The Rise of Skywalker For those that have seen it, a spoiler thread...

[Herolee10]

I'll be honest and admit to being a Reylo shipper, and was glad to finally see that pay off. That anticipation for the kiss was killing me!

In my theater some guy in the back yelled "Incestuous!" when it happened which made the crowd crack up.

Also one of my favorite parts of the movie was that Force Skype-lightsaber fight between Rey and Kylo. Thought the idea was really cool, even if it didn't make that much sense.

Seems like the moral of the story here is that you should never kiss a Palpatine.

 

[gohei_]

We’re the Sith Troopers clones, actually? And, why would any Sith Star Destroyer be tied to a navigation device...? That’s never been necessary and how would they attack separate planets if they’re all tied together. That was the dumbest mcguffin since the droid army satellite thing in The Phantom Menace.

I'm pretty sure the navigation thingy was just to let the Star Destroyers safely out of Exegol, and thus wouldn't be needed after that.

 

[Herolee10]

I honestly wonder at times on whether JJ would have killed Luke in Episode 8 had he been the one to direct it as well. Because if Abrams had decided to spare Luke's life then the story for Episode 9 would have been significantly different.

 

[Shift]

Any reason why Rey doesn't see Ben's force ghost at the end. I understand that her relationship with Luke and Leia was strong. I'd say she had a stronger connection and relationship with Kylo/Ben than Luke. But if the two of them were Dyads in the force, you'd think that's a pretty significant bond. Yet no Ben? I mean he didn't even get to say anything other than "Ow" after going back to the light side.

 

[Marvolo]

For the most part I enjoyed it in spite of its **** editing. Here are my thoughts right now.

The editing...not enough can be said about that. This was a much longer film that JJ hacked up in the editing bay. And I'm totally convinced this film's narrative is roughly JJ's original treatment for Episodes 8 & 9 that he made when he was working on TFA. I think the way finder stuff was Episode 8 and would have had Luke and Rey leaving Ahch-to find the way finder because Luke senses a growing darkness in the Unknown Regions. The film probably would have ended with Kylo beating Luke and Rey in the race to Exogol and the Sith Fleet being revealed and Rey discovering she was a Palpatine. I have a suspicion that JJ's original plan was for Rey to be the daughter of Sidious's daughter and Luke.

I really didnt care about the Resistance at all. So, damn fine job on that front, JJ.

Everything to do with Palpatine except his death was wonderful. JJ absolutely nailed the Sith and the dark side aspects of this film. That First Order guy was right when he said Sidious and his fanatics were a bunch of cultists. Like some demonic death cult. And Sidious...was creepy as ****. Those eyes...*shivers*

Also, I'm pretty sure Sidious's corpse prior to it being brought back to life had no lower body. The way his robe was hanging it looked empty below the torso and there was zero movement from legs. I think only his upper body survived the fall down into the Death Star. Either that or his legs and feet had rotted away like his finger and hands had.

Gleeson was robbed. General Pryde had no business existing in this film.

The fleet battle at the end felt perfunctory. Like JJ checking a box because he had no better idea. The best that can be said about it is it gave Poe and Finn something to do in the climax. I would have preferred the Resistance fleet not exist, leave it just the small group that survived TLJ. And no Sith Fleet. Have Sidious return with only his thousands of Sith cultists. No military action. And have the climax and final battle only be Jedi vs Sith. The Skywalkers and Rey vs the Emperor. Maybe have Finn and Poe and the tiny Resistance group go with Rey and the Skywalkers to Exogol purely for ground support.

Snap Wexley dying genuinely broke my heart. I've been following Snap's life story these past 4 years and I've grown really fond of him and the father son relationship he had with Wedge. I hate that JJ didnt even include Wedge's reaction to Snap's death. Wedge loved Snap like his own son. Snap's death would devastate Wedge. And I hate that JJ didnt even have Nora Wexley in the film.

The Knights of Ren were little more than a plot device and canon fodder.

I wish we had gotten more Supreme Leader Kylo. That scene of him meeting with his First Order council was one of my favorites. It was refreshing to see the First Order's executive officers discussing how they should proceed with the Emperor situation and getting a look at how the First Order thinks and operates behind the scenes.

Kylo in battle in the opening scene was great. This trilogy needed a bit more of that.

It's clear that many of Leia's scenes were TFA scenes about Poe's mission to find Luke. JJ just reframed them to be about Rey and the mission to find Exogol. It was uninspired but fine. But Leia's death was extremely poorly handled. JJ was fine with having a very obviously cgi young Leia, but a cgi/body double older Leia meeting with her son with Han and being more involved in the plot was going too far, JJ? The show must go on and Leia deserved better. Ben's story and Leia's story demanded a scene of Leia meeting with her son.

