Movie Star Wars - Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker - Spoilers and Rumors

[Exe Gesis]

I agree at heart. TROS was enjoyable. And true that JJ course correcting TLJ meant problems in TROS. On the other hand, he didnt "have to" course correct.

TROS was very enjoyable as a stand-alone film. But it has major flaws fitting into the ST, the Saga, the SW universe, continuity, canon, lore. It cannot be just taken as a standalone film. It "has to" be analyzed and reviewed as part of the ST and the Saga as a whole too.

It was more SWsy than TLJ, and thus enjoyable. Sure, tho the movie in itself also fell apart, was flimsy in logic and story and in-world gravitas.

 

[SM]

Was the start that good though?

It was weirdly paced and they introduced light speed skipping despite the Falcon being one of the fastest ships in the galaxy. They light speed jumped right on to the surface of planets which is stupid.

Not to mention them cutting to the blob monster in the ship like it was a new character even though we saw it maybe once after the first act?

Also the ties seemed to have no trouble tracking them through hyperspace.

 

[Exe Gesis]

If I didnt care about lore/continuity, I'd like the movie more than I did. But as a standalone film it still undid itself and got crazy stupid.

If you contextualize the movie inside the whole saga, and the ST as a whole, it was all awfully cheap and nasty.

The ST is a far-cry from expanding on the PT/OT well, and TROS created its own problems just like TLJ did.

 

[SM]

Lol

 

[Percel]

Cam version downloading. Will watch it tomorrow evening after work.

who cares, such petulance

 

[Percel]

all the GGs live in you now

We have penicillin for that

 

[Percel]

youll have to wait for the review to understand the rating number. but my ratings system makes my ratings notoriously very low

that’s not your scoring system, it’s the fact you're a negative miserable campaigner.

look forward to it.....

 

[Mootsy]

Darth Vader killing the Emperor was as much if not more about saving Luke than it was about the Emperor no longer being alive.

I maintain that JJ wanted a story arc where Rey redeems Ben, and needed a big bad dark side guy to achieve that. Since RJ had killed Snoke, bringing back Palpatine allowed him to achieve what he wanted to achieve for Rey and Ben without needing half a movie to explain who the new big bad guy is.

Palps is likely a clone in this, how would you know either way?

jj could have used Ren and a new Sith Lord I guess

palps sells more tickets

 

[SM]

Palps is likely a clone in this, how would you know either way?

He is definitely a clone in this.. That's not even a question.

 

[ZEV]

He is definitely a clone in this.. That's not even a question.

I thought the answer to this was left unanswered deliberately?

 

[SM]

I thought the answer to this was left unanswered deliberately?

How was it unanswered? He's either resurrected or a clone the distinction is meaningless. He definitely died in ROTJ and he refers to it.

 

[Exe Gesis]

sorry...re-editing/tweaking my review. not like my voice is important, just updating it...

 

[glenferry23]

Darth Vader killing the Emperor was as much if not more about saving Luke than it was about the Emperor no longer being alive.

I maintain that JJ wanted a story arc where Rey redeems Ben, and needed a big bad dark side guy to achieve that. Since RJ had killed Snoke, bringing back Palpatine allowed him to achieve what he wanted to achieve for Rey and Ben without needing half a movie to explain who the new big bad guy is.

I do agree with this. Killing Snoke off in TLJ was a mistake as was killing Luke.

Which at least was partially due to unforeseen circumstances with Carrie Fisher passing away.

She was likely going to have a much larger role in 9 but knowing what we know now, replace the Holdo scene with Leia in TLK and have Luke survive to carry forward to TROS. Completely changes the dynamics.

Flicking Snoke aside in TLJ was another poor decision. There was really no other viable option but to rush and cram Palpatine back. Really, it should never have to come this.

 

[StFly]

It is entirely jarring, because as you watch it you can see that there are small nuggets where a competent person can actually make a movie, there's enough in very small doses where people bounce off each other, exposition is had and you can actually progress and humanise a film.

But they spend it chasing maguffin after maguffin, after maguffin trying to endear tropes, then spend a third of the film pandering to masses and checking off a friggen list of what people have bitched about for 30 years as "yep, include this as well" such as Chewie getting his medal in the end because woe is that he didn't in ROTJ amirite?

You literally open with the titular character going through steps to show that there's work and she's not just an overpowered hack, as it's well versed in commentary that she's a Mary Sue to try and allow people to care what she does and why she exists outside of to break something, such as force pulling a starship leading to arced lightning because, force farting? But who cares we need chase scenes up in here.

As poor as the PT was, there's a narrative that adds to the OT, as poor as moments are in the OT the narrative flows from the pT and lead into the ST with R1 into the beginning of TFA, the universe works, the people exist and actions undertaken matter within because there's ultimately a payoff that people you focused on, such as Obi Wan, Luke, Vader, Palp all had development where you as the audience cared what happened to them and why they did what they did. This film you largely pissed tonally on the second one, maybe cared for one person in Poe as a human and the rest is just mired in shit where nothing matters and everything burns or breaks.

