Rise of Skywalker or…Indecision?

I’ve struggled with this post since about ten minutes after seeing Rise of Skywalker. I didn’t think I’d have a problem penning a thousand words about a Star Wars movie and how I felt about it. Yet, here I am on my fourth or fifth draft, hoping to pull something together. Avengers: End Game didn’t give me this much or any problem. So what the hell?

It wasn’t a terrible movie. If it had been, I would be letting the hate flow through me, pouring my feelings into this post. Rise of Skywalker followed in the footsteps of all of its predecessors in terms of action and adventure. I certainly wasn’t left twiddling my thumbs. My full attention was focused on the screen the whole time. Enjoyment, or lack thereof, isn’t my problem.

As I sit here thinking it over, something Adam said before heading into the theater keeps repeating in my head. Over dinner, he said he wasn’t as excited as he was for the other movies. We were walking into the final segment of the Skywalker saga. The end. “What a killjoy!” ran through my head. as this was a sobering admission, we didn’t dwell on it too long. The check needed to be paid, and we had a movie to get to.

Looking back, I hadn’t been excited either. Not like I had been to see Force Awakens and Last Jedi. I had been carrying around a great big bag of hesitation. Without even feeling it on my shoulders. Now, it’s getting in the way of me being able to write this post and get it scheduled on time. Thanks for the heads up, brain. Not appreciated.

This hesitation wasn’t about quality; rather, it was springing from the longevity and weighty presence enjoyed by this franchise. If you’d have asked me when I was younger if there’d ever be another Star Wars movie, I’d have given a lamenting no. But as we were preparing to party like it was 1999 in 1999, fans received The Phantom Menace. Being almost out of high school by the time Star Wars’ resurrection hit movie theaters meant, I had already spent a lot of time with these characters and their stories. All the same, we were getting a movie we never thought we’d get. Excited doesn’t quite cover what I felt. I’d never had the opportunity to see a Star Wars movie released on the big screen on its inaugural run.

I’ll skip the Jar Jar bashing, being well-trodden ground by now. Despite the enthusiasm each new release drummed up, Episodes One, Two, and Three ended up not being my favorite. In fact, I avoid watching them whenever possible. Great visual and special effects. I wouldn’t mind raiding Padme’s closet, that’s for sure. Getting to watch Ewan MacGregor for two hours at a time a definite boom. But overall, they didn’t live up to the adventure of the original trilogy. Womp, womp goes the sad trombone.

The Skywalker saga was launched again in 2015 with The Force Awakens. This time, it would be racing toward the story’s finale. I stepped into the theater with let’s call it an optimistic reservation. I had been burned before. I didn’t want to be fooled again. At the same time, this was a story I had lived and breathed my whole life. The end result was an enthusiastic, “Please, sir, I’d like some more.” And that is what I received. But who really wants a good thing to end?

No one. That’s who.

And this is precisely why I’m staring at a huge block. I haven’t fully processed my feelings for Rise of Skywalker.

It doesn’t help that there was a lot crammed into the two hours and twenty-something minutes. So much, I barely knew that amount of time had passed by. That might be part of my problem processing what I watched. The movie went plaid from the get-go. The scroll faded, and we were in lightspeed. JJ Abrams opted for an ambitious finale. To live up to the expectations set by the franchise’s legions of fans, there’s no wonder why he made that choice. Was that the right decision? I’m not sure.

I enjoyed Rise of Skywalker. Qualifying that reaction is difficult. Especially under the tag of “No spoilers.” The adventure and the chase kept me rapt. We, characters and audience alike, in for a race to the finish. The action was used to underscore the dire straights both sides find themselves in. As a result, the signature land and spacescapes of the franchise are more varied than in previous films. The budget has come a long way since A New Hope.

Threading old footage of Carrie Fisher seamlessly into fresh cuts was skillfully done. Care and effort were taken to make Princess Leia a part of this movie. They had little choice. She was the face of the Rebellion, after all. This couldn’t have been the end of the Skywalker franchise without her.

Despite all of that, I am sitting at the platform in Indecision City. A place I know well when we’re talking about what I’m going to order at a restaurant. Rise of Skywalker had a lot to offer. Yet, I can’t say whether or not I felt like it was a fitting end for a story that began forty years ago and influenced so many people, myself included.

That determination is going to have to wait until I’ve seen it at least one more time. Maybe even two more times. I won’t be sitting there to nitpick it to death. I find the revisiting of some movies helps me to appreciate and/or understand the film better. Also, if I hold off, I won’t feel bad about putting out a spoiler riddled discussion. I’ll leave you now with the recommendation to go see it. What’s the harm in riding with the crew if the Millennium Falcon one more time?