Daisy Ridley

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

  • Title: Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker
  • IMDb: link

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker movie reviewWith The Rise of Skywalker J.J. Abrams returns to close-out the sequel trilogy which began with Star Wars: The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. Not content to end just this series, Abrams intends the film to work as the climax to all nine of the Star Wars films featuring mentions, Easter Eggs, and callbacks from every film (and even some of the various animated TV series). The shift also forces a change in the tone of the arc of the series as Rian Johnson‘s look to the future is replaced with a story tied very much to the past.

One of the complaints some had to The Last Jedi was the film wasn’t fan friendly enough. The Rise of Skywalker goes a bit overboard in attempting fix a problem which in my opinion didn’t exist in the first place. The result is a final entry to the franchise that feels like an attempt to placate more vocal fans by asking less of them the final time around and offering up a heaping of nostalgia and fan service instead. It’s more Return of the Jedi than Star Wars. On an emotional level, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker works. It’s a cathartic farewell to these characters. Story wise, however, it’s the weakest of the three sequel films.

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Star Wars: The Last Jedi

  • Title: Star Wars: The Last Jedi
  • IMDb: link

Star Wars: The Last Jedi movie reviewI love Star Wars. I’m a fan. Always have been. My love of film, science fiction, and movie merchandise can be traced back to the film that sprung from the mind of George Lucas. I mention this because, as a fan, it’s not always easy to look critically at what you love. However, I will do my best (while avoiding spoilers).

Star Wars: The Force Awakens gave me a taste during its final moments, but Star Wars: The Last Jedi finally delivers on the Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) film I have been waiting impatiently for since 1983. Adding to my interest in the latest installment of the Star Wars franchise was the fact that a grizzled Luke would get paired with my favorite of the new characters introduced in the previous film. Those expecting Luke to jump immediately into action on behalf of Rey‘s (Daisy Ridley) plea might be initially disappointed, but (despite small complaints I have with the film) I think you’ll agree that writer/director Rian Johnson succeeds in paying homage to what has come before while shading a bit more outside of the lines than J.J. Abrams was willing, or able, to do.

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