Thoughts on The Rise of Skywalker - SPOILERS

[PsychoSith]

Okay next morning after the theatre experience. If it wasnt already clear as kyber

S P O I L E R S    A H E A D

So where this is more of a thoughs/discussion I thought I'd get my opinion of the movie's quality out there right now:

Objectively, I thought the movie was about on-par with Rogue 1: a strong 7/10

Subjectively? Well see....It's my favorite of the Disney SW films. Bar none. This movie answered every one of my personal questions AND delved into subjects in Star Wars that I personally have a taste for and did it excellently.


So like my Thoughts on TLJ thread, since we all know I like these movies already, lets start with what i didn't like: [LAST CHANCE SPOILERS BEGIN HERE]

Chewbacca: Put simply? I wish they had the balls to keep him dead. Chewbacca dying not only has precedence in the EU, but would have continued forward as a fantastic source of conflict for Rey. It would have fueled her later actions in the movie even more than they already were, and would have kept the emotional weight of the desert scene. In my theatre the whole damn Earth got quiet after that, and I wish they stuck to that impact.

Star Destroyer Inconsistency: So this one is a small one and I almost didnt mention it since I have a headcanon as to why this worked the way it did, but what the hell I'll include it . The movie makes a big deal in the climax about how the Hero party has to destroy the comm relay that gives the Final Order Fleet its' marching orders to prevent the fleet from fully launching. However we see earlier (and at the very end) that a few Star Destroyers were already posted around the galaxy causing problems. If the whole point was to stop the entire fleet from launching why were some destroyers not present on Exobar? My personal explanation is since the Destroyers are formatted in a vertical formation, perhaps they launch in waves. Like Row 1 launch, row 2 launch et cetera. So they would have stopped the bulk of the fleet but perhaps the first wave already left by time they arrived.

Phasma: Wasnt in this movie, so why do i mention? Well every bit of info we had on Phasma re-iterated the same thing: she's a survivor. I really expected to see her crop up again. A little disappointing they offed the "survivor" character so easy in TLJ but thats already in my TLJ thoughts.

Alright so thats basically the whole list of things I didnt like, now the stuff I did?
Well there's a lot so buckle up.

Rey: Been saying it since the first damn movie and I'm happy to say it again: Rey is not a Mary Sue and yes indeed her arc was unfinished until now. Rey had a rare double-whammy of force shenanigans going her way: the Dyad she shared with Kylo, linking them and allowing them to share not only experiences but their power in the force as well, but ALSO the fact that she's a blasted Palpatine! Thats a damn good reason for her being powerful, times two! Not only that we get the first movie where I feel like Rey honest to god struggles. Because having that kind of power aint easy, and in addition we finally get the duel between her and Kylo both at full strength. The other thing I've said since TFA? That if they were in an even fight Kylo would kick her teeth in? Yeah. He absolutely isnt even breaking a sweat for most of their fight. Rey is doing flips and flourishes, and getting intense and tired, and Kylo is calmly fending her off, often one-handed. Her "win" comes only from Kylo sensing Leia's death and being stunned. This definitively shows that Kylo does have more martial skill than Rey, even if she does have the edge in force ability.

Kylo: I expected disappointment, and yet, I found contentment. I didnt want Kylo's redemption. I wanted him fully evil cover to cover, but y'now, how the movie handled his redemption was about the only possible way I would have been okay with it. His one last link to humanity, his mother dying, followed up by a loss with his duel, being healed by his enemy, and being confronted by a memory of his father within a couple moments? Anything short of that I would have complained, but this was done right. I liked Kylo's overall confidence in the film. No outbursts, no temper tantrums, and only a single emotionally vulnerable scene. Kylo is just my favorite part of this trilogy, he is a complex and well done addition to these films!

Poe: My BOY! (I like Poe alot) Poe has finally matured from TLJ and is actually a major player here. He often clashes with Rey (rightly) over her impulsiveness and selfishness about her problems when the resistance is already on its last legs. He didnt lose himself, though. He knew what was expected of him and he did what he could to rise to the occasion.

The Sith: Yes! YES! YES! YES!. Everything about how Palpatine and the Sith were handled, the atmosphere, the music, Palpatine's survival only due to his power in the force. Just absolutely flawless. "Every Sith lives in me" what a knock-out nod to not only Palpatine's power but to the rule of two! And his threats that his spirit would take over Rey? And the all Sith live in me line? Do you suppose it's been Bane superimposing his spirit every time an apprentice struck down a master? Cause holy s*#t what a thought! The fact that we see he returned to the original ISD line because they represented the Sith symbol - another fantastic choice! And they got weird with his powers! About time we see those "unnatural abilities" references in episodes 3 and 9. His haunting appearance, to the cult-like atmosphere, we havent seen a representation of the Sith like this outside of the video games in a very good way! Using Kylo and Rey's dyad to empower himself? Have I died and gone to Sith heaven? My only wish is they used one of the old Sith planets from the EU instead of introducing Exobar. Would have just been the perfect cherry on top if they used Ziost, Byss, Dromund Kaas, or Korriban.

