Tropic Sprockets / Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

By Ian Brockway

Nothing beats the sound of the iconic music from John Williams or the words “A long time ago from a galaxy far, far away…” Yet again, I admit that when I heard the echoing notes from the theme accompanied by the roaring whine of a tie-fighter, my heart raced. I am speaking of the latest chapter of Star Wars, titled “The Rise of Skywalker” directed by J.J. Abrams (The Force Awakens).

Right from the get go, we are plunged in a family drama where the second episode left us. Rey (Daisy Ridley) is in a kind of existential crisis and dark prince Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) is occupied with bringing back the energy of his grandfather Darth Vader, but is in actuality, only out for himself.

The galaxy is receiving a strange signal believed to be from the dead Sith lord Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid). The light and dark sides are all in a tizzy and Rey wants to go to the Sith hotbed of Exegol, to make sure nothing really dark happens before it is too late.

General Leia (Carrie Fisher) warns of something like the Apocalypse if Rey proceeds. All the cues are in place and the tone is apprehensive.

So begins what is the finale of the Star Wars “Skywalker” saga. 

We have some solid opening dogfights reminiscent of Lucas himself. 

Cocky Poe (Oscar Isaac) recalling Han Solo is here along with Finn (John Boyega). Ridley has good dramatic force and you can see it in her face.

The main energy of the film (once more) goes to Adam Driver and his dour looks, embodying both something spoiled and in torment. Driver is the soul of the film.

On the light side of the force, there are numerous subplots. The resistance goes to an alien Puja festival and Poe falls for the mercenary Zorri Bliss (Kerri Russell). It feels as if the light side is running around a bit, while the dark side deals with the heavy drama. In the preceding episode there were pushes and pulls on both sides which gave the story appeal. Too much time is spent with the Jedi gang running here and there, worrying about C-3PO’s memory banks. We see Lando (Billy Dee Williams) once more but he feels like a flat cameo image rather than a living character. 

But just when you think all is lost dramatically, Kylo Ren is on the scene to give the film a shot in the armor. He lays a heavy guilt trip on Rey.

Like Dracula, Ren can materialize from anywhere and there is a spooky yet somewhat reckless air of mystery about him. He is fun to watch.

There are some wondrous light saber scenes, with Ren fighting as if he is carrying a great lumbering weight and he makes you feel it. The anvil of Evil is a heavy load. When they are both out at sea, there is something of Edmund Burke’s Theory of the Sublime. The duels are the best portions of the film.

Palpatine for all his darkness is less exciting. Here he seems a manikin more than anything genuinely scary. All becomes bolts of lightning and milked-over cataracts of the eye.

Three-fourths of the way through there is a grand ship battle with everyone yelling “Whoo Hoo” derivative exclamations from other films, multiple explosions and “Ahhhs!!”

While it is good to see an ethereal Luke (Mark Hamill) give wise advice and even more satisfying to hear Han (Harrison Ford) say “Hey Kid!” in comforting his lost offspring, the real emotion belongs solely to Driver who has an aura of scary happenstance about him. His last moments contain a flavor of Romeo and Juliet. 

As a thoroughly gripping finale, however, (though it will please audiences) “The Rise of Skywalker” feels a bit on autopilot, rushed and lacking in surprise. While I am still a Jedi, I feel a bit slighted by Abrams conventional Force powers in this, the apparent final chapter.

Write Ian at [email protected]

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