“Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker” Movie Review

    To call the supposedly last Star Wars film in the ‘Skywalker Saga’ one of my most anticipated films of 2019 is a bit of an understatement.  Star Wars have been an important part of my life since I was a kid.  I watched the original trilogy countless times growing up and enjoyed the expanded universe material with dreams of what that universe had to still explore.  When the prequels and later the Disney era films came out, “Star Wars” has continued to hold a special place in my heart.

    This review will continue no spoilers, only brief descriptions of events already shared through trailers or plot summaries before the film’s release.  The film follows our new generation of heroes Rey, Finn, and Poe as they seek to bring peace to the galaxy from the grips of Kylo Ren (formally Ben Solo).  A mysterious force from the past may prove a greater challenge, and danger, to both the Resistance and the First Order than anyone could have imagined.

    There was a lot for me to process upon finishing the movie but long story short, I enjoyed this movie quite a bit and I don’t feel the movie deserves the negative reviews it has been getting.  That being said, the movie is not without some flaws (some minor, a few major).  The film has many moments of jaw dropping visuals and moments fans will discuss for a long time to come but some of those moments will surely divide fans.

    The film is paced at a breakneck speed with little time to rest and makes the film feel a bit rushed at times.  Some of this was the fault of the last film, “Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi”, for not building towards a climax in regards to the trilogy.  J.J. Abrams was forced to set up a conflict and resolve it in a satisfying way over the course of this single film.  For the most part I feel like Abrams has succeeded in his efforts.

    Another divisive element this film will face is the same complaint people had against Abrams’ first Star Wars film,  “Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens”, in that it feels like a copy of an original trilogy film.  Instead of borrowing story elements of ‘A New Hope’, this film borrows elements from ‘Return of the Jedi’.  Abrams has always seemed to struggle with originality, regardless if it’s Star Wars or Star Trek.

    One interesting note is that this film also seems to borrow quite a bit from the non-cannon expanded universe material from years ago.  Parts of this film feels lifted from the pages of “Star Wars: Dark Empire”.  Fans who have read that and have seen this film will know what I am referring to but if you haven’t, trust me, it does.

    The main complaint people will have about this film is the ending.  Of course I can’t really talk about what happens, but for a film that bills itself as ‘the end of the Skywalker saga’, it certainly leaves plenty of obvious doors open to continue.  I am not even saying that is necessarily a bad thing, but it will make some fans upset.  From Finn’s secret that never gets addressed (though hinted at) to mysteries that are left unsolved, there are plenty to explore in regards to more Star Wars films.

    I will say that I love the way this film manages to tie all the episodes together.  While most of the fan service is in regards to the original trilogy, this film doesn’t shy away from the prequel trilogy.  I also absolutely loved what this film did with the character of Chewbacca.

    The cast did an excellent job in this film with the highlights being Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Ian McDiarmid, Oscar Isaac, and Billy Dee Williams.  Carrie Fisher’s scenes were handled well and very carefully crafted into the movie in an organic way which was a huge concern of mine.

    “Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker” isn’t a perfect film but it is still very fun and a step above ‘The Last Jedi’.  Like this film or hate it, this was a Star Wars film clearly made for the fans so we have no one to blame but ourselves if we don’t like it.  I had a good time personally and while I think most fans will need some time to digest the film, I think they will ultimately look at this film favorably.

Grade: B

“Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace” Movie Review

    The excitement leading up to the release of “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace” was beyond compare.  The original Star Wars trilogy were among the most popular films of all time.  I seriously doubt any film could have matched what fans had hoped for in terms of Episode I.  Still, on release day, we all did our best to be among the first people to see the movie.  I remember I didn't end up seeing it with my family for about a week or two after it came out because it was so popular that the theaters were literally selling out of seats.  Then we finally got seats to see it and I remember how excited me and my brothers were.  It was special for us.  My brothers were all very different people but the one thing we all loved was Star Wars.

    “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace” depicts the Jedi trying to negotiate a deal between the Trade federation and the people of Naboo.  Little do they know, there is a darker power behind these events.  The evil Sith reveal their existence once again and plunge the galaxy into chaos.

    Liam Neeson led the cast as Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn.  Ewan McGregor portrays a young Obi-Wan Kenobi, a role previously played by Alec Guinness.  Jake Lloyd played Anakin Skywalker, a child destined to become Darth Vader.  Natalie Portman is also featured as the Queen of Naboo.  Ian McDiarmid, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, and Frank Oz all reprise their roles from the original trilogy.