I'm not saying don't like it, or sections of, I'm saying as a trilogy, this does not need to exist, and that it does is lesser for the overall universe, this film particularly I abjectly refuse as pandering nonsense that goes nowhere.

Also, the dead speak!

If they did, they probably call it a poor script leading to nothing meaningful as well.

The Emperor: I was surprised (I don't do trailers or interviews or even look at posters before watching - I went in knowing zero) at his reappearance. But immediately it felt right. Once Johnson killed Smoke what was Abrams to do? Introduce another big bad guy? Imagine having to try to fit that in! And the visuals were STUNNING. His character design and lighting were absolutely phenomenal.

Which is literally what JJ did, hence the explanation of snoke in tubes and verbose exposition to Kylo.

Arguably stronger choice is not redeeming Kylo, arcing him to take that throne, if you have to use Palp it's "old v new" where instead of him going "I'm going to kill you now, ok I won't, instead I'll leave" in quick succession, you have conflict resolution to re-establish leadership values of the opposition to "resistance/ republic" where the ménages à trois go hunting for answers to in world problems. Instead you went redemption arc making Palps entry as exposition (I've spent 30 years to build this fleet whilst you pissed yours away in 2 weeks, I am mighty) to core bad guy (if Rey = Mary, then, everything = lightning) and quick attempt to humanise people as Kylo now Ben almost yep nope dies and Rey usurps everything to yep nope in final confrontation because please like her and rise Palpatalker.

Palp is literally just a big bad exposition guy in this movie to "explain" things such as Snokes existence as if the republic / resistance ever stumbled on clone armies, gained an interest or never used bacta to regrow limbs on a humans as "only sith know cloning".

 

[SM]

It is entirely jarring, because as you watch it you can see that there are small nuggets where a competent person can actually make a movie, there's enough in very small doses where people bounce off each other, exposition is had and you can actually progress and humanise a film.

But they spend it chasing maguffin after maguffin, after maguffin trying to endear tropes, then spend a third of the film pandering to masses and checking off a friggen list of what people have bitched about for 30 years as "yep, include this as well" such as Chewie getting his medal in the end because woe is that he didn't in ROTJ amirite?

You literally open with the titular character going through steps to show that there's work and she's not just an overpowered hack, as it's well versed in commentary that she's a Mary Sue to try and allow people to care what she does and why she exists outside of to break something, such as force pulling a starship leading to arced lightning because, force farting? But who cares we need chase scenes up in here.

As poor as the PT was, there's a narrative that adds to the OT, as poor as moments are in the OT the narrative flows from the pT and lead into the ST with R1 into the beginning of TFA, the universe works, the people exist and actions undertaken matter within because there's ultimately a payoff that people you focused on, such as Obi Wan, Luke, Vader, Palp all had development where you as the audience cared what happened to them and why they did what they did. This film you largely pissed tonally on the second one, maybe cared for one person in Poe as a human and the rest is just mired in shit where nothing matters and everything burns or breaks.

I'm not saying don't like it, or sections of, I'm saying as a trilogy, this does not need to exist, and that it does is lesser for the overall universe, this film particularly I abjectly refuse as pandering nonsense that goes nowhere.

Also, the dead speak!

If they did, they probably call it a poor script leading to nothing meaningful as well.



Which is literally what JJ did, hence the explanation of snoke in tubes and verbose exposition to Kylo.

Arguably stronger choice is not redeeming Kylo, arcing him to take that throne, if you have to use Palp it's "old v new" where instead of him going "I'm going to kill you now, ok I won't, instead I'll leave" in quick succession, you have conflict resolution to re-establish leadership values of the opposition to "resistance/ republic" where the ménages à trois go hunting for answers to in world problems. Instead you went redemption arc making Palps entry as exposition (I've spent 30 years to build this fleet whilst you pissed yours away in 2 weeks, I am mighty) to core bad guy (if Rey = Mary, then, everything = lightning) and quick attempt to humanise people as Kylo now Ben almost yep nope dies and Rey usurps everything to yep nope in final confrontation because please like her and rise Palpatalker.

Palp is literally just a big bad exposition guy in this movie to "explain" things such as Snokes existence as if the republic / resistance ever stumbled on clone armies, gained an interest or never used bacta to regrow limbs on a humans as "only sith know cloning".

Your comments are really hard to understand lol.

 

[Punchy Bassett]

Yeah that's me done with Star Wars films now, I'll just enjoy the OT and Rogue One, Mandalorian has been ok, but yeah not bothering with any new films now.

 

[Ghost Patrol]

Also, the dead speak!

