Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

[Disneyhead]

This movie is a great example of "making it up as you go". The fact that Disney went into this trilogy without a plan is painfully obvious.

While there was some fun and rewarding stuff here, for me, it mostly just made me frustrated and a little angry at the absolute incompetence and arrogance of the production team.

 

[quinnmac000]

So far the audience score is double that of TLJ despite TLJ having a high critic rating and ROS below 60%. While it's funny that it seems critics and Star Wars fans seem to want totally different things out of a movie, I think i'm closer to most of the critics on this one than this audience score. We'll see if it can maintain that score.

Rememer TLJ was before RT locked down scores to those who confirmed bought a ticket.

 

[Nick]

This movie is a great example of "making it up as you go". The fact that Disney went into this trilogy without a plan is painfully obvious.

While there was some fun and rewarding stuff here, for me, it mostly just made me frustrated and a little angry at the absolute incompetence and arrogance of the production team.

It's frustrating to me that JJ was allowed to for all intents and purposes use this film as a platform to go on an apology tour for TLJ. JJ could've had this whole trilogy to himself if he was willing to commit yet he didn't and has instead decided to throw Rian Johnson under the bus in Rise of Skywalker and tbh, it's quite annoying sometimes how much retconning is done.

 

[Spaulding]

This film took me back to the first time I was an excited 8 year old kid watching RotJ. Yes, I saw Jedi first. I had no idea what was going on, but the 'life savers' as I called them back then were really cool.

And that kind of ties in with why I enjoyed this one. It was exciting, action filled nonsense. All style, no substance which is what I like from a SW movie. I'd put it in my top 3 along with RotJ and RotS. Moral of the story, more SW films need to start with the abbreviation Ro...

 

[Nick]

So I was thinking about the movie and I didn't realize it until now, but parts of this movie feel like a Disney Princess movie. Seriously. Especially...

Spoiler

The Ben/Rey stuff. After 3 movies of flirting, our "princess" is in need of help so the big strong man comes in and saves her. They share an embrace with the most G-rated romance scene ever and then the "prince" dies in her arms after using up all his energy to save her. She is saddened and then promptly forgets he exists. The End.

 

[ghostsarejerks]

Spoiler

Except she literally adopts his family name as a tribute to the man who helped bring peace to the galaxy. But I do agree it felt like a princess movie, although I don’t feel like that’s necessarily a negative. Star Wars has always been very chaste in its romances, I just wish they had left Ben’s fate more open ended

 

[Tbad556]

'

this new movie literally proves that The Last Jedi was not a good continuation to force awakens, it literally proves JJ'S plot points were ruined by The Last Jedi
whether or not it was a "good movie", it definitely was not a good continuation of force force awakens' plot points, Snoke was obviously set up as the big baddie, rey's background was set up as important, luke was treated terribly in The Last Jedi

Yeah... no. TLJ has no effect on the fact that J.J. is afraid of writing a movie with big risks. There are no real risks to this movie.

Spoiler

No main "good guy" from the trio ever truly felt like they may die. Not to mention the utter fear of actually killing a light side character off (sans Leia which unfortunately needed to happen given the limitations). Chewie was teased and reversed. C3PO was teased and reversed. Rey was teased and reversed. And so on.

TLJ has no effect on the fact that they just straight up didn't explain Palpatine's return. TLJ has no effect on the fact that Palpatine's return was relegated to the goddamn title scroll and Fortnite ffs. TLJ has no effect on the fact that Finn was reduced constantly to a character simply asking "where's Rey". TLJ has no effect on the awful cliches written into the dialogue

Spoiler

"I am inevitable..." "I am Iron Man" was essentially recycled with "I am all of the Sith" and "I am all of the Jedi".

TLJ had no effect on the fact that healing is suddenly just something multiple people can do with ease despite Anakin's whole arc revolving around him descending into madness to get that exact power. TLJ had no effect on the inconsistent writing of the simplest things here.

Spoiler

Ex: Poe needing to tell Rey something never even gets explained.

TLJ had no effect on

Spoiler

Palpatine mindlessly shooting electricity at Rey as he burns to death. He could've literally stopped at any given time, but he just kept shooting because...?

Etc. There are many flaws to this movie and TLJ has almost no effect on any of them.

Disney absolutely blew it by refusing to map out this trilogy ahead of time. Such a mindboggling decision.

