Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (#1)
Star Wars. A cultural phenomenon stretching across generations of families and friends. Everyone has a moment their journey into a galaxy far far away began. Maybe you were in the theater on opening night in 1977 awaiting the newest story to come from American Graffiti director George Lucas. Perhaps you were a child snuggled up with your parents at home watching a young Anakin Skywalker race across Tatooine to help his friends return to Naboo. Or, for those of you more recently welcomed into the larger world that is Star Wars, you sat with friends and families as you watched Anakin Skywalker’s lightsaber, a saber passed down through generations, fly past Kylo Ren and into the hand of Rey, a nobody from Jakku. Every fan had their moment they realized this world was for them. With the release of The Rise of Skywalker, that story and characters that not only taught us how to overcome the darkness around us, but the darkness and fears within ourselves, draws to an emotional close. But with that closing, the door is opened for new generations of fans to travel to the sands of Tatooine or Jakku, and begin their own Star Wars Journey.
Originally I was going to try to write a review for this film that was entirely spoiler-free, but for the first time in my life I found myself at a lost for how to do that. Usually I would follow a specific format for this, but for me to properly convey my feelings I felt I needed to speak about so many different things at length. If I didn’t I would being a disservice to anyone interested in my overall opinion as a hardcore fan. So, I apologize in advance to those who prefer my usual shorter format, but Star Wars has been a part of my life for many year, and as a result I can’t help but dive into the deeper meanings and themes of this story. This will be part one of a multiple part series, discussing a multitude of different topics from this absolutely loaded film. As of writing this piece, I’ve seen The Rise of Skywalker twice, and after one viewing I found myself unsure of how I truly felt about it, but, upon a second viewing with a clear mind unhampered by that of outside critics and fan divisiveness, I found that my enjoyment of the film as a whole truly skyrocketed.
Speaking of critics, if you’ve been following the release narrative for this film, it’s no secret that the reception has been lukewarm at best, with a majority of fans being the ones to show their support for the film (in stark contrast to that of Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi). While I’m known to be a lover of everything Star Wars, I will state from the start that while I be more positive than most about this film, it is most certainly not the best Star Wars film ever made, but it is no where near the worst as it has been portrayed by critics. And also, regardless of what my feelings are about this culmination of the main Skywalker saga, your feelings and journey are valid and true no matter what any critic or person says. Disappointment or joy, the emotion that these films draw from us is what matters. As fans of this franchise we simply want what we think is best, and as a result that could be different per the person. Just because we have different hopes and expectations doesn’t mean any one person’s is more important than other. With that said, let’s dive in.
The Rise of Skywalker, the closing chapter of the sequel trilogy, and the end of an era of filmmaking. Our story begins nearly a year after the events of The Last Jedi, The all-powerful emperor has seemingly returned from the dead with a threat of annihilation aimed towards anyone who opposes him. All parties involved in the present conflict, The First Order and the remaining Resistance, begin to seek out a means to reach the Emperor, with Kylo Ren taking up the search personally. Meanwhile, Rey, Finn, and Poe set out on a journey to discover a forgotten relic from a bygone era that could lead them to Palpatine.
“They’re just… people!”
The first of many themes and topics I want to talk about is the idea of everyday people becoming heroes. Not only is it found in these films, but it plays a role in every Star Wars movie to release as of this point. Sure, at times it took a backseat to prophecies and chosen ones, but it always was there in some way shape or form. The Last Jedi shined a direct spotlight on this theme with Rey being outed as a nobody who came from no one. While that may not be true in the larger context that is The Rise of Skywalker, at the time it was incredible for fans across the globe to finally have a heroine they identified with. I think of what Poe said during the final act of the film “Good people will fight if we lead them." The Resistance has been an embodiment of this core belief since the very beginning of this trilogy, and the Rebel Alliance before that. They’re people from all different corners of the galaxy, who came together for one common purpose: bringing peace.
Another specific example of this theme is Finn and the other stormtroopers discovered in Rise that rebelled against their internal program (by the will of the force, as Finn suggests). Up until now, it seemed Finn’s destiny was simply to play second fiddle when compared to Poe and Rey as leaders and warriors of the Resistance, often opting to save his own skin rather than work as a leader. But, when the core trio discovers a platoon of fighters who jumped ship from the First Order as he did, he finally has a true purpose. They’re people of his own kind, people who he can teach how to become their own men and women. Finn’s arc has been all about repaying the cost of his actions of fear trying to avoid his destiny, and with these comrades he has the opportunity to do that. In addition, seeing him attempt to repay all of his mistakes through his near sacrifice on Exegol was a powerful crescendo for a character who hit his highest moments at the beginning and end of this trilogy.
I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention his slowly revealed force sensitivity and how it relates to this theme. A perfect representation of the idea began in The Last Jedi, Finn is truly a nobody who came from terrible beginnings, but has the potential to do great things. Even though this is incredibly important for Finn as a character, it feels like this was more done for it’s larger implications on the Star Wars universe. Hinted at by Rian Johnson at the end of his film, the galaxy is filled with people capable of incredible things, they just need that one push to really put them into motion.
And finally, one of the biggest representations of this theme is in the final act. When all looks lost for the remnant of the Resistance on Exegol, a massive fleet comes out of hyper space, led by Lando and Chewie in the Millennium Falcon. As the Final Order looks on, astounded by the numbers in front of them, Allegiant General Pryde exclaims where this fleet came from, and the other responds: “They’re just… people.” It’s a powerful sentiment that has been reflected in so many different ways through not just The Rise of Skywalker, but the entirety of the sequel trilogy, making these movies all the better for it.
What’s Next?
As I mentioned at the start of this piece, I had originally intended for this to be one long piece, but instead I opted to separate it out so that if people had one specific thing they wanted to work through they were able to do that. I’m unsure of what Part 2 will discuss, as I’m still working through the organization of everything I want to talk about, so it may at times feel a bit out of order. So, I apologize for the lack of clarity, but this is a series that could be viewed in any true order. Check back soon to see the second part, a review of Princess Mononoke, and potentially discussions of The Witcher, The Mandalorian, and Watchmen! May the force be with you!
