Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Review
The final film in the Skywalker saga has been extremely divisive thus far with some mixed reception to say the least. Honestly, the final film in the reboot trilogy isn't bad, but it isn't good either
Star Wars fans are annoying and hard to please. The original trilogy was beloved by many and has, for the most part, stood the test of time. The prequels were much maligned and shattered many souls around the globe. Then Disney led a sequel-reboot trilogy back in 2015 beginning with The Force Awakens and concluding with The Rise of Skywalker. The new trilogy is unlike its predecessors in the sense that it won’t be adored for years to come nor will it be an ugly stain on cinematic history people actively try to ignore. Being completely honest, I think it will remember for being just ok.
This film is barely a few days old and it has already set the internet on fire. I’ve seen reactions ranging from how this is a brilliantly satisfying conclusion to the Skywalker saga to the polar opposite of it being the worst of the nine episodic Star Wars films. This is ridiculous and is disappointing. It’s not trash and isn’t a film that will haunt me for the rest of my days. But, it’s not very good either (sorry).
I was really rooting for this film to be awesome. But, ultimately, I do feel a bit let down and disappointed. I will say, for the sake of transparency, my biggest gripes about the movie were the fact I found it slightly boring at times as well as a bit pointless.
There’s some good news and bad news with this film. Which would you like first?
I’ll give you the good first. Visually, The Rise of Skywalker is spectacular and is one of the best looking films you will see for a while. The effects are pretty much flawless and the space battles and scope are big and broad. Indeed, the team behind this film did an amazing job. I also really enjoyed the introduction of the new characters and re-introduction of some old ones. Seeing Lando Calrissian was so cool and made me feel warm inside.
There’s some nice moments along the way as well. I found myself a bit emotional in parts, and laughing out loud in others. The score is also terrific. John Williams back for the last time as well, bringing back all the classic themes and giving them some new spins as well. He’s been one of the constants through all nine films and has never let us down.
But, unfortunately, the bad news is that this film is overly convoluted and let down by a bad script. I hate to do this but there’s one man who needs to be called out – screenwriter Chris Terrio. He won an Oscar for Argo (2012) which was fair enough, but since then he has written some of not just the worst but stupidest scripts of the last 5 years in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Justice League (2017). Now he gives us this, and I’m sitting here thinking, why not just let me write the next big Hollywood blockbuster? The story is pretty poor, the dialogue average and the McGuffins touching on idiotic
This film’s main issue is that its errors are a reflection of the bigger picture. That being that this new trilogy has been in a weird tug of war with itself. Disney didn’t have a strategy when they started making these films – that is abundantly clear. The only plan was JJ Abrams would direct the first one, Rian Johnson the second and Colin Trevorow the third. Each would be given some license to play around and offer their own unique takes.
The problem, however, was that once Trevorrow got the boot – JJ was brought back for the third film. What we get is a series of films that decide to course correct from the previous one and throw away the set-up of what it follows on from – on two occasions!
But, by doing this, there’s no tonal consistency or coherent story line. This means that our connection or interest in key plot points or character arks is close to nil. That was my biggest problem walking out this film – I couldn’t put my finger on what the point of the new trilogy actually was. And that’s really bad.
Disney should have committed to one filmmaker for the entirety of the three films and, in doing so, backed a clear vision and tone. Instead, it opens up a can of worms and the possibility of putting people in different camps. Some loving certain elements that others despise and vice-versa.
There is no planet on which this film can be regarded as offensive or disrespectful. Those who feel this way need to get a grip and re-engage with reality. But, I can sympathise with those who wanted something a bit more. Ultimately, my feelings are, at best, lukewarm to this final film which I gave every chance for me to love. Sadly, it didn’t work out that way.