Not a classic, but Star Wars finale is fun

Busy movie: JJ Abrams managed to fashion a
mostly believable conclusion to the Star Wars saga

The Skywalker saga is over. The 42-year cinematic odyssey that had some soaringly high points and a few equally low moments, has ended in an acceptable fashion with Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker.

But it will leave some fans of the original films lamenting what might have been had this sequel trilogy been thoughtfully planned out.

In places, The Rise of Skywalker has sparks of emotional connection that were lacking in the previous film in the trilogy. Interestingly, director JJ Abrams has made this film mostly leap over the divisive The Last Jedi, and act as a sequel to his episode 7, The Force Awakens.
For the most part you can watch this without having even seen The Last Jedi, which will be a bonus for many people.

What else did we learn from this film? Well, it seems tossing the lightsabre is now a thing, and possibly a future Olympic sport.

The humour is more in line with the classic Star Wars films, although in some places is misplaced. For instance, a jolting moment comes when Poe and Rey engage in a conversational joust that is annoyingly out of place and petty. It comes after the Millennium Falcon returns to base and, given the gravity of the story at that point, would they really be arguing about who got the spaceship or droid damaged the most?

At its core, The Rise of Skywalker is a return to the simplistic, formulaic Saturday morning science fiction shorts of the 1930s, think Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers, that lent much to the genesis of the original Star Wars trilogy. And there is a charm in that.

If you go into the theatre with lowered expectations, you'll likely to be pleasantly surprised. That's hardly a ringing endorsement, but after the train wreck of The Last Jedi it says much.

Following the story-telling void of its predecessor, Abrams somehow manages to concoct a believable, if at times contrived, story arc within the film's 2 hours and 25 minutes' running time. It's cluttered and moves at such breakneck speed it is impossible to take in everything, or savour moments that deserve more.

This lack of finesse highlights the folly of Disney's handling of such a premier intellectual property. The studio allowed the concluding trilogy to be made without first having a mapped out, overarching storyline for the three movies. As such, there are plot points in The Rise of Skywalker that would have been bettered served in the previous film, rather than shoehorned into this finale.

However, back to the good things about The Rise of Skywalker. The actors appear more natural, comfortable and real, although for the newer generation there is still very little buy-in that would make audiences overly concerned about their stories or fates.
The character of Rey, played by Daisy Ridley, shows a touch more believability and emotion. Adam Driver, as Kylo, is the strongest main character, as he has been for the trilogy.

The late Carrie Fisher returns as Leia. Her part is adequately done considering the constrains of having to rely solely on footage and outtakes from previous movies. We are left to imagine how much more satisfying it would have been had she still been with us.

Mark Hamill's portrayal of Luke, while marginal in the film, does provide the most emotionally satisfying moments. His character is one of the film industry's greatest heroes, and he receives the redemption and explanation needed in the wake of The Last Jedi.
There is still a sense of mystery about his lost years from Return of the Jedi to The Last Jedi - and in the hands of a skilled writer and director a spin-off "latter days" Skywalker movie could fill the gaps and ultimately add important background context to this final trilogy. Disney, feel free to call.

In conclusion, 3.5 out of 5 for the movie, but full marks to Abrams for the ending scene.

VIDEO: The final trailer for The Rise of Skywalker.

Four stars out of five for new Star Wars

The poster for the new Star Wars film

With the new Star Wars film only days into its general release, I shall steer clear of revealing anything of the plot in this post. What I will say is, yes go and see it.

I give it four stars out of five. It's fun, it's a great adventure story, and it has fantastic effects. New stars Daisy Ridley and John Boyega are captivating, and the film is steeped in the essence of the original three films in the saga. The emotional jolt at the end is brilliant and timed to perfection.

I'd loved to have given the film five stars, and perhaps when the next two (and final?) episodes are in place The Force Awakens will be elevated as a result. But for the moment it must stand on its own, albeit with its many nods back to the preceding films in the series.

Director JJ Abrams has done a fine job bringing the Star Wars franchise into the 21st century, but he has played it somewhat safe with The Force Awakens. As spectacular and enjoyable as the film is, there is a little too much reliance on the "tried and tested" recipe of the past, and not enough pushing beyond the established boundaries of the Star Wars universe. Having grown up with a high regard for the original trilogy, I was hoping for a larger dose of uniqueness in this new adventure.

Abrams has constructed a remarkable film that stands up well next to the original three Star Wars movies. But I'm left wondering if perhaps a brake was applied to more ambitious ideas on account of this being a Disney film and also a huge "first spin of the dice" gamble for the studio after it paid George Lucas $4 billion to secure the franchise.

I went to a charity, late-night showing of the film the day before it went on general release. As I rode my moped towards town ahead of the 11pm screening, I was remembering the night in 1978 when I saw the original Star Wars. I was 11 years old. The nearest cinema was in a town five miles away, and at the time we did not have a family car. However, a friendly teacher and his wife, who had a car, took me and my older brother to see the film.

In an age when it was still a novelty to see a colour television, I was blown away by the film. It was a tour de force with special effects not seen before on a big screen. The story, structured on the hero's journey, drew me in completely. The loss of Ben Kenobi was an emotional moment that stayed with me for a long time. During the car ride home I gazed out of the window at the starry night and imagined that somewhere out there this great adventure might indeed have taken place a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.

Now, just over 37 years later, it was another starry night and I was heading to a cinema to see the continuation of the saga from where it had left off after 1983's The Return of the Jedi. In a way that’s what makes Star Wars quite unique for many people, the fact that it has been a constant in their life from a very young age.

I watched The Force Awakens, and when I left the cinema I contemplated the night sky and remembered how the younger me had done the same in 1978. Walking away from the cinema, I had a similar feeling of fulfilment and wonder. Seeing so many of the original Star Wars characters in this new film was more than a sentimental kick. They, like me, had outwardly aged in the intervening three decades; we had journeyed through our lives to reach this point, which felt like a reuniting of old friends.

In the wake of The Force Awakens, the Star Wars saga appears to be back on track after the less than fulfilling prequels of the late 1990s and early 2000s. My hope is there will be a greater amount of risk-taking in the next film, regarding new plot lines, villains, and those emotional jolts that stay with the audience long after they have departed the theatre.

Well done to Abrams for The Force Awakens. May the Force be with the next director, Rian Johnson, who now picks up the saga where it has been so tantalisingly placed by Abrams.