 

[Nick]

Spoiler

Except she literally adopts his family name as a tribute to the man who helped bring peace to the galaxy. But I do agree it felt like a princess movie, although I don’t feel like that’s necessarily a negative. Star Wars has always been very chaste in its romances, I just wish they had left Ben’s fate more open ended

Spoiler

If she was taking any name in honor of BEN SOLO (which she wasn't), well, she wouldn't have chosen SKYWALKER. Sure Leia is Ben's mom, but that's sort of honor by association.

 

[Magic-Man]

Spoiler

Just read through some spoilers (can't see the movie myself yet)....... where do I even begin?

 

[tankart150]

This movie is a great example of "making it up as you go". The fact that Disney went into this trilogy without a plan is painfully obvious.

While there was some fun and rewarding stuff here, for me, it mostly just made me frustrated and a little angry at the absolute incompetence and arrogance of the production team.

The sad thing is that the discarded George Lucas’s original sequel trilogy plan so mean

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

So, after sitting on this last night and this morning I do not like the film for so many reasons. Quick non spoiler thoughts: Rushed film, sequel to The Force Awakens (kinda), lazy writing, unsatisfying finish, theres not much good I can say and you all know I was HYPED heading into this film. Here are my issues:

Spoiler: EP9 SPOILERS AHEAD...

- Reylo, if Kylo lived, would've actually been a great satisfying end to this trilogy. The kiss and then Ben's immediate death ruin the entire scene and all the build up of the two of them, JUST for a kiss? Waste. If they stayed together, began a new generation of Jedi, and both took the Skywalker name, I would've been MUCH more pleased.
- I know immediately from the scroll that "The dead speaks!" was all we were getting for an explanation of Palpatine's return. It just didn't feel necessary or high stakes really, felt totally and completely forced. I was open to the idea of Palp returning if they really showed how he was behind EVERYTHING, but they didn't really other than briefly showing us all the people he used to mess with Kylo. Okay?
- Disney CLEARLY had zero plan for this trilogy other than creating Rey and Kylo. Every other new character is utterly useless. Finn, while a great job done by John Boyega, was left with nothing but screaming "Rey!!" and having other side missions. Disappointing.
- Poe was a terrible leader lol. I guess Poe was fun in this film, made me wish we got more of he and Finn before ya know, the final movie and all.
- Rey being a Palpatine is fine, but giving nothing to her parents was weird. Not even 1 line from the father who happens to be PALPATINE'S KID. I get it, we don't all want a family drama but if you're to go down that route it'd be nice to hear 1 line from the father about the light side, hope, good in the world, etc, just to see where Rey's mindset came from more.
- The battle with Rey herself and Palpatine was decent, although this is now the 3rd time Palpatine has like been blown away or something, so again, it felt anticlimactic, especially because we still don't fully get why he's here except that he wants Rey to takeover. Haven't we seen a plot like this before?
- And now, Rey taking the name Skywalker. Not okay with this. I get it, Luke and Leia were looking out for her (Although The Last Jedi never showed us this!) so maybe she felt endebted to them, which I get. But having a Palpatine, take the Skywalker name, after Palpatine has killed the last Skywalker, felt wrong. Felt like it undermined the entire saga honestly. The name Skywalker just doesn't have much meaning to it now I feel. Again, if she and Kylo stayed together, took the name Ben Skywalker and Rey Skywalker, I think that would've been perfect and a much more satisfying ending. Kylo's redemption was terrific in my opinion. His acting was phenomenal, and it felt well earned. So unsatisfying his death however, anticlimactic, after a redemption moment, just unsatisfying.
- Han's cameo felt totally forced and last minute. I truly don't think or know behind the scenes stuff about films tpycialyl until long after I've seen it. But I could not help but think this was an absolute last minute cameo and they had no time to CGI or make Han into a ghost. Hence why he appears as himself. Felt out of place to me, even though I liked what Han said and it was what really began to change Ben.
- Kylo and Rey are the best thing from this trilogy, but they feel wasted at the same time. They have fantastic chemistry, interesting dynamics with the idea of living without parents, battle between the light and dark side, especially considering he came from the light and she came from the dark, but they're path's crossed. Them ending up together ruling or taking over the galaxy would've felt new and been fresh, but instead Kylo literally just died after they kissed. Disappointing.
- That basically sums up the Disney Trilogy, disappointing. The Last Jedi is a totally useless film now in the grand scheme of things unless you want to see an anticlimactic Luke Skywalker death. This entire trilogy was so unplanned that they scrambled to put this film together and everything felt forced and unwarranted. Horrible pacing, unnecessary scene changes, and ultimately it did not add a ton of new things to Star Wars, or this trilogy as a whole. It just left me unsatisfied.
- I will stand by the fact that I believe the Disney Trilogy is worse than the prequels, at least at this time. There's at least a cohesive story that lasts throughout all 3 films, it feels like almost all 3 of these films aren't connected in some way. Its just hard to get around that fact.
- Kinda glad this is over, time to focus on the future of Star Wars and man do I hope they learn from this trilogy.

