Abrams is back in command, but is that all there is?
Let me say up front that what you are reading will be a completely spoiler-free review of the new, ninth and final Star Wars movie, The Rise of Skywalker. So read on without fear. I want to be careful about revealing any of the film’s surprises, since, if you’re a fan of the franchise — especially a Gen X’er one like me — you’ve waited a long time for this finale, and you deserve to watch it fresh. Instead, I’m going to talk about feeling, because feeling is big in this film.
There is the feeling the film is trying to convey, and the feeling you’ll have while watching it, and they don’t necessarily align. Director J.J. Abrams (returning from helming 2015’s far better The Force Awakens) wants us to feel excitement, delight, and a sense of closure, but, instead, I was left feeling disappointed, and vaguely relieved that the whole saga is finally over. The problem here is that there is no new story left to tell. What Abrams and screenwriters Derek Connolly, Chris Terrio, and Colin Trevorrow have given us is a retread and a retelling of a narrative that’s been told far too many times. Abrams seems to be assuming that fans’ nostalgia and goodwill will make up for his picture’s lack of originality and overly long, kitchen-sink plotting, but that’s an assumption that borders on insulting his audience’s intelligence.
Take the plot, for instance. The evil First Order is once again rising; stalwart villain Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) is rumored to be back on the scene (because creating a new, unique nemesis is too much to ask, apparently). The scrappy resistance must work together to take down Palpatine and restore peace and balance to the galaxy. To find Palpatine, our plucky heroes — the returning characters Rey (Daisy Ridley), Poe (Oscar Isaac), Finn (John Boyega), Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo), and C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) — must band together to find what’s basically an intergalactic GPS that will guide them to Palpatine’s secret Sith planet. And that’s pretty much the extent of the story. It’s good versus evil, take 1,000.
Along the way, of course, there are side stories and adventures that clog up the busy screenplay. Jedi-in-training Rey continues her quest to learn her lineage, and her clash with Dark Side devotee Kylo Ren (Adam Driver, appearing more embarrassed here than in The Last Jedi) again echoes the Luke Skywalker/Darth Vader conflict of the first picture. Will Rey turn to the Dark Side!? Is there still good in Kylo Ren? Can he be redeemed!? We might care more if we hadn’t seen this exact tale play out again and again over the course of eight other films.
And we can’t forget about those eight earlier films if we wanted to, since Abrams has crafted a nostalgia-fest on steroids. Characters, locations, and even hints of famous dialog from the previous pictures appear here, as Abrams throws lots of winks and nods to fans. When our heroes arrive on the planet Pasaana, for example, they encounter a huge festival; they’re told the celebration only happens every 42 years. Gee, guess what else occurred 42 years ago for us earth-bound humans? The release of the picture that started it all back in 1977: the very first Star Wars. Coincidence? You decide.
The one good thing I’ll say about this picture is that it does have a nice message about sticking together and the importance of friends and community helping each other to overcome great challenges. That’s certainly a nice message for the scores of kids who will no doubt flock to the picture, even if it is delivered a bit heavy-handedly. I lost count of how many times the words “You’re not alone” were uttered, but hey, there are worse points to get across.
Ultimately, though, the only conclusion to be drawn from this movie is that it’s simply a final attempt to squeeze every last cent from this beloved franchise. The picture is less a love letter to the spirit of the original Stars Wars films and more akin to a letter bomb. The original Star Wars trilogy is an adventure story, about rebellion and facing long odds. To tell that tale, the filmmakers relied on their own distinctive brand of swashbuckling and daring spirit. George Lucas and his cast and crew showed amazing resourcefulness and inventiveness when they created characters, effects, and images that broke ground and wowed audiences. Though it was really a traditional Western set in space, Star Wars then was a new and clever take on an old yarn.
In contrast, the makers of the latest installment maintain a dutiful and hidebound allegiance to an exhausted plotline. Absolutely no risks are taken. No new areas are ventured into. As a standalone story, the film is without a shred of redeeming value. “What our mothers and fathers fought for, we will not let die,” a character says at one point. And, apparently, what our mothers and fathers watched 42 years ago, J.J. Abrams won’t let die.
As I walked out of the theater, I was reminded of singer PJ Harvey’s melancholic version of “Is That All There Is?” To paraphrase:
And 42 years later
I saw the final Star Wars
The greatest show on earth
And there were droids
And starship battles
strange beasts,
And a light saber duel
And as I sat there watching
I had the feeling that something was missing
I don’t know what
But when it was all over
I said to myself
“Is that all there is to Episode IX?”
Is that all there is?
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Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker opens today at Bay Area theaters.