Adam Driver was wonderful, and Ben stepped up in a big way. I was actually proud of Ben by the end of the film and I hate that we'll never get to see Ben do more good for the galaxy and the Jedi. And I bought into Rey and him loving each other. Ben's dark side past and his sins make any romance with Rey messy and certainly not morally squeaky clean, but they are so entwined in the Force and have refused so adamantly to give up on each other and have faced the devil together and saved each others lives. I can understand why that would create a love that could grow in spite of Ben past sins. Especially when factoring in the fact that Ben literally had Sidious inside his head his entire life manipulating him and pushing him and feeding his darkness. That lifelong internal struggle that Ben suffered was pretty much Ben the Jedi fighting Sidious and Ben just didnt know it. On top of that he had Snoke grooming him and working as an external prod to feed Ben's darkness and worst personality traits.

Keri Russel did good with the very little she was given. I'd like to see her character Zori return in a future film or a Disney+ show.

Luke looked unwell in this film and older even than he looked in TLJ. I think it was something to do with the hair. It just wasnt working well in this film. JJ should have had Force ghost Luke look like he did on Craite or at least cleaned up his older look a bit.

I'm sure I'll have more thoughts about the film, but that's all for now.

 

[BatLobster]

One thing that kinda bummed me out was Hamill's performance felt so much better in TLJ, despite him disagreeing with the characterization. Yet here he gets to play the more encouraging and optimistic mentor, and it just felt kinda phoned in. The X-Wing moment was a really nice callback though.

 

[Sithborg]

I have to laugh. Some people have made the point that Keri Russell's Zorii was to establish Poe as not gay. With the skeleton's of Treverrow's story there, I believe it.

Yet, Poe acts jealous towards Finn most of the movie.

 

[Shift]

It's weird Luke and Leia knew that Rey was a Palpatine all along, yet they still trained her, while Luke tried to kill Ben in his sleep as soon as he had a suspicion that Ben was turning to the dark side? Ben Solo stays the most complex, unique, powerful character of the sequel trilogy. He was young. He was abused. He was manipulated since a kid. He found love. He was happy for 30 seconds.

 

[Marvolo]

One thing that kinda bummed me out was Hamill's performance felt so much better in TLJ, despite him disagreeing with the characterization. Yet here he gets to play the more encouraging and optimistic mentor, and it just felt kinda phoned in. The X-Wing moment was a really nice callback though.

Agreed. That whole Auch-to section just seemed awkward to me.

One thing I think that helped TLJ's Luke scenes and Mark's performance was Luke's smartass attitude at times and trickster demeanor. Trolling Rey with the hand slap, drinking the sea cow milk to repulse Rey, teaching her by making her think the native village was being attacked and then laughing at her buying into the trick so much and hauling ass to the village. That's pretty much Mark Hamill in real life. He's witty, and has a wicked sense of humor. And whether he liked Luke's role in the film theres no getting around the fact that as an actor TLJ gave Hamill more to chew on as an actor. Luke was one note in this film whereas in TLJ he was depressed, resentful, bitter, regretful, humbled, and at the end selfless and hopeful and at peace.

 

[Zorro]

Poe isn't a special character like Finn, Kylo or Rey but he's just great to me. Very cool and skillful! Oscar Issac did amazing in the role.

I've said before that he's my favorite new character of the ST and am so glad on how he was used overall in this film.

 

[Marvolo]

I have to laugh. Some people have made the point that Keri Russell's Zorii was to establish Poe as not gay. With the skeleton's of Treverrow's story there, I believe it.

Yet, Poe acts jealous towards Finn most of the movie.

Funnily enough in Rebecca Roanhorse's book Resistance Reborn Poe has to go undercover to a fancy party and he picks Finn to go with him. At first its treated as Poe just asking his friend to go on a mission. But then one of Poe's crew guesses he would take Finn before Poe even told her and she buys dress suits for Poe and Finn. When Poe asks her how she knew he would take Finn she says "Oh I just knew." Or something like that I cant remember the exact scene word for word, but to me the vibe I got from the whole thing was that Poe's crewmate is treating it like Poe is taking Finn on a date.

Also in one scene Poe walks in on Rey and Finn having a whispered conversation and Poe makes note of Finn and Rey's legs touching and how intimate or close they seem with each other. After Rey knows Poe is there she clams up and gets awkward and rushes from the room. Poe asks if Finn needs to go after her and finish the conversation. Then he asks Finn if he and Rey are romantic. Then he asks Finn if he and Rose are romantic.

I cant be sure Roanhorse was intending for the reader to infer Poe was gay or romantically attracted to Finn, but that was how it read to me.

