Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Discussion Thread (SPOILERS!) (1 Viewer)

[Josh Steinberg]

With reserved seating making it easier to buy now and decide later and return through the app if necessary, that’s what some folks do these days.

 

[Tino]

The two best seats at my showing yesterday opened up that morning. So I grabbed them up and offered Them to my friend.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

If I get stuck with a less than perfect advance ticket, I often check to see if anything better comes along by showtime. It happens more often than not, especially if I’m just looking for a single seat.

I actually gotta say - for all the hassles I’ve had with movie theaters and lousy crowds lately, I had a wonderfully incident free time yesterday. The audience wasn’t alive in the way it had been when the prequels had midnight openings or seeing TFA and TLJ in premium auditoriums opening night, but I got to the theater without a hassle, didn’t have to wait more than a second in line for concessions, no wait to get my ticket ripped, and no one talking during the movie. Tried a great new dumpling place beforehand, and was home less than ten minutes after it ended. So much less stressful than Endgame in IMAX opening night. I’m glad I gave myself permission to let go and not obsess over seeing it in the biggest place at the earliest possible second.

 

[benbess]

Wasn’t it just tied for last?

Last night I walked out of the movie feeling good about it. But then I talked to some people who had problems with it. And then I read some negative reviews. I began doubting the good things I felt about the movie, and overemphasizing the weak areas. Seeing it the second time made me realize that for me the strengths of The Rise of Skywalker far outweigh the weaknesses. I was genuinely moved by it a few times. In fact, the emotions were stronger for me the second time around.

 

[TonyD]

Just got home a little bit ago.

I was fine with Lando in this.
If you’ve seen Billy D lately you see that he isn’t very mobile and I don’t think they really was much that he could in this.

Don’t understand the disLike for Rose.
No one has really said what’s wrong with her.

There was a list of Returning Jedi in the credits.
Hayden was there along with Olivia d’Abo and Freddie Prinze JR.

 

[WillG]

Me either. I think it's largely a knee-jerk reaction to the whole "social justice" thing - people think Rose exists just as some token nod to diversity, or she should've been white, I guess...

oh come on, no one is saying Rose should have been white. That to me sounds like an equal and opposite knee jerk reaction. I admit I didn’t love the somewhat heavy handed social justice perspective that Rose represented, at least in the context of a Star Wars movie. As I said earlier I viewed it as superfluous and hamfisted. And I‘ve read hundreds of your reviews and have seen instances of you critiquing films for the same kind of heavy handedness.

 

[Carlo_M]

I'm Asian (Pacific Islander) and I live in college part of L.A. so you can guess my social stance. So I have zero problems with SJ in my movies, as long as it's done well.

But Rose...it's not the SJ aspect of it that I have a problem with. It's just some combination of the lines given to her, her delivery, I don't know. I just don't find her screen presence compelling...and honestly kind of annoying. You don't ever encounter people in life that for some reason you find slightly annoying but the rest of your friends are like "what's the problem?" If not, you're a better person than I am.

 

[Wayne_j]

Lost wasn’t purgatory...sigh...

The Flash Sideways Construct was kind of a form of limbo, but that wasn't what the people who were saying the island was purgatory was meaning. The island itself was nothing like purgatory.

 

[TravisR]

I was genuinely moved by it a few times. In fact, the emotions were stronger for me the second time around.

I think the scene with Han and Kylo Ren is the best scene in the movie and one of its most emotional moments. The biggest surprise for me is that I had no problem with Kylo Ren returning to the light side. After killing Han, I couldn't imagine a way that I would accept his character being redeemed but that scene with Han instantly sealed the deal for me. Han Solo would forgive him so I was completely on board with him becoming Ben again.

Hayden was there along with Olivia d’Abo and Freddie Prinze JR.

Thank you! I knew the voice but I couldn't place Kanan/Prinze. Nice move on LFL's part to include animated characters too.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I think the scene with Han and Kylo Ren is the best scene in the movie and one of its most emotional moments. The biggest surprise for me is that I had no problem with Kylo Ren returning to the light side. After killing Han, I couldn't imagine a way that I would accept his character being redeemed but that scene with Han instantly sealed the deal for me. Han Solo would forgive him so I was completely on board with him becoming Ben again.

