The Rise of Skywalker Reactions to "Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker"

[Spider-Fan]

I think a more accurate way to put it was that TLJ makes a bad Part II entry in a Trilogy, because it’s questions and plot points are the kind that demand a longer time to tackle: that instead of being a penultimate entry, it’s an episodic entry in a much longer story with an ending that almost by necessity needed to be further away then one film.

I mean, Kylo got an interesting setup as Supreme Leader... But Kylo’s not our main character.

Luke left ESB with the risk of the dark side and the revelation of who his father was.

Anakin left AOTC compromised by the dark side thanks to the Sand People Massacre and his decision to break the Jedi Code, but still dedicated at that point to fighting for the right side.

What does Rey have? An esoteric hypothetical question about what the Galaxy needs going forward? Where’s the personal investment there? Where’s the character arc? Where’s the big driving question?

Those are the kind of questions that a TLJ sequel would need to ask int he frost place, and their just too impersonal and disconnected to really do well for her. That’s at least partially why Abrams and LFL seem to have resurrected the parentage question in marketing; without it, Rey doesn’t really ave a personal story after TLJ.

I don't agree with the notion that Rey had nothing post Episode VIII. The future of the Jedi is in her hands. How does she approach it? Will she attempt her own order or try to break the endless cycle by finding a new way like Luke advised? I know the parents thing likely is coming up again, but I don't think it's needed at all. This core story is more than enough to move forward with without going back to the well because people have no other ideas.

 

[Silver Surfer]

One thing is evident regardless of how one feels about TLJ, in the context of the 9 Saga movies, TLJ is going to stick out like a sore thumb. Undermined from the movies that came before it, and the one that succeeded it. The questions it raised, the "past' it tried to kill and move past, the duality of the dynamic between the Sith and Jedi it wanted to get past, and the democratization of the force it championed, none of which will stick.

Considering all this, TLJ reminds of Season 2 of the Wire, stark in contrast to the series, and unsure if any of it mattered or was needed in the larger context of the series.

 

[MahvelBaby!]

Idk the prequels kind of stick out too lol

 

[Silver Surfer]

The prequels are still very much in line with the spirit and core of Star Wars, quality concerns aside. It's still about Jedi vs Sith, light vs dark, temptation vs discipline, duty vs love, chosen one and his prophetic destiny, hero's journey vs villain's downfall. Pretty much all the Star Wars tropes.

 

[DKDetective]

The question I keep coming back to with all of this is simply, why? For the life of me, I don't understand why this was allowed to happen. Kennedy gets a lot of crap thrown her way undeservedly, there's no denying she's worked with some of the best talent in the industry over the last 30 years. But what clear is that she's not actually a Star Wars fan. So, what was her goal for all of this? Was it simply to sell movies with the Star Wars name? To try and move the franchise beyond the Skywalker saga? To have a female lead in a poor attempt to pander to women? Was there ever a point in development where creating a cohesive story arc for the three movies was the most important aspect? It certainly doesn't come across that way. And that's the saddening thing about all this. Say what you will about the prequels, but there's at least a consistent vision throughout those movies. You still get after those three films, despite their mixed execution, what the heart of the trilogy is about. It's still about family. Kennedy has, probably not by intention, allowed for the family aspect of Star Wars to be destroyed in the sequels. None of these new characters really need each other. That's what's missing.

I don't necessarily think that is at Kennedy's feet. The more I read about Iger's rush to get the movies out, his pushing Lucas away, the more I blame him for the state of Star Wars. The guy is generally brilliant at business, but he sucks at the creative. The only major Disney franchise that is turning out consistent creative quality is Marvel and that is because of Feige. Iger lets him run it as his own separate empire. The Disney Live action remakes are generally mediocre and Pixar, while still brilliant at times, is much more uneven than it was before Disney bought it. If Iger doesn't check himself he is going to kill the Geese that lay the Golden eggs.

 

[TheVileOne]

Here's my initial reaction:

I'm very mixed. I'm sort of empty. Not that I hated the movie, but a lot of things let me down.

Secondly, my best point of comparison for this film: Pirates of the Carribbean: At World's End. So that could make this good for some and bad for others.

This is like the At World's End of the franchise.

And yeah, it's basically like a whole trilogy's worth of story all crammed into one movie. Not only a course correction, but backtracking. Editing and pacing in act 1 is very jarring and awkward.

The movie blatantly panders to those who hated Last Jedi or disliked Last Jedi. At times it's amusing, at other times, I found it silly.

 

[Silver Surfer]

To be fair to Iger, he's not involved on the creative side at all, and as for the rush to get the movies out, that wouldn't be a problem if Kennedy wasn't constantly firing, and hiring new directors, or had a story group that had planned out the story direction of the movies like Fiege does with the Marvel Parliament.

 

[Silver Surfer]

The movie blatantly panders to those who hated Last Jedi or disliked Last Jedi. At times it's amusing, at other times, I found it silly.

Truly this is all I wanted from EP9, all that TLJ outrage paid off I guess.

 

[Detective Conan]

The prequels are still very much in line with the spirit and core of Star Wars, quality concerns aside. It's still about Jedi vs Sith, light vs dark, temptation vs discipline, duty vs love, chosen one and his prophetic destiny, hero's journey vs villain's downfall. Pretty much all the Star Wars tropes.

So are the Midiclorians very much in the line with the spirit and core of Star Wars?

 

[TheVileOne]

Truly this is all I wanted from EP9, all that TLJ outrage paid off I guess.

If that's what you wanted, there's plenty of that here.

 

[TheVileOne]

To be fair to Iger, he's not involved on the creative side at all, and as for the rush to get the movies out, that wouldn't be a problem if Kennedy wasn't constantly firing, and hiring new directors, or had a story group that had planned out the story direction of the movies like Fiege does with the Marvel Parliament.

