Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) Non-Spoilers! (1 Viewer)

[Robert Crawford]

It's going to be a long 8 months.

A really long 8 months for some of us.

 

[benbess]

Right now Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, etc. are saying they will never do a Star Wars movie again, probably because they are assuming that they are going to have great careers outside of Star Wars. Maybe. But then again, maybe not. As we know, Harrison Ford was the biggest break out star from A New Hope.

Anyway, Lucasfilm is going to be busy for at least the next ten years with the new trilogies from Rian Johnson and the GoT guys, plus the Mandalorian and other Star Wars shows for Disney+. Crazy to even think about Star Wars in c. 2030, but back in 1979, when Star Wars was renamed Episode IV, I started thinking about Star Wars not just ten years in the future but maybe 20. Anyway, if I'm around in 2030 I'll be as old as old Ben Kenobi back in 1977, but maybe by then the current stars of Stars Wars might reconsider.....?

But in the meantime I'd still like a Ewan McGregor Kenobi movie. Is there still any chance of that? Or did the box office failure of Solo kill that completely? My daughter made a funny joke about the potential Kenobi movie. She said, "I'd like to see Ewan McGregor in a Kenobi movie so much that I don't care if he just spent the two hours in the Tatooine desert scaring Jawas with his Halloween howl!" I laughed. But seriously, of course we'd need a lot more than that for a story. Do any of the Star Wars novels that are now legends deal with Kenobi's life from the period from Revenge of the Sith to A New Hope?

 

[TravisR]

Do any of the Star Wars novels that are now legends deal with Kenobi's life from the period from Revenge of the Sith to A New Hope?

There's a book called Kenobi that takes place shortly after he gets to Tatooine after Episode III and he appeared in a few young readers books. In terms of canon post-Episode III appearances, he was in 2 or 3 issues of the Star Wars comic book series (with a few Tatooine-based adventures) and he had a great appearance in an episode of Star Wars: Rebels.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I simply don't believe, if you have good writing, you need to resurrect Palpatine. Abrams said that IX wasn't just a conclusion to the sequel trilogy, but a wrapping up of a nine-episode saga. I disagree with that. IX should be a conclusion to VII and VIII. The other trilogies had their own great conclusions, IMO. So it leads me to believe he's really forcing this Palpatine business, it comes across akward, and the studio is preparing fans for it. If it was a small role, in my view, all the more reason not to spoil the surprise.

I think the major problem with being a nine film wrap up is that Return of the Jedi didn't really leave a lot of dangling threads. Revenge of the Sith ended with the Republic falling, the Jedi falling, and the bad guys triumphing. But it had a number of dangling threads to set up the original trilogy: Yoda exiling himself to Dagobah to avoid detection, Bail Organa adopting Leia and taking her with him to Alderaan, and Obi-Wan delivering Luke to Owen and Beru on Tatooine. Even with evil at it zenith, the seeds are set up for its eventual downfall.

By contrast, Return of the Jedi ended with the Empire falling, the Sith falling, the good guys triumphing. But there weren't those little breadcrumbs to set up the sequel trilogy, because by the time Return of the Jedi got made, Lucas had abandoned the idea of making a sequel trilogy. The threat introduced as a shadowy background figure in The Phantom Menace was fully dealt with by Return of the Jedi.

So when Abrams and Kasdan envisioned the Star Wars galaxy thirty or so years later, they had to create new threats from scratch. The First Order borrows its aesthetic from the Galactic Empire -- a bit more than I'd like, to be honest -- but it's not the Empire. The main connective tissue between the two threats is Kylo Ren, Darth Vader's grandson. Reaching backwards past the fall of Luke Skywalker's Jedi and the rise of the First Order is almost certainly going to feel like a stretch.

I distrust fan service, because it often feels at odds with the needs of the story being told. I'd rather be carried away by a story than have specific beats shoehorned in -- even if they're things I as a fan really want to see.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

But in the meantime I'd still like a Ewan McGregor Kenobi movie. Is there still any chance of that? Or did the box office failure of Solo kill that completely?

I think the rumor is that it's being repurposed as a Disney+ project, either as an exclusive movie or a limited series.

Yoda exiling himself to Dagobah to avoid detection

Interestingly, Revenge of the Sith never actually shows Yoda going to Dagobah - there was a deleted scene included on the disc which shows his arrival, but the only line in the film proper is when Yoda says he's going into exile. This actually leaves a nice little opening if someone down the line wanted to tell a small story of Yoda between leaving Obi-Wan and Bail Organa behind and arriving at Dagobah.

 

[Mikael Soderholm]

Right now Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, etc. are saying they will never do a Star Wars movie again, probably because they are assuming that they are going to have great careers outside of Star Wars. Maybe. But then again, maybe not. As we know, Harrison Ford was the biggest break out star from A New Hope.

The only breakout star, no?
Sure, some of the others did acting roles now and again, but noone but Harrison became a star, except Carrie Fisher, for her writing, not acting.

