Review – Star Wars IX: The Rise of Skywalker
Warning! Spoilers ahead!!
It’s here. Fans have waited all year (and longer) to see the Skywalker saga’s conclusion and, like most people, I went into the cinema burning with questions. Is Episode IX any good? How have the late Carrie Fisher’s scenes turned out? And just what, after a slightly worrying trailer, will happen to our favourite characters?
The answers, even to that last question, will probably vary depending on your opinion.
If I had to sum up The Rise of Skywalker in one word? Insane. That’s what came to my mind while watching. The film swaps its predecessor’s sense of mystery with a fast plot that I definitely need to see a few more times to fully understand. After just one viewing, I can’t remember certain important events. For example, what’s the first scene after the opening credits? The Emperor’s back, but is he alive, or Force-possessing his own corpse? No, I still can’t tell you, and not because of spoilers. The film is that packed.
Perhaps after the controversy surrounding The Last Jedi, some creative decisions that would have had an impact are instead merely teased. The Rise of Skywalker involves many red herrings, involving either the events of Episode VIII or the talking points of its own trailer. Previously-prominent characters are given small amounts of screen time. Others, we lose in some way. But then they come back. There’s a kiss that may not go as far as it could have done in terms of representation – it’s between two secondary characters – but it’s in there. Another kiss is one that some fans have wanted for a long time. I’m not one of them. However, straight afterwards, something happens that made me feel much better about it.
Despite all this, there’s a lot to enjoy. As with many ‘final chapter’ entries in a series, this last Star Wars film feels like a love letter to its fandom. I adored it. Similar to The Force Awakens, it mirrors and recycles many classic elements from the original trilogy. It ties in with not only the prequel trilogy, but the Clone Wars stories as well. Sometimes, it’s even a love letter to fandom in general. Rey’s journey goes everywhere from Moana, through Killing Eve, to Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. There’s a Marvel-style ‘I am’ moment. And finally, the saga’s overall J.R.R. Tolkien/Joseph Campbell debt – long acknowledged by George Lucas – has progressed from The Last Jedi’s galactic Grond to Dominic Monaghan and a forbidden Dark Side language in Episode IX.
A Legacy of Hope and Love
Carrie Fisher’s final film appearance was perhaps a little cut-and-paste, but I’m not sure if that’s how it really was, or I just saw it that way because I already knew how it had been filmed. Above all, it was sensitive. We already knew that each film in the sequel trilogy would be dedicated, respectively, to Han, Luke and Leia. But, for obvious reasons, Fisher’s presence does something different here than what Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill are given in Episodes VII and VIII. Leia’s final act is not drawn-out and dramatic. Instead, the emotion flows from the other characters, and the audience is swept into the scene with them.
This subtlety carries (sorry) over into the final showdown. Early in December 2019, Anakin Skywalker trended on Twitter, with many speculating that he was going to appear in the new film as a leader of the force ghosts. It made sense. Anakin began the saga as the Chosen One, his reappearance would fit with Episode IX’s title, and who better to finally reach out to Ben Solo than someone he’s known to be haunted by?
And yes, all of this happens... though not in the way some expect. No ghost army pops up to strike the enemy down with fear. Instead, the paths of the dead remain apart from the frantic world of the living. Anakin and co.’s involvement in the final battle is instead a quiet, powerful influence on the heroes below. It’s all about the defence, never the attack.
A Golden Future
All in all, it’s easy to see why The Rise of Skywalker has had mixed responses. There’s a lot of fan service, leading to some predictable outcomes. At the same time, other story strands are left open-ended, an annoying lack of closure. But perhaps that’s the point.
Personally, while I appreciated Episodes I-VI and respected their place in science fiction history, it’s only since the sequel trilogy landed that I’ve been able to put Star Wars in my group of favourite stories. Maybe it’s because The Force Awakens was partly filmed in my home county. Maybe I just want to adopt BB-8. But, above all, I think the sequel’s story – Rey’s story – simply appeared at the right time in my life. The heroes’ inner challenges really resonate. What’s the truth in this world? How do I find my place in it? And then there’s an idea that holds a recent relevance in fandom: your path will go beyond those of even the people you most admire.
The Rise of Skywalker doesn’t give us all the answers. The final scene belongs to Rey alone, but where will everyone else go from here? There are clues. I love a bit of colour symbolism, and the film ends on a planet that’s full of warmth. As my friend pointed out when we left the cinema, yellow is in the middle of the visible light spectrum, a (g)rey area between the Sith's fire and the greens, blues and purple belonging to the Jedi. So, we’ve got a general sense of balance, happiness and, once again, hope. After that, who knows? Nothing is concrete, but neither is the future. There’s room for us to decide what will happen next.
Written by E.P. Colquitt
E.P. (Eleanor Peyton) Colquitt is based in the north of England. Currently working on her first novel, she is a graduate of Lancaster University and her favourite thing is being happy.
You can check out her blog HERE.