Hux: His obsession with being better than Kylo, built up over two movies lead to his downfall. What can say? Poetic end for Brendol.

No Star Wars Side Quest: There was no pod-racing, no Genosian droid factory, no killing Greivous, no asteroid worm, no ewok dinner, no Canto Bight. The story was focused and I feel like the movie constantly had something it was doing for the plot, not faffing about in a space muppet.

The Performances: Y'all the actors absolutely blew it out of the water. I dont even know what to say besides damn. Even if you hate the Disney movies with a burning passion and already have declared this movie to be burned at the stake, the acting man, it was gooood.

John Williams: His final gift to the Star Wars franchise. If you couldnt hear the love in this soundtrack than I pity your cold, dead heart.

I've got more to say but not more time at this very moment. Lets discuss!

EDIT 1: Also Ultrasabers. Leia's and Rey's. Make it happen! Damn *nice* looking sabers!

[Darth Knox]

John Williams: His final gift to the Star Wars franchise. If you couldnt hear the love in this soundtrack than I pity your cold, dead heart.

Did you spot his cameo?

[PsychoSith]

Did you spot his cameo?

I did not! Where was he hiding?

[Darth Knox]

I did not! Where was he hiding?

In the bar that the trio go to to find the engineer to help C3P0 translate the Sith runes, he was a bartender, with metal over one eye. Very brief screen presence. I doubt many people will catch it on first viewing.

[PsychoSith]

In the bar that the trio go to to find the engineer to help C3P0 translate the Sith runes, he was a bartender, with metal over one eye. Very brief screen presence. I doubt many people will catch it on first viewing.

I'll keep an eye out for that next viewing!

[Maestro Jones]

In the bar that the trio go to to find the engineer to help C3P0 translate the Sith runes, he was a bartender, with metal over one eye. Very brief screen presence. I doubt many people will catch it on first viewing.

I caught it but I’m a JW fanboy. 

[PsychoSith]

Also I'd like to mentioned how much appreciate the cinematography of Kylo's redemption scene. Nearly shot-for-shot identical to him killing Han, but with the white background to signify his redemption. That was some excellent fusion of a set piece and symbolism.

[Maestro Jones]

Also I'd like to mentioned how much appreciate the cinematography of Kylo's redemption scene. Nearly shot-for-shot identical to him killing Han, but with the white background to signify his redemption. That was some excellent fusion of a set piece and symbolism.

I know a lot of people won’t like the fact the Kylo was redeemed but at the heart of SW is the story of redemption. After all, this is how the first trilogy ended.  It’s only fitting the saga ends the same way. 

Oh, and I have absolutely no problems with Rey taking the Skywalker name.  And I would love to see a Lando and Jannah show on Disney+.  That could be fun as long as they are in the Falcon and Chewie is along for the ride. This was a good one.  I guess I’m going to have to see it again and maybe again. 

[Infinit01]

Ray's yellow saber though

[Lady Revan]

I’mma just leave this here. Names of Sith Trooper detachments, Source “The Rise of Skywalker Visual Dictionary.” Detachmentsnamed after famous Sith Lords.

[Lady Revan]

Ray's yellow saber though

Yelloooooooow! I still think it’s a staff and we only saw one side lit. My Rebel Legion Rey friend who sat the movie with me pointed out that it's designed after her staff. Plus, the design looks very similar to what we’ve already seen for Maul’s staff

[darkferris]

Scattered, not focused, too many McGuffins. Making her a Palpatine is a cop out. It’s too much fan service for the sake of fan service. Introducing sooo many characters without flushing out characters or giving them the attention the film makers make us believe they deserve. This should of been limited use of characters like the original trilogy. It’s LucasFilms fault and Kathleen Kennedy for not anointing 1 figure head the way Fiege is for MCU.

[Infinit01]

It looks really good



And on that note, I'm really glad that Disney's adding more saber blade colors beyond Fallen Order.

[Saso Is-kor]

Walking out of the theater, I didn't have that feeling as if I'd just been punched in the gut like after watching The Last Jedi for the first time. My favorite part was probably Threepio's line about looking at his friends for the last time, that almost made me cry. Too much blatant fanservice for me, especially Chewie's medal, ugh, was anyone out there seriously dying for that to happen after all these years? I think when Papa Palpatine was single-handedly frying an entire fleet of starships was when I realized that the new Star Wars trilogy is pretty much dead for me. One of the ways the franchise intrigued me from the beginning was its use of power. Sure, you had individuals that could run fast, jump insanely high, and wield laser swords that would cut a regular user's arms/legs clean off, but it was mostly grounded. That's what turned me off to Rey early in the trilogy, her incredible and ultimately unearned amount of power. This movie was like watching Force Unleashed on the big screen. I'd argue that a video game can get away with it, but not an epsiodic major film.

Meh.

[LSUJedi]

The real question I'm left with after this movie: whose saber do I get first, Rey or Leia? Leaning Rey because I believe it is a staff