My
thoughts on this film are going to be spread out in multiple short posts, like
the last one on Lando. This is partially
because my life is insane. But, more
accurately, it is because it’s difficult to figure out what I think about this
film.
The
best comparison I can come up with has to do with comic books, because it is
me.
I
have read a lot...
And
I mean A LOT…
Of
comic book series.
My
luck at finding them right when they get cancelled is stellar. Therefore I have seen the end of a great many
comic book series.
They
fall into three categories.
1) No one knows the cancellation is coming and
it ends abruptly with a bunch of storylines left hanging.
2) The run is a set length and the writer brings
all his threads to a close after telling the tales desired.
3) The run is cancelled before the writer
finishes telling all the tales, but with several months’ notice to tie things
up well enough for a satisfyingly good finish.
Star Wars: The Rise
of Skywalker felt
like the third case. I get the
impression that the original idea was to use this trilogy as a springboard to a
bunch of new adventures, and audience reactions to Last Jedi, and Solo led
to a mid-stream decision to make this a definitive ending to the Skywalker Saga.
As
such, it does work remarkably well.
It
just feels like a bunch of directional suggestions weren’t followed in order to
reach that satisfying conclusion.
I
don’t think it’s much of a spoiler to state that Luke’s force ghost is in the
film. Mark Hamill has been on the cast
list since before the name was announced, and showing up all blue and glowing after
and impressive death scene is what Jedi do.
The
surprising part was having Ghost Luke of Episode Nine contradict much of what Cranky
Old Man Luke said in Episode Eight about his personal beliefs of the importance
of the Jedi order.
Per
dead Jedi standard operating procedure, he shows up when his former pupil is at
her lowest point. He then displays more
wisdom and tells her more truths than he did when he was alive.
The
same happened with Obi-Wan to Luke, and I’m sure being dead does give one a
much clearer perspective of the universe.
One
of the key reversals is the ghost telling Rey the continuation for the Jedi is
important, exemplified by catching the lightsaber as Rey tries to discard it
and chastising her for being careless with a Jedi’s weapon. This was after he flipped it behind him in
the opening of The Last Jedi. I
found this seemingly flying in the face contradiction of a scene in the
previous film confusing.
Because
casually tossing aside his lightsaber was THE DEFINING MOMENT in Return of the Jedi that demonstrated Luke will not turn to the dark side like Vader but is a true Jedi, “Like my
father before me.”
What’s
even weirder is choosing compassion over violence is the exact same path Rey
ends up taking that gains her a key ally in her final fight that she could not
have succeeded without. Yet, they have a
scene where she decides to heal a giant sandworm monster instead of fighting it
before re-meeting Luke to show she learned that, rather than tying it to Luke
tossing aside his weapon instead of wielding it.
However,
because of that sandworm scene, it works anyway, and she learns other valuable
lessons from Luke that lead the story to a proper conclusion.
Not
to mention, watching Luke finally lift the old “Red Five” X-wing out of the
water using the force with a big goofy grin on his face as the farewell action
to a character I’ve followed for four decades was yet another of myriad manly
tears moments.
Thoughts
on his sister’s farewell next time.
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