I am whelmed right now. Not over, not under, just… whelmed. After The Last Jedi, I did not expect much from the final movie in the sequel trilogy. With all the plot holes and rash decisions made in the first two movies, I reckoned that Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker would spend much of the time playing catch-up or pleading ignorance of past events and carrying on with Director J.J. Abram’s original plans for the storyline.
I was, unfortunately, correct.
The exposition of the movie is choppy and rough – even now I barely remember everything that I saw. The impressions I recall are of snappy bickering between Finn, Poe, and Rey that was an attempt at familial banter, in addition to the glimpses of Kylo Ren and the First Order’s activities.
That uncomfortable pacing lasts far too long into the movie, made all the more awkward by the dialogue that is more punched statements than fluid camaraderie and discussion. The writing feels more like a young amateur writing a fanfiction – they know the kinds of sentences people like heroes to say, but they don’t realize that they are cumbersome and disruptive when not used naturally within the flow of the scene.
That raises another issue the film struggles with – so much of it feels forced. So many lines of conversation – even whole scenes! – are recycled from older movies to drive home messages with as much subtlety as flashing neon signs saying: ‘Look, you see! The characters are finally listening and learning their lesson!’ It makes the scenes feel clunky. For the majority of the occurrences, they are attempts to add weight to the moment. But it doesn’t work.
If you’ve seen Avengers, you’ll remember the scene in the Battle of New York where all of the Avengers suddenly come together and the camera rotates around them as they stand in a circle fearlessly facing down their enemies. That same camera movement is used again in The Rise of Skywalker for a certain group of individuals with the intent of garnering the same hyped reaction from the audience. But there isn’t one, because the moment isn’t earned. Through lack of character development, fast pacing, and no explanations whatsoever, there are many missed cheer-worthy opportunities in this film.
There are several scenes, however, that had me grinning without realizing it, and all of them are centered around Kylo Ren and Rey’s interactions. While not handled with as much reverence as it deserved, the Force Bond carves the way for several Force-heavy scenes that we’ve been missing in these so-called powerful characters. In this, the film felt like a Star Wars movie in a way that The Last Jedi failed to enact.
The exotic aliens, locations, and phenomenal music amped up the sci-fi factor, even if some of the planets were given a wobbly amount of attention.
Overall, I am on the line about this film. It could have been worse, but it could have been much better. They dropped the ball in several places and, in my opinion, failed to stick the landing for the trilogy and the Skywalker Saga as a whole. However, the creators brought in new ideas from the original and prequel trilogies and made the film aesthetically pleasing to look at.
I can only hope that any future trilogies or stand-alone films are created by people who love Star Wars, not profits.
7/10 for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
— By Olivia M.
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