Lucasfilm already had a story group set up before these movies started getting made. They also had a script by Michael Arndt for The Force Awakens. Abrams tossed it out and rewrote it himself with Kasdan in six months before shooting started.

 

[Silver Surfer]

So are the Midiclorians very much in the line with the spirit and core of Star Wars?

Doesn't need to be, not a zero sum game, hence the usage of "very much in line", rather than "completely in line"

 

[Silver Surfer]

Lucasfilm already had a story group set up before these movies started getting made. They also had a script by Michael Arndt for The Force Awakens. Abrams tossed it out and rewrote it himself with Kasdan in six months before shooting started.

At that point either Kennedy should have told JJ to stick with the plan they had, or worked with him to create a new plan that spanned the general story of the next 2 movies.

 

[godisawesome]

Truly this is all I wanted from EP9, all that TLJ outrage paid off I guess.

Be forewarned: you better be ready for at least one major point of TLJ’s direction and characterization ideas that makes it through to the end.

A point big enough that, over at Jedi Council Forums, a huge bunch of TLJ haters are still furious at TROS. And possibly another, depending on your opinions about a major question from TLJ and TFA.

So, to at least some extent, TROS is going to be a film of compromises

 

[Detective Conan]

Doesn't need to be, not a zero sum game, hence the usage of "very much in line", rather than "completely in line"

I disagree. TLJ felt way more like Star Wars than the prequels, imo. The prequels felt more like a stark departure from original Star Wars spirit than even Last Jedi.

 

[Fincher]

I thought The Last Jedi felt less like Star Wars than any of them outside of Rogue One, and Rogue One had an excuse because it was a war film.

 

[jmc]

Here's my initial reaction:

I'm very mixed. I'm sort of empty. Not that I hated the movie, but a lot of things let me down.

Secondly, my best point of comparison for this film: Pirates of the Carribbean: At World's End. So that could make this good for some and bad for others.

This is like the At World's End of the franchise.

And yeah, it's basically like a whole trilogy's worth of story all crammed into one movie. Not only a course correction, but backtracking. Editing and pacing in act 1 is very jarring and awkward.

The movie blatantly panders to those who hated Last Jedi or disliked Last Jedi. At times it's amusing, at other times, I found it silly.

In other words, in trying to please everyone it ends up pleasing no-one. This is what you get when you have no effing idea about what your end goal is.

 

[jmc]

Lucasfilm already had a story group set up before these movies started getting made. They also had a script by Michael Arndt for The Force Awakens. Abrams tossed it out and rewrote it himself with Kasdan in six months before shooting started.

What has this story group actually done of worth? I keep hearing about it but for the life of my I've yet to actually see what input they've had in the making of these movies.

 

[Snow Queen]

What has this story group actually done of worth? I keep hearing about it but for the life of my I've yet to actually see what input they've had in the making of these movies.

Be unprofessional on Twitter.

 

[The Chris]

If that's what you wanted, there's plenty of that here.

How do you think someone like me, who loves both films but The Last Jedi more, will react to this film?

 

[Detective Conan]

I thought Last Jedi had soul and humanity which none of the prequel movies had so that immediately makes it more in the spirit of what I think of Star Wars. At least the acting in TLJ didn’t feel so soul-suckingly lifeless like it was in the prequels.

To each their own, I guess. If stilted acting, wooden dialogue, flat and bland characters without any personality, as well as uninspired direction feels more like Star Wars to some than TLJ than fine. Even if the humor felt too meta to me in TLJ I’d take it over the dry dullness of the prequels any day of the week.

 

[TheVileOne]

How do you think someone like me, who loves both films but The Last Jedi more, will react to this film?

I can't presume to predict how you might react.

 

[Detective Conan]

I can't presume to predict how you might react.

What’s your reaction to the ending? What did it make you feel?

 

[DarthSkywalker]

I don't necessarily think that is at Kennedy's feet. The more I read about Iger's rush to get the movies out, his pushing Lucas away, the more I blame him for the state of Star Wars. The guy is generally brilliant at business, but he sucks at the creative. The only major Disney franchise that is turning out consistent creative quality is Marvel and that is because of Feige. Iger lets him run it as his own separate empire. The Disney Live action remakes are generally mediocre and Pixar, while still brilliant at times, is much more uneven than it was before Disney bought it. If Iger doesn't check himself he is going to kill the Geese that lay the Golden eggs.

I disagree none of this belongs at Kennedy's felt. Why TFA may have been "rushed" it succeeded in almost every way, and that was down to JJ and LF. They had full control over it, and did so with TLJ as well. The issue that came with TLJ entirely belong to Kennedy, the Story Group and Rian. They fell in love with a few specific ideas that kind of messed everything up. And you can tell, because of how viciously a certain group defends those decision all over twitter.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

I disagree. TLJ felt way more like Star Wars than the prequels, imo. The prequels felt more like a stark departure from original Star Wars spirit than even Last Jedi.

The issue with TLJ is it's trying to be smart. Like, really, really trying and in that process it kind of gets angry about what Star Wars is and has always been. Yes, even the prequels. It has moments that are pure Star Wars. Luke's final stand, the First Lesson, the Throne Room scenes, Luke on the Falcon, Yoda and Luke, etc. But a lot of the movie as a whole is a meta narrative that kind of dislikes Star Wars.

It is a very strange movie to watch because you can tell it feels like Rian didn't know what to do with a lot of things, so they just filled it with generic stuff. The entire "battle" of Crait before Luke gets there, Poe and Finn's storylines, Rose. The movie waste a lot of time, even as the longest Star Wars movie. And that is kind of sad, because they cheapen out on Rey a lot imo.