Agreed. And the end of the fight with Rey, and the way she saved his life and then walked away saying she would have taken Ben’s hand... between that and knowing it’s Palpatine pulling the strings, and you realize poor young Ben Solo probably never stood a chance, not if Luke couldn’t see what Snoke truly was representing, not if Luke or Leia couldn’t help him navigate that specific threat.

I feel like the movie hit the right notes on that. Ben Solo was in there and able to be redeemed spiritually, but Kylo Ren’s acts were so horrible to so many that you couldn’t end the film with him riding off into the sunset or leading a new republic.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Call me crazy, but does it seem like a missed opportunity to not have done more with stormtroopers? We finally learn something about them in TFA, and Finn shows us it’s possible to fight their training. Then in TROS earlier on, Finn meets other storm trooper deserters that had similar attacks of conscience. It feels like that thread could have been used in the final battle and given a bigger payoff.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Agreed. And the end of the fight with Rey, and the way she saved his life and then walked away saying she would have taken Ben’s hand... between that and knowing it’s Palpatine pulling the strings, and you realize poor young Ben Solo probably never stood a chance, not if Luke couldn’t see what Snoke truly was representing, not if Luke or Leia couldn’t help him navigate that specific threat.

I feel like the movie hit the right notes on that. Ben Solo was in there and able to be redeemed spiritually, but Kylo Ren’s acts were so horrible to so many that you couldn’t end the film with him riding off into the sunset or leading a new republic.

He had to die as there is no way the audience would accept anything less. I still heard some audible sounds from the audience when the "Kiss" happened in my third showing on Friday, but also felt some audience relief when Ben died just moments after the "Kiss".

 

[Robert Crawford]

Call me crazy, but does it seem like a missed opportunity to not have done more with stormtroopers? We finally learn something about them in TFA, and Finn shows us it’s possible to fight their training. Then in TROS earlier on, Finn meets other storm trooper deserters that had similar attacks of conscience. It feels like that thread could have been used in the final battle and given a bigger payoff.

Yes, it was a missed opportunity that they didn't show more stormtroopers or even former empire pilots doing the same.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I felt the same tension in my audience - the “they have chemistry and that will they or won’t they?” anxiety along with the “he’s done too much to walk out of here” feeling. I think they got the balance right there by having the moment but not letting him make it out alive.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I felt the same tension in my audience - the “they have chemistry and that will they or won’t they?” anxiety along with the “he’s done too much to walk out of here” feeling. I think they got the balance right there by having the moment but not letting him make it out alive.

Both of his parents died trying to save him, there is no way it could've ended any other way. I felt emotional when Chewbacca was told Leia is dead and his immediate grief knowing all of his old friends are dead except the droids and Lando.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I do wonder what happens to Rey now. Does she train future Jedi Knights or does she stay on Tatooine?

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I do wonder what happens to Rey now. Does she train future Jedi Knights or does she stay on Tatooine?

Check back in two years on Disney+ for the answer!

 

[Robert Crawford]

I have to admit that I loved Babu Frik.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Another thing I noticed is by the end of the movie, I think Finn began to feel "The Force". Anybody else pick up on that?

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I have to admit that I loved Babu Frik.

That was a very humorous character that I liked.

Another thing I noticed is by the end of the movie, I think Finn began to feel "The Force". Anybody else pick up on that?

Yup!


You asked about the character of ROSE and why so many people hate her,,,

I am going to give this a shot and I believe this is how the naysayers feel..

It was too obvious that her character was created to throw more diversity into the Star Wars universe. In other words, "We need an Asian let's throw this character in there."

Then it seemed like they didn't know what to do with this character.

She also is the center of one of the worst scenes in any Star Wars movie -- the casino planet. If there was ever a side story that just slowed a film down to a crawl it was this one.

I don't know if it was because her part was poorly written or acted, but she just didn't come off as being genuine. The character shows very little strength and just doesn' add anything to the mix. She just comes across as this brooding and annoying individual.

It has nothing to do with her being a woman or Asian. I think it's just that it's so blatantly apparent she was thrown in there as a token character and they did not know what to do with her.