STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER

As I said in a previous review, Disney has succeeded where George Lucas failed when he made the prequels- they made Star Wars fun again, as well as relevant. But there’s no pleasing everybody. Remember when some “fans” disliked The Force Awakens? It was because it was “too similar” to A New Hope. And remember when those same “fans” disliked The Last Jedi, because it was too different from Empire Strikes Back? Now those same people are mad AGAIN, because Rise Of Skywalker is too much like Return Of The Jedi! OMG, it’s almost like the movies themselves are not what they dislike, but rather, they have an axe to grind with diversity, perceived political bias (as if George Lucas, noted progressive liberal, didn’t use the prequels to rail against George W. Bush, the Iraq War, and the fascistic leanings of W’s administration), or the fact that the main hero is a female. Make no mistake, Rise Of Skywalker is a blast. Is it perfect? No. Is any Star Wars film perfect? Nope- with the possible exception of Empire- but they are fun. The only expectation I have when seeing a SW film is to be entertained, and ROS delivered. As an aside, let me just say, if you are one of those “fans” who finds himself enraged at these new films, tweeting nasty things at the cast and raging on social media about how your favorite pet fan theory wasn’t addressed, or because there are too many women and people of color in the new films, or that Rey doesn’t smile enough, or that the prequels are, in fact, great movies and the new ones are awful, then I have news for you. Are you ready?
You don’t like Star Wars. You’re stuck on films from 40 years ago, and you can’t accept that times have changed. Maybe you prefer a time when your movie heroes all looked like you. Maybe you like the old films because of the nostalgia they fill you with for a time that seems simpler in your memory than it really was. Someone once said, “Let the past die- kill it, if you have to.” Wise words, whatever the source. Maybe you dislike how Disney recycles plot points from the previous films and you just prefer the daring and original ideas behind Star Wars legends books, where they cloned Palpatine and Luke became a Sith Lord until he was redeemed by his son, Ben Skywalker. Oh wait- Star Wars has been recycling plots for decades, almost as if it was inspired by the cyclical myths explained by Joseph Campbell in his book, “The Hero’s Journey.” At any rate, you are now free to move on to another piece of intellectual property to “love”. How about Star Trek? It’s not like Star Trek embraces gender and ethnic diversity while championing a utopian future where everyone is valued equally... oh, wait. Guess you’re outta luck. Anyway, to everyone else- Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker is a lot of fun, and a fitting conclusion to the new trilogy and the Skywalker Saga as a whole. I can’t wait to see what in store for the next movie! CLICK TO START GAME JOURNEY