Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

How do I start this?  Well, I'm 43 years old and Star Wars is 42.  I've seen in documentaries that the first Star Wars movie began shooting footage in Tunisia in March of 1976, which is the month and year I was born.  So, I grew up in the age of Star Wars fandom, and I'm one of those adults who so passionately links the original trilogy somehow to a pure nostalgic happiness.  Memories of standing in line waiting to get into the theater to see these movies is as precious to me as any of my childhood. Due to my age, I saw the original in a rerelease in the early 80's, but I absolutely remember seeing The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi at the Jackson MetroCenter Cinema 4 when they were released.  I remember going home and swinging my baseball bat around pretending it was a lightsaber.  I remember Luke with his lightsaber being my favorite parts of those movies, and I felt as though it was the most exciting thing to see as a kid.  I recognize I'm just one of several billion who have felt that way over the years.  People have a personal attachment to Star Wars that transcends these beyond being "just movies".  It's probably unhealthy to an extent, but for people of my generation they are so much more than movies.  They are part of the fabric of who we are.

Thus, when The Phantom Menace came out in 1999 and the prequel trilogy kicked off, fan fervor was rampant.  I, with my friends, stood in line through the night and into the morning on the day tickets went on sale to make sure we could see it opening day.  By the time the prequel trilogy ended, people were largely disappointed that Lucas couldn't recreate the full feelings of the original trilogy and everyone seemed to have a better idea of what could have been done.  If Star Wars were any normal experience, it would have meant that starting another trilogy even a decade later would have been out of the question.  Being that this is Star Wars, though, when Disney purchased Lucasfilm and announced they'd begin a sequel trilogy, the fan fervor immediately heated up again.  By the time The Force Awakens opened in late 2015, everyone seemed to have forgiven any problems they had with the prequels and were just ready to dive back into the world of the Skywalker family and see what was in store.  And yet again, even though there was a mixed reception to The Force Awakens, it proved the power of our fascination with The Force and that need to return to this science fiction realm that provides so many of us with such a strong feeling of comfort.  It was like going home again.

Now, we come to the end of the sequel trilogy with The Rise of Skywalker.  I'll try to remain spoiler free.  It's widely promoted that this is both the ending to the new trilogy and also to the Skywalker storyline overall.  It's also widely known that The Last Jedi became very divisive and some fans liked the direction that the storyline took, while others very vocally didn't.  We also know that J.J. Abrams directed The Force Awakens, then reigns were handed to Rian Johnson for The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker was supposed to be directed by the guy who made Jurassic World but they ended up bringing Abrams back.  Having all that backstory influences the way you watch The Rise of Skywalker and ultimately will be a big factor in how this trilogy is viewed and rewatched over time.

I enjoyed The Rise of Skywalker as an individual film.  It's witty, fast paced, fun, action-packed, and as full of emotional moments and scenery as any Star Wars film should be.  I am of the camp who was glad that Abrams was back.  The Last Jedi felt like a detour to me.  It slowed down and spun the story into interesting, but different directions.  The Rise of Skywalker is criticized for a lot online, and I understand the criticisms, but I didn't enjoy the movie any less for them.  What I will say is that looking back on the sequel trilogy as a whole, I really wish Abrams had steered the entire ship and either directed all three or been a consistent driving force in all three.  As it stands, it's eternally going to feel uneven.

So, here's more that I can say.  Daisy Ridley was awesome.  I mean awesome.  She owned the role in a confident manner that reflected her understanding of the character and her growth as an actress.  Adam Driver is his usual intense self as Kylo Ren.  When the script calls for subtle emotion, he can deliver with the best.  John Boyega and Oscar Issac are so pleasant together as Finn and Poe - something The Last Jedi strayed from.  It's so fun to see them play off of one another again as was started in The Force Awakens.  All the actors were on point.  They brought humor and fun to the film.  I've read that they all were happy Abrams was back, and I felt it showed.

The effects are the usual top notch standard.  There's pretty much nothing that can't be displayed on screen with visual effects anymore, and Star Wars always makes good use of technology.  As I mentioned earlier, the pace is fast and fun, which I think benefits a Star Wars movie.  Between the bouts of heavy emotion, we are used to quippy dialogue, lots of fast tracking shots with actors running and firing laser canons, new uniforms on the Stormtroopers, and cool gadgets used in fun and interesting ways.  You get all that here.  The movie remembers to entertain and be fun.

The Rise of Skywalker, on its own, succeeds in a lot of ways to me.  It's the kind of Star Wars movie that I want to see.  Unfortunately though, the legacy of this sequel trilogy will once again be one of disappointment, for a variety of viewpoints and reasons.  We were, as a culture, disappointed in the prequels.  We will be, as a culture, disappointed in the sequels.  What I keep thinking about though is if in 10 years they announce an Episode X, would we lose our minds in anticipation and hope for that perfect trilogy ahead?  OF COURSE WE WOULD!

The beauty and joy of Star Wars lies in that answer.