The Rise of Skywalker - Initial Reactions
I saw Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker last night and definitely had a bunch of thoughts and feelings that I can't post on other platforms because there is no Facebook or Twitter spoiler-cut so here we are! This type of journal is still good for something!
I was feeling more nervousness and dread going into this movie than excitement, tbh, which was sad because obviously this is it. I think most of it comes from being let down by other favorite properties lately (Game of Thrones, Endgame, even Survivor) and also just that general sense of depression since 2016 that there's nothing good in the world anymore :\ (I've had discussions with a couple folks recently that I haven't felt the feeling of optimism in 4 years... another post, that.)
So my TL;DR reaction after one viewing of TROS: I have incredibly mixed feelings. I acknowledge that this movie must have been tough to write (wrapping up the saga, dealing with the loss of Carrie), but I was moved one moment and then annoyed/indifferent the next. It felt like an up-and-down emotional rollercoaster to watch; I was bored at parts and then on the edge of my seat at others. Totally a mixed bag.
I'm hoping I'll feel more positive towards it after repeat viewings, like I did pretty dramatically with The Last Jedi. In the end, I loved seeing these characters again and finally getting some big reveals, but there were also choices I really disagree with and things that fell flat for me.
Positives:
Negatives:
Undecided/Meh:
In the end, I believe this movie suffered from trying to please everyone and as a result maybe pleased no one? E.g. Reylo fans are upset and anti-Reylo fans are also upset?? lol. It seemed like they were trying to affirm every group of fans while not alienating any of them at the same time, which is basically impossible. TLJ had a very strong (albeit controversial) POV, but it was a stronger movie for it. This just felt noncommittal. Anyway I guess I'm fully over J.J. Abrams.
I do want to watch TROS again now that I know what we're getting, to see bits I missed and experience it again after letting things settle for me emotionally. Most of all, I miss the characters already. :'( And I honestly do wish we could have more movies with them!! Onto the fic I suppose. This entry was originally posted at https://beerbad.dreamwidth.org/391333.html. Please comment there using OpenID.
I was feeling more nervousness and dread going into this movie than excitement, tbh, which was sad because obviously this is it. I think most of it comes from being let down by other favorite properties lately (Game of Thrones, Endgame, even Survivor) and also just that general sense of depression since 2016 that there's nothing good in the world anymore :\ (I've had discussions with a couple folks recently that I haven't felt the feeling of optimism in 4 years... another post, that.)
So my TL;DR reaction after one viewing of TROS: I have incredibly mixed feelings. I acknowledge that this movie must have been tough to write (wrapping up the saga, dealing with the loss of Carrie), but I was moved one moment and then annoyed/indifferent the next. It felt like an up-and-down emotional rollercoaster to watch; I was bored at parts and then on the edge of my seat at others. Totally a mixed bag.
I'm hoping I'll feel more positive towards it after repeat viewings, like I did pretty dramatically with The Last Jedi. In the end, I loved seeing these characters again and finally getting some big reveals, but there were also choices I really disagree with and things that fell flat for me.
Positives:
- It was only the third worst possible ending re: Rey & Ben! (2nd worst: They end up a happy couple together; actual worst: he's redeemed, she goes dark and he kills her.) It's all relative, people!
- Ben dying - if they have to have romantic feelings for each other (barf), at least he's dead?
- On that note, I was surprised by how okay I felt about his redemption. Maybe Adam sold it well enough, IDK, but I did feel the shift in him. For something that I REALLY DID NOT WANT TO HAPPEN since TFA, I'm honestly shocked that it didn't bother me more. Maybe I've just had enough years to process it as an inevitability.
- Dark Rey fighting Rey - loved it, the sequence shoulda been longer!
- The sequence where Rey thinks she's killed Chewie, the lightning, her general angst - great, Daisy killed it. Loved angsty, tortured Rey in general in this one.
