A convoluted, but mostly compelling end to the saga
Director: J.J. Abrams
Writer(s): Chris Terrio, J.J. Abrams
Cast: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver, Carrie Fisher, Oscar Issac, Keri Russell, Kelly Marie Tran, Lupita Nyong’o, Anthony Daniels, Domhnall Glesson, Naomi Ackie, Richard E. Grant, Billy Dee Williams, Ian McDiarmid
Synopsis
When the galaxy receives a haunting message from the ‘unknown regions’ that Emperor Palpatine may still be alive, both the dwindling Resistance and the rising First Order, seek out answers. While Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) seeks to continue to consolidate his power as Supreme Leader, Rey (Daisy Ridley) questions her own heritage, while searching for clues to Palpatine’s whereabouts …
Main review
Much like the force, Star Wars has felt like it has been a mystical power all of its own. Star Wars surrounds us and penetrates us; it binds nerd culture together. For the last forty years, it has been quite remarkable how much influence the franchise has had over western popular culture. As such, the sequel trilogy has elevated passions among hardcore Star Wars fans, because it has been able to tap into a reservoir of cultural nostalgia.
The Rise of Skywalker had an unenviable task; to end a nine-film franchise, spanning forty-two years, in a manner that would please both hardcore Star Wars nerds and general cinema audiences alike. Veterans of the prequel trilogy will be well aware of what a difficult balance that can be to find.
The fandom civil war ignited by The Last Jedi certainly seems to have influenced the path that The Rise of Skywalker chooses to take, but only on a cosmetic level. The Rise of Skywalker takes creative risks in its own way, although not all of them are successful. However, importantly, during the film’s most important narrative beats, The Rise of Skywalker finds its footing.
The Rise of Skywalker moves at a pace unparalleled to either The Force Awakens or The Last Jedi, but it has to, because the narrative is also rather plot-heavy. There’s an urgency to the narrative that keeps a palpable sense of tension, but at the same time, this means that it’s difficult for the film to breath, and let the audience take stock of what is actually going on.
The Rise of Skywalker introduces so many new plot elements that it’s reasonable to question why so much new information has been introduced so late in the trilogy. These elements aren’t just about expanding the Star Wars universe, but also the themes and mysterious that have permeated through the entire sequel trilogy.
As such, the first half of The Rise of Skywalker feels rather convoluted, twisting the plot into weird shapes in the pursuit of a final act that at least delivers on its promises, despite an exhausting and confusing path to get there. Rey’s arc is a good example of this; taking her character in some bizarre directions, before landing her on her feet, as the film’s stakes become truly apparent in the third act.
Another issue with which The Rise of Skywalker had to contend was the legacy of Carrie Fisher. Reportedly, she was supposed to play a major role in the film, but this plan was shelved after her sudden passing. Instead, the decision was made to use deleted scene footage from The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, to piece together a poignant role for Leia.
It could have all gone wrong, akin to the ‘modern editing techniques‘ moment from The Simpsons. However, Leia’s role ends up working remarkably well, thanks to some clever editing tricks, compositing and a slight retooling of the script. All this allowed Leia to have an impact on the film’s most important emotional beats.
It’s also within the script that The Rise of Skywalker produces its smartest twists, but also its darkest cinematic sins of overt fan service. Like The Last Jedi, The Rise of Skywalker does take some bold narrative steps, particularly in the second half of the film. However, at the same time, the film also feels pressured to retcon some of The Last Jedi‘s most interesting character beats. Poor Kelly Marie Tran is almost completely written out of the film, and Rey’s parentage suddenly becomes a huge plot point again. Rian Johnson might rightly feel a bit peeved.
The fandom is an important part of what has made Star Wars such an phenomenon, but pure fan service can stifle narrative decision making. The Rise of Skywalker, much like the The Force Awakens, needed to find a balance between fan nostalgia and plot beats that felt satisfying. In this context, The main issue for The Rise of Skywalker is that it tries to over-stuff the fan service elements. This adds to the convoluted nature of the film’s first half, and it’s only because of the strength of final act that all the ‘fan wank’ ultimately feels forgivable.
In the end, the third act is The Rise of Skywalker‘s saving grace. With so many threads to tie up, the film could have knotted itself into paralysis, but there is a remarkable elegance to how everything unfolds in the film’s final forty-five minutes. The direction in which the film chooses to ultimately take the conflict between Kylo Ren and Rey also works remarkably well, and it does so due to how compellingly complex Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren feels, in particular.
After forty-two years, and a nine-film saga, the expectations on The Rise of Skywalker were always going to be impossibly high. Ultimately, The Rise of Skywalker feels like a fitting (if flawed) conclusion to a sequel trilogy that always struggled to balance the legacy of its predecessors, with the potential of its own narrative. At least The Rise of Skywalker sticks its landing …
Pros
- The film moves with an exciting, urgent pace.
- Carrie Fisher’s posthumous involvement (using cut footage from The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi) works remarkably well, most of the time.
- There are some genuinely decent twists and turns in the plot.
- Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren still continues to be the most compelling and complicated character in the Star Wars universe.
- The third act is where the film really shines; it’s the strongest final act in the sequel trilogy.
Cons
- The first half of the film feels unnecessarily convoluted.
- It feels like some of The Last Jedi‘s most interesting threads have been jettisoned due to fan backlash reasons, rather than narrative necessity.
- The film panders to fan service over good storytelling, in many places.
In a nutshell …
Final chapters are always difficult, but arguably The Rise of Skywalker sticks its landing. The issue is that the path to its resolution is extremely convoluted. Compelling at its best, but confusing at its worst, The Rise of Skywalker at least understands the enormity of its own task. It’s just frustrating that the film chooses to ditch many developments from The Last Jedi, for the sake of fan service …
Cinema and silliness 