So those are my thoughts. Just disappointing on my end personally, I'm not feeling like I need to go see it again in a theatre which I've never felt with a Star Wars film, even The Last Jedi. If you loved The Last Jedi id genuinely almost not recommend this film for you. I really don't know what they were thinking here, I just don't. Idk if its a total and complete disaster, cause idk how casual fans feel about it, but for me, its pretty damn close. At the very least, this trilogy is a disaster. None of it works cohesively as a unit, and a true missed opportunity.

 

[Nick]

So, after sitting on this last night and this morning I do not like the film for so many reasons. Quick non spoiler thoughts: Rushed film, sequel to The Force Awakens (kinda), lazy writing, unsatisfying finish, theres not much good I can say and you all know I was HYPED heading into this film. Here are my issues:

Spoiler: EP9 SPOILERS AHEAD...

- Reylo, if Kylo lived, would've actually been a great satisfying end to this trilogy. The kiss and then Ben's immediate death ruin the entire scene and all the build up of the two of them, JUST for a kiss? Waste. If they stayed together, began a new generation of Jedi, and both took the Skywalker name, I would've been MUCH more pleased.
- I know immediately from the scroll that "The dead speaks!" was all we were getting for an explanation of Palpatine's return. It just didn't feel necessary or high stakes really, felt totally and completely forced. I was open to the idea of Palp returning if they really showed how he was behind EVERYTHING, but they didn't really other than briefly showing us all the people he used to mess with Kylo. Okay?
- Disney CLEARLY had zero plan for this trilogy other than creating Rey and Kylo. Every other new character is utterly useless. Finn, while a great job done by John Boyega, was left with nothing but screaming "Rey!!" and having other side missions. Disappointing.
- Poe was a terrible leader lol. I guess Poe was fun in this film, made me wish we got more of he and Finn before ya know, the final movie and all.
- Rey being a Palpatine is fine, but giving nothing to her parents was weird. Not even 1 line from the father who happens to be PALPATINE'S KID. I get it, we don't all want a family drama but if you're to go down that route it'd be nice to hear 1 line from the father about the light side, hope, good in the world, etc, just to see where Rey's mindset came from more.
- The battle with Rey herself and Palpatine was decent, although this is now the 3rd time Palpatine has like been blown away or something, so again, it felt anticlimactic, especially because we still don't fully get why he's here except that he wants Rey to takeover. Haven't we seen a plot like this before?
- And now, Rey taking the name Skywalker. Not okay with this. I get it, Luke and Leia were looking out for her (Although The Last Jedi never showed us this!) so maybe she felt endebted to them, which I get. But having a Palpatine, take the Skywalker name, after Palpatine has killed the last Skywalker, felt wrong. Felt like it undermined the entire saga honestly. The name Skywalker just doesn't have much meaning to it now I feel. Again, if she and Kylo stayed together, took the name Ben Skywalker and Rey Skywalker, I think that would've been perfect and a much more satisfying ending. Kylo's redemption was terrific in my opinion. His acting was phenomenal, and it felt well earned. So unsatisfying his death however, anticlimactic, after a redemption moment, just unsatisfying.
- Han's cameo felt totally forced and last minute. I truly don't think or know behind the scenes stuff about films tpycialyl until long after I've seen it. But I could not help but think this was an absolute last minute cameo and they had no time to CGI or make Han into a ghost. Hence why he appears as himself. Felt out of place to me, even though I liked what Han said and it was what really began to change Ben.
- Kylo and Rey are the best thing from this trilogy, but they feel wasted at the same time. They have fantastic chemistry, interesting dynamics with the idea of living without parents, battle between the light and dark side, especially considering he came from the light and she came from the dark, but they're path's crossed. Them ending up together ruling or taking over the galaxy would've felt new and been fresh, but instead Kylo literally just died after they kissed. Disappointing.
- That basically sums up the Disney Trilogy, disappointing. The Last Jedi is a totally useless film now in the grand scheme of things unless you want to see an anticlimactic Luke Skywalker death. This entire trilogy was so unplanned that they scrambled to put this film together and everything felt forced and unwarranted. Horrible pacing, unnecessary scene changes, and ultimately it did not add a ton of new things to Star Wars, or this trilogy as a whole. It just left me unsatisfied.
- I will stand by the fact that I believe the Disney Trilogy is worse than the prequels, at least at this time. There's at least a cohesive story that lasts throughout all 3 films, it feels like almost all 3 of these films aren't connected in some way. Its just hard to get around that fact.
- Kinda glad this is over, time to focus on the future of Star Wars and man do I hope they learn from this trilogy.

