The Rise of Skywalker, Star Wars: Episode IX, reviewed

It’s back, it’s big, it’s long, as always, another solid two hours plus with all the gang, but does The Rise of Skywalker work?

From a long, long time away, in a galaxy very near to here, well actually Modesto, California, it was always envisioned by one G Lucas, that the Jedi story cycle would run over many generations and many episodes. In one version, sketched out many decades ago he envisioned that Han and Leia would have twins, and the saga between good and evil would play itself once again.

Maybe Ben Solo, has a twin, but for now, in this movie, they as good as gave him one with the ongoing weird too close connection between himself / aka Kylo Ren and dear old Daisy / Ray. In a previous movie he seemed able to interrupt her thoughts as she was about to have a shower. In this movie he is even able to reach into her reality and snatch an object away from her. What would happen in this ‘final’ version.

The Rise of Skywalker, Star Wars: Episode IX, reviewed

Firstly it is hard to imagine this is the last in the series, Disney surely didn’t buy the rights to then call it a day with this trilogy. After the dust dies it would seem likely that they will embark on another cycle of Jedi versus evil miscreants hidden in the depths of the universe. Especially after the brief and entertaining appearance of Darth Maul ( Keith from The Prodigy, I am Firestarter, anyone?) it would seem a shame to not let the Sith have some more fun somewhere in a galaxy far far away.

So, how was this film? If episode VII achieved success by carefully avoiding all of the epic fails of the prequels by basically slicing and dicing the first three movies (IV – VI) and reheating it up for us, this one took us into similar territory, albeit in a slightly different way. This was not a rehash of the successful movies, as such, but it was almost comfort feeding, with ‘more’ on top. You want the Death Star, wrecked and ruined, you got it.

You want cutesy droids – you got it, both the originals, BB8 too, and even a new little wheelie one too. You want fluffy, fragle-esque creatures, that speak in near English type utterances, you got it. You want old heroes from previous films (the prequels excluded), you got it, it was almost more surprising that Yoda, Darth Vader and Alex Guinness didn’t make an appearance.

This does mean it was a terrible film, there were some lovely visual scenarios. The waves on the ruined and destroyed Death Star were great. The sand scenes at the, once every 42 years, rave up were fun, though, at this stage, with so many old characters reappearing, you were more surprised not to see the Sarlac and Bobafett again. Time and time again it often looked great, even if you had hands in your head moments as things happened that didn’t need to happen.

The #LGBT kiss at the end, felt like it was dropped in like the rogue one ostrich in the Wizard of Oz. Why was it not with someone from another species, a wookie, a hutt or something really pushing the boundaries. Why was it just that, random, never previously introduced couple kissing with tongues rather than everyone else in those post victory celebrations?

With Finn and Po too, what was going on there? Both were given plausible partners, though not from other species, and yet, at the end they end up in an awkward and confused threesome with Rey. We don’t want to give you any plot spoilers, but to be honest you probably know what is going to happen already. That said several moments were telegraphed from a long way out too, with a few minor moments of huh, and why go that way with it.

The producer and director have acknowledged the challenges of making something that works with such a large and long-lived body of fans. This whole trilogy, from the beginning, was also open and willing to embrace the best insights from the fan fiction so it is not that surprising that we end up with something like this. As an aside Rogue One was probably the best, strongest, most exciting and even shocking, most kick arse offering of the most recent Star Wars oeuvre. In comparison Star Wars IX is more like warm, comforting Christmas viewing fare. You know what you are going to get, and by golly do you get it, in spades.

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