters Created By: George Lucas
Story By: Derek Connolly & Colin Trevorrow, and Chris Terrio & J.J. Abrams
Screenplay By: Chris Terrio & J.J. Abrams
Directed By: J.J. Abrams
Cast: Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Anthony Daniels, Naomi Ackie, Domhnall Gleeson, Richard E. Grant, Lupita Nyong’o, Keri Russell, Joonas Suotamo, Kelly Marie Tran, Ian McDiarmid, & Billy Dee Williams
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