Now that Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is out, many fans are looking at the newest trilogy and comparing the films. Given that The Last Jedi was such a divisive movie in the fandom and all of the intense internet reaction that came from it, fans have strong feelings about both of these films. In many ways, The Rise of Skywalker sought to retcon what happened in The Last Jedi, and while some people like this, many people aren’t pleased. The film hasn’t done well with critics overall either.
There are some things about The Rise of Skywalker that are more successful than its predecessor as well as quite a few things that it doesn’t do as well, and we will take a look at some of these major points.
NOT: FOCUSING TOO MUCH ON THE PAST
When it came to The Last Jedi, this movie was clearly trying to take a new approach to Star Wars movies and lore than before. Instead of keeping the story very much in line with the tropes and beats expected from a Star Wars film, it went in a new direction.
Many fans appreciate this, but many others wanted things to feel the same. The Rise of Skywalker definitely tried to go back to a feeling that was more like the original trilogy. However, this isn’t necessarily positive. Focusing on the past and just trying to repeat things doesn’t make for an engaging or fresh story.
NOT: MAKING REY PALPATINE’S GRANDDAUGHTER
This is the one single point that might be the biggest retcon of The Last Jedi. While the previous film made a point to say that Rey didn’t have any special parentage and to focus on the fact that the Force was available to more than just the Jedi, The Rise of Skywalker really walked this back.
By making Rey basically part of an aristocratic family of Sith as the granddaughter of Emperor Palpatine, it took away from the more egalitarian ideas of the Force that were new and exciting.
BETTER: LESS FOCUS ON BIG FIGHTS AND SPECIAL EFFECTS
While some of the plotline retcons in Rise of Skywalker weren’t necessarily positive, there are some overall storytelling choices that were more effective in this final movie.
While The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi felt a lot sleeker and more focused on things like big effects and impressive fight scenes, Skywalker gets back to more of a character focus. While there are still fights and effects, scaling things down somewhat was actually rather effective.
NOT: REMOVING ROSE TICO TO APPEASE CERTAIN FANS
When it comes to big franchises, there are always fans with many strong opinions. It’s never possible to please everyone, and it’s also understandable that people want to critique a story that has such a big impact and reach.
However, some of the reaction turned into abusive bullying of actresses like Kelly Marie Tran. The fact that The Rise of Skywalker seemed to basically condone these bullying tactics by reducing Rose Tico to nothing more than a side character with only a couple minutes of screen time is rather upsetting.
BETTER: SHOWING JUST HOW POWERFUL REY IS
There are some things in Star Wars that are somewhat of a given, and this is that the main protagonists of each trilogy are going to be naturally powerful and talented at using the Force.
So, seeing Rey be able to show just how powerful she could be was a highlight of the film. It also makes sense that she would be extra powerful given the idea of balance in the Force.
NOT: A VERY CONTRIVED PLOT
Ending a trilogy is definitely a difficult thing to do, and ending a decades-long franchise is even harder. There are always going to be some plot holes and moments that feel a little forced.
However, despite the fact that other Star Wars movies also have this problem, the plot felt both rushed and too simple. There were too many easy coincidences and contrivances that had to happen in order to reach the end. And, while some of this can be forgiven, a lot of it was too hard to believe.
BETTER: FOCUSING ON CHARACTER INTERACTIONS
While the minute details of characterization in The Rise of Skywalker can definitely be debated, one positive about this movie was the way it did focus a lot on interactions between main characters.
While the plot might have suffered for this somewhat, it was a positive to see more of these characters and who they were. There was definitely more time for the new heroes like Finn, Poe, and Rey to shine.
NOT: MAKING KYLO AND REY RELATIONSHIP CLEARLY ROMANTIC
One thing that is always a point of contention in fandom is shipping. There is a lot of frustration amongst many fans that a relationship with Finn and Poe never happened despite the fact all the pieces were there.
So, seeing that the franchise chose to make the Rey and Kylo relationship explicitly romantic in the end seems like a bad choice. This dynamic is rather troubling, and it doesn’t seem fair to Rey and her story. It felt forced and also problematic, and it doesn’t make a lot of sense that this is the relationship the final movie choose to go with.
BETTER: LETTING THE THREE MAIN HEROES WORK TOGETHER
The Last Jedi got a lot of things right, but one valid criticism is the fact that the main heroes didn’t ever get much chance to be together on screen. However, given that it was the middle movie in a trilogy, separating these characters for a while is also understandable.
However, bringing the three main characters back together and giving them lots of screen time was rewarding and also endearing. The fact that they all ended up alive and together with a caring hug at the end was a great way to end their stories.
NOT: THE DIALOGUE
One of the biggest criticisms noted by critics and fans alike is how clunky the dialogue from The Rise of Skywalker was. While Star Wars might have a bit of a reputation for some cheesy writing at times, especially in the prequels, Skywalker might have some of the worst.
Even though the actors were clearly trying their best, some of the lines were too ham-fisted. It felt like the dialogue was trying to hit audiences over the head by telling them when a moment was supposed to be funny or emotional.