If they did, they probably call it a poor script leading to nothing meaningful as well.

Obi Wan likes this

 

[StFly]

Your comments are really hard to understand lol.

Hrmm, horrible bad script shot really really well easy to understand?

I dunno, as I said, this movie just made me mad with eveyone involved with it.

 

[King Elvis]

Sorry for the length of this, but heres my soon-to-be official IMDB review....

------------

A MIXED BAG

JJ Abrams' The Rise Of Skywalker is a cross between the 2004 motion picture National Treasure and the long-standing TV soap opera Days Of Our Lives.

As with all of Abrams' work, the visuals (cinematography, shot compositions, framing, etc) are absolutely exquisite. The affect here is that TROS is grand and expansive, very reminiscent of George Lucas' OT and PT in that regard. Unlike Rian Johnson's The Last Jedi, which was largely claustrophobic, sparse and full of tight shots, awkward angles and close-ups.

TLJ was a very jarring cinematic experience in that regard from the opening. It really didn't feel like a Star Wars movie. Instead, TROS really pleases aurally and visually from the get-go. You really dig into your theater chair..."Welcome back, Star Wars!" you proclaim to yourself.

As the plot unfolds in the opening Act, everyone in the theater is riveted (again unlike my theater experience with TLJ -- where everyone was taken aback, uncertain what they were watching, quizzical looks between people, even groans and facepalms).

Firstly, I have to say that one should NEVER let the reviews of renowned critics, Youtube channels, and random anonymous viewers taint one's expectations going into a movie. They can be helpful AFTER you've seen a movie, but ignore them beforehand.

So, TROS grips you by the balls and short hairs from the opening scene. The plot of the first Act is very engaging and easy to follow (unlike what has been said). It is not full of bad exposition (unlike what has been said).

This first Act has a very National Treasure feel to it. The ride, the acting, the lines, the humor, the banter. I quite liked National Treasure; a rollicking little adventure in the vein of greater adventures. Especially enjoyable is finally having our three main ST characters (Rey, Finn and Poe) interacting heavily with each other.

Ever so gradually, however, TROS starts undoing itself into the second Act, before finally falling off a cliff into ludiscrousness and boredom. As also evidenced by looking around the theater at other people and seeing their reactions and demeanor. Validating one's own experience.

The movie started falling apart at the tail-end of the scenes on Pasaana. Tho it was a nice little moment, when Rey and Kylo both tug at a transport ship with the force, it just felt a bit too much. As the movie went on, the Force powers exhibited by Sidious, Kylo and Rey just went overboard. Disney SW has become too Marvel / Super-hero-ish with the Force powers. One loses connect with the humanity of the characters when such extreme abilities are displayed with apparent ease. It diminishes the Force into something farcical, rolling one's eyes. I do not like super-hero movies for this reason. Those big blockbusters all trying to raise the bar on powers, big CGI special effects, and action scenes. TROS falls into this trap unfortunately as the movie progresses.

Even when the movie falls apart, there ARE still a number of fantastic moments thruout. It's just the film overall starts falling and falling in one's esteem of it.

What started out with a big internal fist-pump that Star Wars is back, with grand visuals/sounds and an engaging adventure, eventually sours the longer it goes on...and it goes on and on. Far too long, losing its way. The Days Of Our Lives aspect of TROS was the amount of inane little dramas going on, very soap, and ultimately the over-cooked Reylo dynamic.

TROS then is a mixed bag. There are a number of nice little moments littered within big boring/unlikeable slabs of the movie, and a number of unlikeable moments littered within big enjoyable slabs of the movie.

Due to this mixed bag nature, TROS leaves a more critical SW fan feeling letdown in the end....enjoyable in parts here and there, unlikeable in parts here and there, and looking back seeing where the film could've been made better if this or that was tweaked/deleted or added. If only. Not at all a satisfactory conclusion to the Skywalker saga.

Casual movie fans and general fans of super-hero/action/fantasy movies will still enjoy this movie tho. It wasn't terrible at all from that perspective, and no overt agendas going on. But SW fans who love continuity, lore, and such, will definitely find a lot in this movie to pick apart and criticize, rightly so too.

Before I delve into that...I must commend the actors themselves -- Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, and Adam Driver. Not just in this movie, but the entire ST. They really gave their all, and from movie to movie in the trilogy, they all had their moments when they shone bright, when they did well with poor writing or minimal character arcs.

Even tho Rey is a detestable character, there's no denying that Daisy Ridley was wonderful in the ST. So much heart shown, so much emotion, ability, athletic skill, and hard work. She has proven herself highly believable as an action hero actor, now and for future projects. One of the best recent cinematic examples of a strong female action/actor, despite how on the nose the character of Rey is.

