Movie Review: "Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker" (2019)
The time has come to write the review that any sensible critic in this day and age is apprehensive of. There’s no fanbase more fractured, jaded, or passionate than Star Wars fans. I’m an O.G. fan, and even I kind of hate Star Wars fans. I don’t want to spend a shit-ton of time on this, but let’s at least acknowledge the fact that if your only measuring stick is the Holy Trilogy then you’re just going to hate everything else. It’s not a fair measuring stick. There are only a handful of truly original, transformative cultural milestones, and Star Wars is right at the top of that list with The Beatles and the Pet Rock (obviously I’m being facetious about the latter).
In all seriousness, I am extremely thankful that we have so much material to take in on the big and small screen that’s canonical (yes, even the highly flawed Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi). I remember thinking, as a kid, that Return of the Jedi was the end of the road, and I prayed for more. I unabashedly love the franchise, and I know when to be thankful. Yeah, Episodes II and VIII are stinkers…but they’re not atrocious. No series is perfect. So where, you may ask, does this one rank in the eyes of this vintage fan?
Outside of the Holy Trilogy and Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, this one is a favorite of mine. Roast me if you will, judge me if you must for any part of that statement, but I stand by it.
In The Rise of Skywalker, the proverbial day of reckoning has finally arrived. The First Order, led by Supreme Leader Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) has grown even more mighty. The Resistance fights the good fight, led by Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac). The new threat is now the old threat: Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) has returned from the presumed dead. He’s living on the hidden planet of Exegol, and he’s assembled a massive fleet of new Star Destroyers with hideous capabilities. Kylo Ren intends to kill him but soon realizes it’s not that simple. Meanwhile, Rey (Daisy Ridley) is continuing her Jedi training in preparation for the coming battles. Rey and Kylo’s link grows stronger. Truths and ancient secrets are revealed as the fate of the galaxy literally hangs in the balance.
To put it bluntly, Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker is one of the strongest entries in the series. On a technical side, it’s damn near a masterpiece. While that may not be a huge surprise given the budget and technology, I still found myself in awe of it many times. It’s simply the gold standard for science fiction. You won’t find a better looking, more visually striking, and effortlessly fluid film. All of the things that should age, like the Millennium Falcon, have a patina that speaks to the heart of the kid that lives inside.
Where I was most surprised was in the writing. After the tonal and pacing misstep that was Episode XIII, JJ Abrams stepped in righted the ship with a film that absolutely felt like Star Wars. It’s more than that opening crawl and John Williams score, though- the story beats are paced in the proper fashion and the action is balanced deftly with the humanity. The twists (Rey’s long-rumored heritage, Palpatine’s true power, and the expanded Jedi powers) are both effective and produce a genuine response in proportion to their story impact. Nothing really feels extraneous or bloated. In short, it’s clean and efficient while answering questions and satiating your need for closure.
The opening is a little rushed, to be sure. The first half an hour is, however, one of the more clever ways to fix the mistakes of the previous film even if it goes at manic speed. Then the movie settles in and gets that vibe 100% right. It’s a small gripe and doesn’t last very long. Also, the 2 hour and 21 minute runtime feels neither long nor short. That’s a harder trick than most people realize.
After Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, I was yet to be sold on the new characters (particular John Boyega as Finn). After this film, I don’t have those gripes anymore. This is Rey and Kylo Ren’s film, though. Their dynamic is fun to watch as it develops, and it actually makes sense! Their “Force symbiosis” is a bit mysterious- they can literally hand things off to each other when they’re far away. I was unsure at first, but the beauty of it is that Force powers are myriad and largely unknown. Taken in that context, it becomes believable and it’s a clever exposition device / action driver.
And Palpatine? Oh dear God. He’s a fucking horror show, and I loved every minute of it. His presentation has the taste of the Channard Cenobite in Hellbound: Hellraiser II. He’s a biomech Emperor fully on the juice, complete with solid white eyes. He looks every bit the criminally insane dirty old man that birthed the stereotype. He also confirms the long held Darth Plaugueis theory. His lair on Exegol is dark, cold, & evil; a physical manifestation of the Sith themselves. It’s the first time that a Star Wars movie has been legitimately terrifying in the classic sense. I can picture Count Dooku dreaming of that throne…
There are callbacks galore from characters to specific lines to inside jokes. Some people hate callbacks, but I feel that they’re not only necessary in an epic series but crucial to keeping the feeling on the up and up. Those callbacks set up Kylo’s story arc, and it’s my favorite thing about this film. Everything that happens in that entire scene on the ruins of the Death Star on Endor’s ocean moon of Kef Bir had me holding my breath. It’s that good.
This trilogy hasn’t been perfect, but I adore the fact that each movie focused on a different main character from the Holy Trilogy- VII was Han’s film, VIII was Luke’s film, and IX is totally Leia’s film. It’s a wonderful sendoff to the late Carrie Fisher, whose career will be defined by her role as Princess Leia. She is the heart of this series, and her story is closed out beautifully. There were many eyes in the house that weren’t so dry, mine among them. I’m pretty sure I even know a jaded fan that had to swipe his eyes a time or two.
The more I reflect, the more the list of things that just kick ass grows:
The new droid / rescue dog
C-3PO stealing the show and bringing that emotion!
Whose lightsaber is that?
Poe’s new love interest…
The shot comparison parallels are sublime
Ridiculously epic space battle on Exegol
Rey’s vision echoing Luke’s on Dagobah
The gift for Chewbacca (I fucking wept!)
Father and Son
Kylo Ren’s kintsugi-inspired helmet. Those red cracks speak volumes.
“What’s your name?”
Emperor Palpatine’s new Force Lightning trick
Red 5!! Red 1!!
Babu Frik as the new “cute, marketable toy”. I’d buy one.
The subtle musical differences (especially during Kylo Ren / Ben Solo scenes)
General Pryde as an homage to Grand Moff Tarkin
What happens to General Hux
LANDO FUCKING CALRISSIAN!! Billy Dee is still the man. Period.
“Where are you from, kid?”…”I don’t know.”…”Well, let’s find out.”
I could throw out the age-old disclaimer that a movie review is just an opinion, and well…you know what they say about the frequency of opinions and their smell. In this case, though, I can speak as a true Star Wars fan from the old school AND as a good, old fashioned movie fan without the need of said disclaimer- Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker is a deserving and heartfelt closeout to the arc of the original saga. It’s also deserving of being spoken of in the same breath as The Holy Trilogy.
I have spoken.