As for Zorii, frankly I dont consider her existence and relationship with Poe definite proof of Poe being straight regardless of whether that was JJ's intention. Poe could be bi. And considering the star wars galaxy includes countless different intelligent species and interspecies relationships are common and some of those species have very different gender norms, I think it's a mistake to assume that Poe and many people in the star wars galaxy are as hung up on and as rigid about gender and sexual orientation as 21st century earthers are. I think they would be more fluid and open minded.

 

[Mad Ones]

I have to laugh. Some people have made the point that Keri Russell's Zorii was to establish Poe as not gay. With the skeleton's of Treverrow's story there, I believe it.

Yet, Poe acts jealous towards Finn most of the movie.

It's 100% the reason that character exists. The blatant transparency and non-existent chemistry between Zorii and Poe was majorly disappointing. Had either Poe or Finn been a woman, the two would have embraced and kissed during the victory celebration.

 

[henzINNIT]

Luke looked unwell in this film and older even than he looked in TLJ. I think it was something to do with the hair. It just wasnt working well in this film. JJ should have had Force ghost Luke look like he did on Crait or at least cleaned up his older look a bit.

Yeah, that entire Luke sequence felt really off to me. Not only did he look weird but he was basically speaking in retcon.

 

[Zorro]

What's the name of the mini mechanic that worked on C3-PO? Love that guy and his hey hey

 

[Mad Ones]

What's the name of the mini mechanic that worked on C3-PO? Love that guy and his hey hey

Best part of the movie

 

[Hotwire]

I don’t understand how Rey can be force sensitive but her parents weren’t.

Think Muggle-born, if that helps. Or Marvel's mutants. Etc...

 

[Marvolo]

It's 100% the reason that character exists. The blatant transparency and non-existent chemistry between Zorii and Poe was majorly disappointing. Had either Poe or Finn been a woman, the two would have embraced and kissed during the victory celebration.

I thought Keri and Isaac had good chemistry and liked their back and forth and got a chuckle from Poe wanting to hook up with her again. I think the editing and pace just rushed the hell out of Zorii and Poe's development. It whips from her wanting to shoot him, to them argue flirting in the next scene, to poe asking to kiss her in the next scene, to poe non verbally asking her if she wants to **** for old times sake in their last scene. It is like the cliff notes edit of what could have been a fun mini arc to lighten up the film a bit.

 

[Marvolo]

What's the name of the mini mechanic that worked on C3-PO? Love that guy and his hey hey

Babu Frik

 

[Detective Conan]

It's weird Luke and Leia knew that Rey was a Palpatine all along, yet they still trained her, while Luke tried to kill Ben in his sleep as soon as he had a suspicion that Ben was turning to the dark side? .

In New Hope, Obi-Wan knew all along that Luke was related to Vader but he never told him, did he? In Leia’s case, I still believe she wanted to steer Rey from the influence of the dark side in order to prevent her from becoming yet another genocidal fascist so she sent her to Luke.

And Luke never tried to kill Kylo in his sleep. He was just so threatened by Ben’s pull to darkside that he grabbed his lightsaber out of fearful defense. Luke didn’t intend to kill him, and was ashamed of even pulling a lightsaber on his nephew(who unfortunately mistook it to be an attempt to murder him).

 

[NewYorkSpider]

Is anyone else surprised that we never once saw Coruscant in this trilogy? I mean we never even saw on what the status of the New Republic was during the events of these films. At times, I felt like I was just watching a story about a war between two small factions (First Order and the Resistance).

It would have been a nice callback of maybe Rey visiting the Jedi Temple.

I absolutely loved this movie. Far better than TLJ. I thought it was the best of the 3 sequel movies. The one thing that they didn't hit on that disappointed me was having all three of the main cast in ONE scene together.

Chewie learning of Leia's death was gut wrenching. Maz handing him the medal at the end from ANH was fantastic.

JJ finally got C-3PO right. He just felt bland in TFA. He did have a larger role in the movie so that could have been a reason why.

Rey being a Palpatine was very interesting. I think it raises more questions about Palpatine's past than it does Rey's.

I loved Kylo's redemption story. Rey sensing him at the final battle was epic. Knowing that she wasn't the last Jedi.

These were just a few of my thoughts about the movie.

Rise Of Skywalker - 9/10

 

[Zorro]

Best part of the movie

Don't know about that but I loved both of his appearances

 

[Zorro]

Babu Frik

Thanks! Interesting little fellow

 

[terry78]

We really do need to see a rise of Palpatine story, just don't make him some good guy at first.

 

[Doctor Jones]

No we don't. This franchise has had enough of needless backstory and spin offs of things we know and have seen. That's the large reason people are getting tired of this franchise.

 

[terry78]

Hell at this point they don't even care