 

[Carabimero]

ou may have a point here, which relates to what I think is JJA's greatest weakness as a director—his infamous love of the "mystery box."

Lando: I just saw Palpatine! Where did he come from?

Maz: That's a good question for another time.

Lando: But this is episode nine, dude. There is no more time. I'm still waiting to find out where you got Luke's light saber...

IMO Abram's idea to make Luke a mystery to Rey was more damaging, by far, to this trilogy than Jar Jar ever was to the prequel trilogy.

For one thing, it ensured Han, Luke and Leia would never appear together on screen again. And that's the smallest negative repercussion. There are many, many huge ones that continue to ripple outward from the ill-considered stone he threw in the still water. And when I think about it, it makes me sad at the missed opportunities.

Just because a writer casts something as a mystery doesn't excuse their repeated inability to believably motivate it.

 

[Dave Moritz]

I can not wait for the movie to come out and seeing Lando in the Falcon was nice. But to hear the emperors voice in the trailer, oh hell.

 

[Jake Lipson]

It's going to be a long 8 months.

Yes, but credit where it's due to Disney for putting this back in December where it belongs. Can you imagine the fiasco that would have been created if Endgame was on April 26 and Rise of Skywalker was on Memorial Day Weekend as it was originally scheduled? They both would have grossed significantly less than they will being separated. Now, each of them gets a turn in the spotlight as the biggest movie of their respective seasons.

 

[Lou Sytsma]

Damn Palpy's gotta be pretty old to be in ROTS.

 

[Jake Lipson]

Damn Palpy's gotta be pretty old to be in ROTS.

ROTS would be Revenge Of The Sith.

The Rise Of Skywalker would be TROS.

Although it's interesting that they have such similar initials.

 

[JimmyO]

Damn Palpy's gotta be pretty old to be in ROTS.

He's really just a PalpaTEEN.

(I'm sure I'm sorry)

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I just watched the first teaser for TFA and then the one for this, and it reminded me of something I said back when Abrams first signed on to do IX. He’s a guy that was really good at launching thing - TV shows, movie franchises, etc - but not someone who really sticks around in a hands on way until the end. This is basically the third feature film franchise he’s relaunched. It’s not an accident that he’s played that part again and again - he’s great at it. I think Abrams has a particular talent for reminding you why you fell in love with a thing in the first place. He evokes that sense of fun and wonder that you have the nostalgia for. I think this new movie is a challenge for him in a way that TFA wasn’t, and I’m excited to see a guy normally known for beginnings trying to perfect one hell of an ending. I think he’s up for the challenge and may deliver some career best work. Here’s the one area where he’s still got something left to prove. I’m rooting for him. I think it’s gonna be great.

 

[TravisR]

Damn Palpy's gotta be pretty old to be in ROTS.

At the time of TFA and TLJ, he'd be 118 years old so depending on how much time elapses between TLJ and The Rise Of Skywalker, he'll likely be in his 120's.

 

[AshJW]

I don’t think that’s relevant because his body is destroyed. His mind is probably connected with something on the remnants of the Death Star wreckage. An important idem no doubt.

 

[johnnybear]

No Luke on the poster as played by Mark Hamil(ton) either!
JB

 

[johnnybear]

I just hope that Darth Vader is resurrected for this movie coz it ain't Star Wars for me if Vader isn't in it! Only the sight of his gnarled helmet saved The Force Awakens for me a few years back and it's about time that he and Obi showed up!
JB

 

[ScottJH]

I don’t think that’s relevant because his body is destroyed. His mind is probably connected with something on the remnants of the Death Star wreckage. An important idem no doubt.

In the new cannon Palpatine is big into finding Sith artifacts. The Lando mini-series from 3 years ago(?) which iirc is set shortly before Lando "acquires" Cloud City, has him & Lobot steal a starship which turns out to be the Emperor's personal vessel which contains some of these artifacts.

 

[Tino]

I just hope that Darth Vader is resurrected for this movie coz it ain't Star Wars for me if Vader isn't in it! Only the sight of his gnarled helmet saved The Force Awakens for me a few years back and it's about time that he and Obi showed up!
JB

This is a joke right?

 

[holtge]

Yes, but credit where it's due to Disney for putting this back in December where it belongs. Can you imagine the fiasco that would have been created if Endgame was on April 26 and Rise of Skywalker was on Memorial Day as it was originally scheduled? They both would have grossed significantly less than they will being separated. Now, each of them gets a turn in the spotlight as the biggest movie of their respective seasons.

Could not agree with your statement any more, Jake. Thank goodness Disney and Lucasfilm had the foresight to move Episode IX's release date to December. I still worry about Aladdin, The Lion King, and Toy Story 4 all being released within eight weeks of each other, but hopefully they can all coexist and be profitable for the company where Solo, Christopher Robin, and The Nutcracker and the Four Realms last year were not.