Naysayers Be Damned! The Rise Of Skywalker Is A Triumph

Star Wars, like everything else in 2019, has become polarized.  2017's The Last Jedi fractured the fan base almost to a point of no return.  People are vehement in their defense of (I'm in that category) or their hatred of that film.  Somehow Rian Johnson simultaneously sent the franchise in an exciting new direction while also murdering the childhood of countless (toxic) fanboys.  I, for one, loved that film.  Its primary message was "in order to move forward, you have to kill the past."  It was a bold new direction for the franchise that always looked to the past, and I was very excited to see where they were taking it.  Sure, there were flaws (Mary Poppins-Skywalker, anyone?), but damn if Rian Johnson wasn't afraid to take big, bold steps.  I guess I'm in the minority because Disney went back to the well with JJ Abrams (director of spectacular Force Awakens) to right the ship.  The Rise Of Skywalker is definitely more of a course correction than a step in a new direction, but holy moly is it a fun ride. 

I've long maintained that the biggest mistake Disney made with this new trilogy of films is that they didn't allow a singular vision to tell the complete story.  They were more concerned with pumping out a new film every two years than telling a cohesive story through a new trilogy.  I contend that if they let JJ direct the entire trilogy, there would be a lot less polarization in the fanbase.  The Force Awakens opened up a new set of characters and stories, while weaving in past favorites.  Last Jedi did the opposite.  It was as if Johnson was burdened by the other film rather than growing the story from it.  Important characters (well, at least we thought) were killed off without reason and other important characters spent their time middling through weird side quests (casino scene, I'm looking at you).  What Skywalker does smartly is get the band back together.  Rey, Poe, Fin, et al have always been stronger together, and this film proves that point to a T.

Skywalker opens up with a rumor of the return of Emperor Palpatine, and our yin and yang (Rey and Ren) homing in on his potential locations.  Battle lines are drawn as both The First Order and The Resistance move towards one final battle.  I don't really want to spoil anything, but there are some truly breathtaking battle and fight sequences in this one, and the story being told, while familiar, is downright entertaining.

Going back to our group of heroes, their chemistry shines in this one.  Finn and Poe bicker like a pair of brothers and the connection of Rey and Ren really drives this film to its spectacular conclusion.  That's not to say that the old guard doesn't get their moment in the sun.  This film weaves in the late Carrie Fisher (from a mix of deleted scenes from the first two films) admirably and she's given the send-off her character deserves.  The great Billie Dee Williams returns as everyone's favorite space playboy, Lando.  I couldn't help but cheer out loud during his scenes.  Nostalgia plays a big part in this film, but it never feels forced.

Returning to my original point of a fractured fan base.  It seemed like The Force Awakens had everybody screaming for joy, while The Last Jedi was a critical hit and a audience miss.  The Rise Of Skywalker is more of a return to safety, but I didn't mind the nostalgia romp.  JJ Abrams had the unenviable task of finishing the Skywalker saga, while also bringing the aliented fans back into the fold.  If the audience reaction from my screening tonight is any measure of success, then he did so on both fronts (there were a couple "thank you JJs" yelled as the credits rolled.).

I absolutely loved The Rise Of Skywalker.  It did a fantastic job of finishing off the Skywalker saga, and was a hell of a lot of fun.  As I said during my review of The Force Awakens... congratulations JJ, you made a triumphant film!  Go see it!