The end of a trilogy and the end of the Skywalker Saga. Is
it wrong for me to say the best thing to come from this new trilogy is a LEGO
game that will contain all nine films for what sounds to be one of the greatest
LEGO – and possibly Star Wars – games of all time? I know that sounds like
there’s nothing redeemable about the trilogy or this film, but that’s where you’d
be wrong. I don’t hate The Rise of Skywalker, just as I don’t hate the Sequel
Trilogy, but there has been a lot of missteps within the execution of all three
films within it.
The Rise of Skywalker follows the trend of being good but
not great. Sure, there’s plenty of great sequences and a load of character
interactions that work, but it still cannot escape from the fact that it never
seemed to have a coherent plan. The one theme – the most central theme, I would
say – has been done better within the Original Trilogy. That being the actions
of your family don’t define your character, only what you choose to be. But
Rise of Skywalker still manages to make it work despite the lack of that coherent
plan.
From the off it is clear the film tries to do too much.
It throws itself at giving a reason for it to exist with a new big bad – that being
the Emperor. Dodgy execution aside, it works for the film. This is The
Skywalker Saga, and every story needs an antagonist. Which big bad has been
present in both other trilogies pulling the strings of every major event of the
galaxy? Palpatine. Which big bad has been actively working to destroy the Skywalker
line? Palpatine. So despite what might have previously been set up, he is here
again to close the saga out with a storyline that works.
However, while that works, and I have no real
issue or problem with the rest of the film, there’s a big problem that needs to be
said. The storyline with Palpatine works, but attached to it is something for
the rest of the Resistance to do. Dealing with Palpatine is a Force-user thing,
but as seen from the trailers it forces in a huge secret fleet to be dealt with
as well, and it is here things… fall. Bluntly put, it has no real reason to be
here. The only thing it serves is as an action piece, and it fails at doing
that. There’s no true narrative line with the sequence, being there to offer a
mirror of Return of the Jedi. And then it just ends. Because it needs to, not
because it makes sense for it to do so.
If one half of the ending act is bad, then, is the film
worth a watch? There’s some great character interactions throughout, with other
action set pieces being better. The film does also mirror other scenes from the
Original Trilogy (and one from Force Awakens), with most of them working to either
naturally fit with the story or offer a nice bit of nostalgia from familiar sequences
of the past. There’s also familiar musical cues returning and merging well with
the new. And speaking of the music, it works well at doing what it sets out to
do, offering plenty of impact when required. Some scenes don’t use music, and
these also manage to land an impact.
And even though it rushes through things as it tries to
fit an extra hour of content into its already long runtime, its easy to
understand where things are going even if smaller details are lost or the
impact is lessened. As a standalone entry, then, it’s great to go into. Tied as
it is to the Sequel Trilogy, it offers a good enough ending for both it and the
entire saga – even if it most of it was possibly only planned after The Last
Jedi ended production. But as said, even through that botched execution, it
manages to make it work. That’s all that can really be said for it.
It’s a difficult one to really give a recommendation for.
The sequel trilogy has gone for a mostly tame expansion of the galaxy, except
where Force powers are concerned. This trilogy has really gone to the extreme with
that. However, as I said, it works as a standalone film that anyone looking for
a simple, fun space adventure can enjoy. Looking deeper into it reveals the
cracks and issues of the entire trilogy, and though Star Wars fans can enjoy
the various factors it brings, if you aren’t invested in what came before it is
unlikely you will find much to love with this one.
As I said at the start, it seems wrong for me to say that
the best thing this trilogy has brought me is a LEGO game that sounds to be the
greatest one yet. Though I love what this trilogy has brought us, I also can’t
overlook the flawed execution and sloppy management it has been given. They are
good films that, while not adding a whole lot to the galaxy, have allowed for
new things to come through other mediums. Though Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar
Isacc and the rest of the cast won’t ever return to the big screen, they have set
up a piece of the timeline ripe for exploration through novels, comics, videogames,
and even TV series, and that is always a great thing for those who want it.
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