    Upon it's release, the film ended up disappointing most fans and getting mixed to negative marks from critics.  The movie felt very different to the original trilogy despite it's familiar settings.  This is in large part to it's shift in using computer generated images over practical effects.  This is perhaps most obvious with one of the most hated characters in the franchise.  Regardless of how you feel about the character, Jar Jar Binks was revolutionary as he was the first all cgi character in a motion picture.  Unfortunately, Jar Jar Binks was an extremely annoying character.

    The film has also been panned by many who claim it was boring.  The film shifted the focus from a galactic civil war to the political turmoil that led up to that conflict.  From a story point, it would be very difficult to ignore the politics that leads up to war.  The film may have been flawed at inception but people often leave out the many good qualities of the movie when discussing this film.

    I enjoyed the actors a lot.  Liam Neeson and Ewan McGreogor felt like they belonged in their Jedi robes.  Ray Park made for a menacing Darth Maul.  I even thought Jake Lloyd did a good job.  A lot of people made fun of Jake Lloyd's performance in the film to the point he quit acting and suffered a breakdown.  I thought Lloyd did a remarkable job and I thought he was much better than Hayden Christensen turned out to be.

    There is also no denying how great the action scenes were.  The lightsaber duel between Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Darth Maul remains one of the best of the franchise.  Set to John Williams’ “Duel of the Fates”, it is one of the most iconic themes of recent history.

    I am not going to lie and pretend their wasn't some serious issues with this film, but it was also the first Star Wars movie we got in what felt like forever, so that is something to be happy for.  I will also fondly remember this as a time I got to bond with my oldest brother.  He has since passed away but that bonding time spent over Star Wars can never be replaced.

Grade: B

"Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith" Movie Review

    The Star Wars prequel trilogy up until Episode III may not have been what fans were hoping for, but regardless of what they thought of the previous two prequels, audiences were still eager to see how the prequel trilogy would end and link up to the original trilogy.  This was, after all, likely (at the time) the last time we would be able to experience a Star Wars movie on the big screen and we all were hoping George Lucas would manage to stick the landing.

    “Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith” tells the story of how Anakin Skywalker fell to the dark side to become Darth Vader in the aftermath of the Clone Wars. After becoming Darth Vader, the Government is turned into a dictatorship and the Rebellion is born as a result.

    Among the returning cast are Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen, Natalie Portman, Ian McDiarmid, Samuel L. Jackson, Christopher Lee, Peter Mayhew, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, James Earl Jones, and Frank Oz.  George Lucas once again directs and John Williams provides another good score.

    First of all, this movie was a vast improvement overall compared to the other two prequels.  It felt more like a Star Wars movie and it told the story we had been waiting to see, the fall of Anakin Skywalker.  Showing the “birth” of Darth Vader was a bit graphic and landed the series it’s first PG-13 rating.  I remember there were parents who wouldn’t let their kids watch the movie as a result.

    The film had a lot of great action sequences.  From the epic opening space battle to the last emotional lightsaber battle between Obi-Wan and Vader, the movie delivers in regards to eye candy.  The movie also features great performances from Ewan McGregor and Ian McDiarmid as the opposing forces and influences of Anakin.
    The film’s connection to the original trilogy is both a blessing and curse.  It is great seeing fan favorites like Chewbecca but it also crams in a lot to make it connect. It would have been nice to see things like the Jedi purge play out a little more.
    The film has some pacing issues but is still overall fun.  It would have been nice to see more than the first and last battle of the Clone Wars but I guess George Lucas figured the animated show could fill in the gaps.  General Grevious was a very promising character in animated form but was a useless side villain in the film.

    Hayden Christensen was a problem with this film just as he was for Episode II.  Christensen is more than capable of a good performance so it’s sad these films have tarnished his image.  I think maybe he either didn’t mesh well with George Lucas or the all cgi locations just took him out of his element.  Hayden Christensen did improve in this chapter but he was still the weakest link of the main cast.
    “Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith” doesn’t reach the levels of perfection the original trilogy is known for, but it is miles ahead of the rest of the prequel films.  It’s a fun ride with a few elements that don’t completely work.

Grade: B+