- All the creatures! The puppetry and creature design is one of my favorite things about the SW universe and I enjoyed seeing all of them, from Babu Frik to the children Rey sees at the festival. Also enjoyed D-O.
- Surprise Jodie Comer - love!
- Jannah and Zorii were both really compelling, interesting new characters.
- Rey calling Leia "Master" - best part of the movie and the best new kink meme prompt.
- Rey/Poe/Finn in general - loved seeing them finally interact all together, and the ending was as good fanservice as we were gonna get for the OT3. SO CUTE. And since they didn't end up with any other prospective love interests, I really call it a win for the endgame.
- Happy to see Luke (and then Leia) as force ghosts.
- Leia's lightsaber - a cool addition IMO, and another thing that ties her to Rey.
- Even though they couldn't show much due to the obvious limitations, I like how strongly the Rey/Leia bond was established at the beginning. That training section also left things WIDE OPEN for headcanon and fanworks, bless.
- EWOKS. THANK YOU
Negatives:
- For the second movie in a row, Rey is basically on her own journey (with Kylo) and feels so separated from her friends and the Resistance for the majority of the movie. Considering all the themes of being together, fighting together, etc., they sure don't wanna show it for her, do they? Especially bummed because this was the last shot.
- There were barely any quiet character moments - I know they had a lot to get through, but those are some of the best scenes. Especially disappointed because TFA was full of them - did they just have too much plot and too much going on?
- The fight scenes overall were nothing special, some were even boring. Nothing came even close to how dope the throne room sequence was in TLJ.
- Rose - she was barely a character in this. HUGE insult to Rose and Kelly Marie Tran, jfc. Could she really not have gone with them?!
- Speaking of Rose, when she was introduced in TLJ she had a great character arc. The new characters here do not get the same loving treatment (again - an oversight or lack of time?).
- The Reylo kiss - I grimaced. I guess getting through this without Rey having any real love interest was too much to ask?
- Destroying the Final Order fleet was just blah. Considering that was the big climax, I expected a lot more.
- SO MAD ADAM GOT HIGHER BILLING THAN DAISY. Really?!?!
- Why cast Keri Russell and never show her face?? C'mon.
Undecided/Meh:
- Rey being a Palpatine... I need to think on this more. I'm happy to know her backstory definitively, but definitely felt blah at the reveal.
- The story of the Jedi Order: What was the end result? Bummed that we didn't get grey Jedi; Rey still has a saber at the end so.......... she's still a Jedi? I honestly have no idea if I missed something or if it was supposed to be so obtuse.
- I did think Rey's own unique yellow lightsaber was pretty cool, but I also wish she'd kept Leia's?
- The whole Palpatine showdown - kinda cool, kinda wanted more, IDK.
- Rey/Ben's healing powers - is this a Force thing that we've seen before?? Did it come out of nowhere to serve the plot? (Yes.)
- I truly appreciate that they did everything they could with the existing footage of Carrie, and I'm grateful for that. However, the chemistry in those scenes with her was definitely missing. Par for the course, but sad to think of what could've been.
- No Phasma?!
- I'm actually on the fence about Rey calling herself a Skywalker at the end. Just need to process this more, I think.
In the end, I believe this movie suffered from trying to please everyone and as a result maybe pleased no one? E.g. Reylo fans are upset and anti-Reylo fans are also upset?? lol. It seemed like they were trying to affirm every group of fans while not alienating any of them at the same time, which is basically impossible. TLJ had a very strong (albeit controversial) POV, but it was a stronger movie for it. This just felt noncommittal. Anyway I guess I'm fully over J.J. Abrams.
I do want to watch TROS again now that I know what we're getting, to see bits I missed and experience it again after letting things settle for me emotionally. Most of all, I miss the characters already. :'( And I honestly do wish we could have more movies with them!! Onto the fic I suppose. This entry was originally posted at https://beerbad.dreamwidth.org/391333.html. Please comment there using OpenID.