3/5 stars
By Anna Husted EBS FILM CRITIC
“Star Wars Episode IX: The
Rise of Skywalker” is exactly what fans want it to be. From the first
moment when we see the Millennium Falcon light-speed galaxy jumping, to the
final double light saber battle, the movie delivers on all the classically
fantastic moments of the franchise. But in that sense, it’s also predictable,
yet curiously leaves us wondering about a lot.
Rey (played by a somehow more
beautiful than ever Daisy Ridley) must finish what Luke started: find the
hiding place of the evil Emperor and defeat him. The biggest obstacle is no one
knows how to get to the unknown Sith planet without a Sith wayfinder, which
only Kylo Ren has.
As expected, Rey and Ren face off
in multiple epic showdowns, yet in this installment their ability to
psychically connect reaches new, visually phenomenal levels. There is one
instance where Rey transfers feelings to Kylo Ren through distances of space
and time that are unprecedented—even by Obi Wan Kenobi standards of
Force-wielding.
Throughout the film, we meet with
old and new faces, such as an introduction to an adorable, yet scarred, Sith
droid—my new favorite—who speaks bluntly and says “no thank you” when
approached by strangers. While Rey, Poe, Finn, Chewy, and droids C3P0 and BB-8
travel from planet to planet trying to obtain the wayfinder, we also discover
that Rey’s kindness is even more powerful than the Force. Admittedly, it’s
almost as cheesy as it sounds.
Yet, it’s hard to forget that it
will always be the characters and their often corny relationships that make the
Star Wars franchise great. They are why we watch these movies across
generations, and “The Rise of Skywalker” gives us some touching and
fun moments with those intergalactic souls.
Unfortunately, unanswered questions
make “The Rise of Skywalker” fall short of the prestige of most of the other
Star Wars films.
Try this frustrating example for
size: At one point, Finn mentions something seemingly leading to Rey that he
never brings up again, and there’s no explainable reason for director Abrams to
not revisit the thread. Worse still, it wasn’t something we, the audience, were
even looking for. When the film is tied up in a mostly neat little bow, why
leave a dangling question?
Overall, “The Rise of
Skywalker” is entertaining and fun. The Star Wars world building continues
to impress and the flying and fighting choreography reaches a new level when
comparing the last three Star Wars installments.
You’ll find most moviegoers
satisfied, but I continue to wonder if there isn’t something greater Disney and
Abrams could have achieved, something more thematically spiritual and mentally
stimulating that would have left fans astonished by this epic story’s
conclusion. Or maybe we’ve come to expect too much from what was once just kids
in costumes and George Lucas playing with model toys—although I doubt that.
After all, Lucas was a master storyteller and filmmaker. He gave us a world
that didn’t exist, a journey we all wanted to go on, and heroes that always
shot first.
Anna Husted has a
master’s in film studies from New York University. In Big Sky she can be found
skiing or at the movies at Lone Peak Cinema. When not gazing at the silver
screen or watching her new favorite TV show, she’s reading, fishing or
roughhousing with her cat, Indiana Jones.