So those are my thoughts. Just disappointing on my end personally, I'm not feeling like I need to go see it again in a theatre which I've never felt with a Star Wars film, even The Last Jedi. If you loved The Last Jedi id genuinely almost not recommend this film for you. I really don't know what they were thinking here, I just don't. Idk if its a total and complete disaster, cause idk how casual fans feel about it, but for me, its pretty damn close. At the very least, this trilogy is a disaster. None of it works cohesively as a unit, and a true missed opportunity.

The film definitely needed to be about the length of Endgame imo and they wasted precious time introducing new characters in a finale of the saga. I think JJ was trying to do so much juggling in only about 2 hours and 15 minutes of film and it was never going to work because of that. Now had JJ done the whole trilogy or even had it not been a trilogy and the ending was split into two parts, then I think a more acceptable film could've been made. So much retconning in such little time means that basically wasted a movie in Episode 8. Snoke being killed in TLJ is one of the only arguments not to de-canonize it. I really enjoyed TLJ, but if you're going to take a film and basically strip it back and use next to nothing from it, then that film is hardly canon anymore.

To end on a positive note, Oscar Isaac was really great as Poe Dameron in this film. All of the acting in fact was pretty exceptional.

 

[Tbad556]

The film definitely needed to be about the length of Endgame imo and they wasted precious time introducing new characters in a finale of the saga. I think JJ was trying to do so much juggling in only about 2 hours and 15 minutes of film and it was never going to work because of that. Now had JJ done the whole trilogy or even had it not been a trilogy and the ending was split into two parts, then I think a more acceptable film could've been made. So much retconning in such little time means that basically wasted a movie in Episode 8. Snoke being killed is in TLJ is one of the only arguments not to de-canonize it. I really enjoyed TLJ, but if you're going to take a film and basically strip it back and use next to nothing from it, then that film is hardly canon anymore.

To end on a positive note, Oscar Isaac was really great as Poe Dameron in this film.

Without a doubt on the first part. In an era of longer films becoming more and more common, I'm shocked they didn't. This felt incredibly rushed and really could've used the breathing space.

As for the positive note, I'd really say that about the whole cast. The cast delivered imo. None of my issues lie with them whatsoever.

 

[Nick]

As for the positive note, I'd really say that about the whole cast. The cast delivered imo. None of my issues lie with them whatsoever.

The whole cast was definitely all great. I just happened to really like Poe in this movie for whatever reason. I will say I found Finn to be rather annoying in this movie, but that's not Boyega's fault. That's on the writing.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

The film definitely needed to be about the length of Endgame imo and they wasted precious time introducing new characters in a finale of the saga. I think JJ was trying to do so much juggling in only about 2 hours and 15 minutes of film and it was never going to work because of that. Now had JJ done the whole trilogy or even had it not been a trilogy and the ending was split into two parts, then I think a more acceptable film could've been made. So much retconning in such little time means that basically wasted a movie in Episode 8. Snoke being killed is in TLJ is one of the only arguments not to de-canonize it. I really enjoyed TLJ, but if you're going to take a film and basically strip it back and use next to nothing from it, then that film is hardly canon anymore.

To end on a positive note, Oscar Isaac was really great as Poe Dameron in this film.

Couldn't agree more on runtime. I think JJ tried to force his ideas for Ep 8 and 9 into this film, which just wouldn't work for any film maker in any franchise. It felt so rushed and there was no room to breathe. This scene is in the trailer so I don't think I need a spoiler tag, but 3PO realizes what he's doing, takes about 1 second to look at people and Poe immediately goes "what are you doing 3po?" then 3Po says "One last look, at my friends". I was expecting more from that scene, but it just felt rushed. That explains this entire film, rushed.
Agreed, The Last Jedi is literally utterly useless now to the series. Thats my gripe with this film, I don't feel any need now to go back and watch any of these Disney movies because they lead to absolutely nowhere. The more I sit on this the more frustrated I am. I tend to get more frustrated when films dont reach or don't even come close to reaching the levels of potential they could, and this entire film summed up the trilogy well, they botched it. Just my opinion.
All that being said, the acting was indeed incredible, some of the best we've seen, which makes this all the more frustrating!!! Argh!!! Driver is the reason Kylo is a great character, I don't think anyone else could've played him as effectively.