In TROS, Finn and Poe have a much better script and arc for themselves, and some justice has been given to Finn to allow Boyega to show more than what he was given, especially in TLJ.

Where TROS upsets lore lovers is what has been done to the saga itself due to the messy lack of planning in the ST as a whole. How the continuity breaks between what TFA sets up, what TLJ subverts, and what TROS then re-subverts and pushes toward.

The PT and OT really don't connect well at all with the ST, now that it has concluded. The story of the First Order being a remnant of the old Empire, last pieces of it still out there...was a great idea that just wasn't developed well. It was rehashed as the Empire itself, beat for beat with the OT.

There was a far more interesting story that could've been told in the ST. Perhaps the ruling New Republic hunting down the old Empirical remnants, flipping the sides around, where the First Order slowly rebuilds by Ep8 (almost cast like the Rebels of the OT) and challenges the status quo, a new dark lord (Snoke) emerging having seen the errors of the old Empire, the Republic breaking bad, etc.

The story of a defecting Stroomtrooper was another great idea that was sadly neglected. Finn should really have been the central character of Ep7, how he didn't just start yee-haa'ing as he killed his former trooper buddies etc, but where he struggles with life as a free man, and then he runs into Rey, and a great friendship is formed where they lean on each other, both learning to adjust due to their curcumstances. Much adversity. Instead of the shitty story-arc we got in TFA-TLJ-TROS and the arcs for the characters therein.

Specifically, the PT-OT was really about Anakin and Luke/Leia to a lesser extent. The ST concludes now in TROS where Anakin was conspicuous in absence. Disgraceful that his redemption was nullified and then not at all leaned on thru the ST, especially interacting as a Force Ghost with his grandson.

The mere fact that JJ Abrams resorted to bringing back the Emporer was a disgraceful decision, especially as he was brought back solely for Rey to defeat him easily and appropriate the entire Skywalker legacy. A Palpatine taking the family name, taking ownership of the Lars homestead, taking ownership of their lightsabers, the Falcon too, and everything else.

In terms of lore, continuity, TROS leaves a bad taste in one's mouth. Not at all satisfied with the conclusion of the saga. What was resorted to in TROS. Further, how SW continues to diminish itself by never letting people just die.

I could ease up on the very ending of TROS only if a future saga trilogy revolved around Rey Palpatine turning dark, becoming a Darth, having killed Sidious and thus every Sith who ever lived existing in him transfering to her. She trains a young apprentice and grips the galaxy with her powers. Where Baby Yoda matures into a strong adolescent Jedi with his own padawan, and a new war begins as the political climate falls apart with rogue states, warlords, and a collapse of democracy/direction.

Anyway...to wrap this up...just some other things of note. The lightsaber duel on the teaming ocean of Endor was fantastic. One of the best lightsaber fights across all three trilogies. There were a lot of great moments. But the film just really fell apart with ludicrous powers, very weak logic, stupid amounts of ships in space, stupid amounts of planet-destroying weaponry, stupid space horsies, weak tactical aerial battles, etc.

It got bogged down in the final half of the film with convoluted and cheap happenings. It really felt rushed, messy, weak, poorly edited, and stupidly written. A montage of incidents all slapped together, lacking cohesiveness, lacking tension and real danger.

Even the musical score had the same journey. It was enjoyable thru the first half, and then felt misplaced and just off during the second half of the movie. Often mixed far too loudly for the scene transpiring. Often swelling dramatically when the scene called for a more subtle score, etc.

I and everyone in the theater were ultimately bored and scratching foreheads at the ludicrousness of things, the movie dragged on, it stopped captivating us at some uncertain stage. From the opening, thru Pasaana, thru Kijimi, it was fantastic, and riveting, there WAS a sense of danger, humanity, adversity, adventure, realness, grit, tension. But then it gradually fell apart before completely falling off a cliff.

GG Rating: 3/10

(based on a yes/no for each of the ten categories below)

cinematography - story/synopsis - editing - acting - script - directing - music/sound - fx - originality - je ne sais quoi

tl;dr

 

[Mootsy]

He is definitely a clone in this.. That's not even a question.

“I’m the voice inside your head”. Kylo as he walks in, is when I thought Palp might have been a clone. I wonder how much of Snoke and Palp was real or imagined.

 

[SM]

“I’m the voice inside your head”. Kylo as he walks in, is when I thought Palp might have been a clone. I wonder how much of Snoke and Palp was real or imagined.

That was a reference to Vader I'm fairly sure.

Snoke is pretty real considering all the other people who interact with him lol.

 

[Mootsy]

That was a reference to Vader I'm fairly sure.

Snoke is pretty real considering all the other people who interact with him lol.

I guess so, but I think emperor could be.

 

[SM]

I guess so, but I think emperor could be.

The Emperor could be what?

 

[Mootsy]

The Emperor could be what?

something

 

[atlas1]