The Rise of Skywalker Plays It Safe and Does ‘Just’ Enough

By Avik Basak

How do you deliver a satisfying finale to a saga that is 42 years in the making? The answer to this question is not easy, hence the safe bet would be to try your best while offering the greatest fan service. J. J. Abrams and company did exactly that with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker but in doing so have gone back on what Rian Johnson’s previous instalment Star Wars: The Last Jedi achieved. While it is true that the Episode VIII irked some of the fans who have been devoted followers of the franchise over the years but it was also the boldest instalment in the saga that garnered praise even from the creator and the director of the original work, George Lucas. Lucas, who was highly dissatisfied with Disney for not using his ideas for this “Sequel Trilogy”, was particularly critical of Star Wars: The Force Awakens as he felt it was derivative of the original trilogy. He, however, praised The Last Jedi and called it “Beautifully Made”.

If you have read my review for The Last Jedi, you would know about my admiration for the movie and I can still say that it is my personal favourite in the whole saga. The way Johnson redefined the conventions of the Star Wars franchise, gave it an edgier tone and defied the fan theories and the stereotypes of the series was truly brave and praiseworthy. And I do not think that the film deserved the backlash it received from some of the conservative fans. Abrams, on the other hand, with The Rise of Skywalker, tries to strike a balance and does not dare to venture into the uncharted territories like its predecessor.

The Rise of Skywalker takes place after the presumed dead Sith lord, Emperor Palpatine makes a galaxy-wide broadcast forcing both the First Order Supreme Commander Kylo Ren and Resistance leader, General Leia Organa to react while Rey continues her Jedi training under the general. While it is certainly more original with its ideas and in tone than The Force Awakens, it kind of feels like a let-down to the radical achievements of the second instalment of this trilogy. As a result, it neither has the light-heartedness of the first film nor the unpredictability and the odds-defying stance of the second one. There is a scene in the film where we see Kylo Ren piece together his old helmet that he destroyed in the previous film, something which can be seen as symbolic to the film’s decision to go back to the tradition of the series rather than following in the footsteps of its immediate predecessor.

It does not mean that there is nothing good in The Rise of Skywalker. In fact, I am not calling it bad at all. It is packed with some powerful performances especially from Adam Driver as Kylo Ren and Daisy Ridley as Rey. Both sink deeper into their characters to delve more into the conflict inside them to provide us with layered portrayals. The others including Oscar Isaac as Poe, John Boyega as Finn, and Carrie Fisher in her posthumous role as Leia just complement the leading players. The film also marks the comeback of Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian who is a treat to the eyes.

The film also boasts some remarkable action set pieces. The one which in particular is bound to be the best is the epic lightsaber battle between Kylo and Rey on an establishment in the middle of the sea. Although the climactic battle could have used a vision of little bit more epic proportions on Abrams’ part, it was nonetheless spectacular and emotionally charging. There is also the fact that most of the key characters were dead even before the movie began which allow us to cut Abrams and his co-writer Chris Terrio some slack. However, one might wonder why the makers decided to bring back an already defeated and ‘done-away-with’ villain and used him extraneously to draw curtains on the saga. Though, I liked the execution here more than the one in Return of the Jedi.

John Williams once again pleases us with his score while Cinematographer Dan Mindel helps the film achieve a distinct look. Moreover, the visual effects are top-notched and play a crucial role in the success of the film. The film editors, Maryann Brandon and Stefan Grube also do a fair enough job as the film moves at a reasonable pace.

Overall, The Rise of Skywalker is thoroughly enjoyable and does just enough to feel like a satisfying finale to the Skywalker Saga but it could have been much better. On one hand, it pays respects to the fan theories and might help silence the fans who were panning the franchise after The Last Jedi but on the other, it somewhat nullifies some of the good work the previous episode did, a fact that can hurt some of the fans like me, who loved that last one.

 

3.5 Stars Out of 5 from Me…