 

[Tbad556]

Spoiler

I feel like this trilogy was doomed from The Force Awakens honestly. The more I sit with this movie, the more I realize that there was genuinely no reason to take the family route this time around. We already had the OG movies focused so heavily on a shocking family reveal. There was just no way for it to be executed to that level of surprise and praise again. The franchise had already done it. They gave us so many interesting mysteries with this trilogy that will now forever remain unanswered because somehow a search for Rey's backstory became the big mystery. Whether you like TLJ or not, I feel like Rian Johnson made the right call in trying to correct course on this. It backed the new trilogy into a corner that it wasn't going to be able to write itself out of. It's why the trilogy needed to be mapped out from the beginning. Rey was already an interesting character to begin with. I don't need her parents to be something big and dramatic for me to care about her. I'd much rather get explanations for the Knights of Ren, Poe/Finn's backstories as stormtroopers/pilots, Luke's lightsaber, etc.

 

[Nick]

Spoiler

I feel like this trilogy was doomed from The Force Awakens honestly. The more I sit with this movie, the more I realize that there was genuinely no reason to take the family route this time around. We already had the OG movies focused so heavily on a shocking family reveal. There was just no way for it to be executed to that level of surprise and praise again. The franchise had already done it. They gave us so many interesting mysteries with this trilogy that will now forever remain unanswered because somehow a search for Rey's backstory became the big mystery. Whether you like TLJ or not, I feel like Rian Johnson made the right call in trying to correct course on this. It backed the new trilogy into a corner that it wasn't going to be able to write itself out of. It's why the trilogy needed to be mapped out from the beginning. Rey was already an interesting character to begin with. I don't need her parents to be something big and dramatic for me to care about her. I'd much rather get explanations for the Knights of Ren, Poe/Finn's backstories as stormtroopers/pilots, Luke's lightsaber, etc.

Spoiler

Wouldn't it have been fun if Finn, as an ex-First Order Storm Trooper, somehow got used by the First Order to be a spy on the inside of the resistance for them? We could've followed his struggle through that, similar to Kylo Ren's struggle. Poe finally got some real leadership and what i'd actual consider to be a lead role rather than just supporting in this movie. It's too bad we know next to nothing about him. The thing with Zorri was interesting, - why did we just get that at the end with no payoff?!?

 

[Tbad556]

Spoiler

Wouldn't it have been fun if Finn, as an ex-First Order Storm Trooper, somehow got used by the First Order to be a spy on the inside of the resistance for them? We could've followed his struggle through that, similar to Kylo Ren's struggle. Poe finally got some real leadership and what i'd actual consider to be a lead role rather than just supporting in this movie. It's too bad we know next to nothing about him. The thing with Zorri was interesting, - why did we just get that at the end with no payoff?!?

Spoiler

I'd be totally up for that story. Everyone has an interesting story in that scenario. I'd love to know more about Zorri. I'd love to have learned more about Phasma. I would've loved to learn more about the Knights of Ren. Hell, it would've been cool if Finn had a single love interest instead of three lmao.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

Spoiler

I feel like this trilogy was doomed from The Force Awakens honestly. The more I sit with this movie, the more I realize that there was genuinely no reason to take the family route this time around. We already had the OG movies focused so heavily on a shocking family reveal. There was just no way for it to be executed to that level of surprise and praise again. The franchise had already done it. They gave us so many interesting mysteries with this trilogy that will now forever remain unanswered because somehow a search for Rey's backstory became the big mystery. Whether you like TLJ or not, I feel like Rian Johnson made the right call in trying to correct course on this. It backed the new trilogy into a corner that it wasn't going to be able to write itself out of. It's why the trilogy needed to be mapped out from the beginning. Rey was already an interesting character to begin with. I don't need her parents to be something big and dramatic for me to care about her. I'd much rather get explanations for the Knights of Ren, Poe/Finn's backstories as stormtroopers/pilots, Luke's lightsaber, etc.

The more I've thought of TLJ this week, I think its the best film of the trilogy, yet also the worst haha. It ruined the trilogy, there's no denying that. Is that Rian's fault entirely? I guess kinda, but I think thats more on Kathleen Kennedy for not mapping out a proper trilogy. At least Rian tried something a bit more different and unique. Ah well.

 

[JungleSkip]

It ruined the trilogy, there's no denying that.

There certainly is denying that. lol