Two years ago, I thought episode 9 was doomed after the mind-boggling structural flaws in The Last Jedi. Episode 9 had to overcome the absence of an actual villain, the mischaracterization and death of Luke Skywalker, the sad loss of Carrie Fisher, the Mary Sue factor for Rey, and the new reality of “hyperspace ramming,” which made space battles obsolete. In addition to a major course correction, The Rise of Skywalker also had to conclude the new trilogy that started in 2015 and the entire Star Wars saga that began in 1977. And to that end, the movie somehow found a path through the asteroid field. While The Rise of Skywalker has its flaws—and there are many—the movie mostly succeeds in concluding the saga while restoring the Star Wars Universe. The film was likable, funny, light-hearted, dark, emotional, and most importantly of all, it felt like Star Wars. Some fans won’t like The Rise of Skywalker, but the real damage was done in The Last Jedi. I think time and history will bear that out.

Now I confess, I’m among the powerful fan corps that did not like The Last Jedi. While I never once felt the need to ridicule someone who held a different opinion, I stand strongly behind the position that Rian Johnson made significant mistakes in episode 8. In addition, I followed the news and leaks leading up to the release of The Rise of Skywalker, and they weren’t good. So, when I sat down to watch episode 9 on Thursday, I fully expected to be disappointed.  And for an opening night Star Wars crowd, the mood was uncharacteristically quiet. When the lights dimmed, when the opening logos and titles appeared, no one bothered to cheer.

“Let’s get this over with” seemed to be the sentiment.

A boring opening scroll wasn’t a promising start. The film wasted time trying to explain Snoke while simultaneously establishing a new villain for the heroine to confront. Then the next fifteen minutes included scenes edited and spliced together in such a rushed way that I shook my head. Not good.

But the film eventually settled down and at some point, I’m not sure when, I started to enjoy The Rise of Skywalker. The mood in the theater shifted too. Clapping and fist-pumps trickled in. I began to wonder…was an epic comeback possible? Last I checked, the home team was getting blown out but the deficit was steadily shrinking. Slowly, surely, you sensed the comeback happening. Like a rainy, muddy football game, the comeback included missed opportunities, setbacks, and a fumble or two. But late in the saga, with the game on the line, J.J. Abrams and company plunged exhaustedly into the endzone as time expired. That’s what you have with The Rise of Skywalker. A sloppy mess of a game where the home team won.

All that said, The Rise of Skywalker isn’t a complete success. The movie has many undeniable flaws, most of which are outgrowths of The Last Jedi. I’ll share what I think worked and didn’t work briefly below. WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD!

 

Top 5 Flaws

 

The Guise of Skywalker

Perhaps the greatest problem I had with the Rise of Skywalker is the misleading title. By killing Luke, the final film didn’t have any living Skywalkers, an odd problem for the so-called Skywalker saga. Rey simply taking the name ‘Skywalker’ felt okay at the end but falls far short of the bold promise the title implied.

 

The Palpatine Saga

Since Rey is Palpatine’s granddaughter, then the final showdown of the Star Wars saga is actually between two Palpatines. Now we know that Vader never killed the emperor. So….the Chosen One, Anakin Skywalker, turning back to the good side doesn’t mean as much since the triumph of Return of the Jedi has no lasting impact. There never really was a return of the Jedi in this saga but instead the opposite, a return of the sith.

 

The Last Jedi

The Rise of Skywalker wastes far too much time fixing the very real errors left behind in The Last Jedi. J.J. Abrams addressed nearly every plot error to save the franchise, but he sacrificed a lot of the movie to achieve the feat. A lack of planning by LucasFilm put two directors with incompatible visions on a collision course for this trilogy, and we all paid the price.

 

Meh Space Battle

The final battle was much weaker in The Rise of Skywalker than in previous films. The space battle was mostly skipped in favor of Rey’s showdown with Palpatine. I also thought that Rey defeated the emperor a little too easily. While watching the movie trailer for The Rise of Skywalker, I cringed when I saw a bizarre cavalry charge along the hull of a star destroyer. And yikes. Seeing that charge in the film did nothing to justify such a ridiculous action sequence.

 

Missed Opportunities

Lastly, and you may not know this, but The Rise of Skywalker was supposed to feature the Force ghosts of Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jinn, Yoda, Ahsoka Tano, Luminara Unduli, and Mace Windu during the climax. They shot the footage but it was all cut out of the film at the last second. Focusing solely on Rey at the expense of all the other characters seems like a mistake to me. The Rise of Skywalker isn’t just closing out one trilogy, but three.

 

 

Top 5 Things I Liked

 

Luke Skywalker

Luke Skywalker’s portrayal in The Last Jedi was a total mischaracterization. Actor Mark Hamill was very vocal in expressing his protest of Luke’s role in the new trilogy and we should deem the actor as a credible opinion of Luke’s character. The Rise of Skywalker restored Luke, even if they only gave him minimal screen time. I enjoyed a brief passing of true Jedi knowledge onto Rey. Luke sounded more like a Jedi Master and provided a more meaningful presence in the movie.

 

Likable Characters

Episode 9 puts camaraderie and friendship front and center and it pays dividends Finn, Poe, Rey, Kylo, Lando, C-3PO, and Luke are infinitely more likable in The Rise of Skywalker. When audiences care about the characters, stories live on. Finn, who had been reduced to a sidekick of Rose Tico in The Last Jedi, had a much better role. Poe also provided some light-hearted humor that The Rise of Skywalker needed. All the characters received a significant upgrade here.

 

Last Dance with Mary Sue

I’m a student of great heroines in fiction and film. I’ve been critical of Rey because she seems to win battles without any practice. In fact, Google Trends shows a massive spike in the use of the term “Mary Sue” with the release dates of Star Wars films and trailers. Rey has become synonymous with the term. However, The Rise of Skywalker is Rey’s best film, in my opinion. She finally loses to Kylo Ren in a lightsaber battle and overcomes a powerful system of deception aimed at hiding her identity. I dare say that I felt for Rey in The Rise of Skywalker. While I have criticism for Rey’s overall arc in this trilogy, in the end, I think she takes a rightful place in the Pantheon of heroines.

 

Reylo

I haven’t been a fan of the whole “Reylo” thing. However, I unexpectedly found myself enjoying the strange conflict between Rey and Kylo in this film. The writers had a better understanding of the relationship between Rey and Kylo and so, the scenes felt more genuine, more purposeful, and as a result, the film delivers more of an impact. We learn the source of Reylo as a true “dyad” of the Force. So, when Rey and Kylo finally join forces at the end, I enjoyed it. I liked seeing Kylo fight his way to Rey’s side. While flawed and confusing in previous films, Reylo mostly worked in the final installment.

 

The Soundtrack

John Williams comes through again with a sweeping score for Star Wars, and this time we know it’s his last. I’ve already bought the soundtrack and can’t wait to get to know the tracks by heart. I want to say “thank you” to John Williams, who in my opinion, is the true Chosen One of the Star Wars franchise, composing incredible and iconic music from 1977 to 2019.

 

Conclusion

While The Rise of Skywalker repairs the damage, the future may still not be bright for Star Wars. The media and corporate elites blamed and attacked Star Wars fans after The Last Jedi. The fans felt betrayed. It’s like catching your partner cheating on you (The Last Jedi) but who later apologizes (The Rise of Skywalker). The relationship still takes a serious hit. LucasFilm broke the trust of loyal fans around the world who made Star Wars one of the most profitable franchises in world history. That special bond may never be the same again.