Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker Reactions: SPOILERS

[Jenny72]

So I think everything has pretty much been said at this point, but I'll throw another comment in. I am a SW fan who liked the OT enough to hang posters around my apartment, etc. When it came out, I was dying to see Phantom Menace and was shocked with how it didn't live up to the originals. I was really excited to see what Disney did with the sequels, but couldn't believe how TFA was so parallel to a New Hope. I liked the characters, but I was like, is that IT??

TLJ was stupid and/or tone-deaf in parts (floating Leia, wisecracking Yoda), but the one thing it made me think is, SW has potential to blow my mind again the way it did the first time. I was like....now *this* is interesting!! I wanted to see where it went because I assumed that whatever was burned down would rise again like a phoenix. There would be some alternative to the jedi that would be different. There would be a new way that the force could emerge in individuals. I couldn't wait to see how the new SW would emerge with the same power as the old one, but in a different way, because you can't keep doing the same thing over and over and expect people to be moved. I wanted my mind blown again.

So I didn't really think TLJ was a great movie exactly, but I got excited about SW again. I haven't seen the new movie, but it looks like everything is set back in predictable ways, which is fine, I guess. But I do think there can be value in taking the core of what SW is and reshaping it to see what it can do. There's more potential there than just replaying the same story with different faces. Let it loose!

 

[Ellen Ripley]

Lol, Dad Bod.

DILF

 

[Joesixtoe]

On one hand...I fully agree with you...no way the story I’ve read puts it near those two...

On the other hand...I haven’t seen it. Which is insane and is just an indictment of all the baggage that Star Wars carries. In a way - it’s 1 & 2 that are responsible. Disney was never going to be allowed to make mediocre or worse Star Wars movies...the backlash was guaranteed.

Talk about a “phantom menace”?

Take the plunge and see it.. you gotta finish it buddy. "Dew it!"

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Take the plunge and see it.. you gotta finish it buddy. "Dew it!"

When my kids are bored enough to ask...we’ll see it.

Not like I’ll have a hard time finding tickets

 

[The_Jobu]

I appreciate they gave an honest attempt to fix the DT after Rian needlessly chopped off all of TFA's setups to subvert expectations (how can someone with such a round head be so edgy??), but it was all just disappointing to me. So much potential, so little leadership. Wasted potential everywhere and they pretty much broke the concept of the force for me now.

It did make me want to watch the PT and OT again though, so there's that.

 

[Dole Whip Happy Hour]

in hindsight....I can't help but think that one of the root problems for this last trilogy was a bad business decision to push new characters too soon to get the next generation of characters instilled. Maybe they should have started a different set of movies years ago (maybe instead of the prequels when the actors were younger) with the original main characters. Flesh out their end stories in a separate movie(s) while weaving rey and the others in at a slower pace, and after that, then have this set of movies happen. I feel like Disney waas trying to hold on to the series by installing new blood as quickly as possible, at the expense of the old.

 

[The_Jobu]

in hindsight....I can't help but think that one of the root problems for this last trilogy was a bad business decision to push new characters too soon to get the next generation of characters instilled. Maybe they should have started a different set of movies years ago (maybe instead of the prequels when the actors were younger) with the original main characters. Flesh out their end stories in a separate movie(s) while weaving rey and the others in at a slower pace, and after that, then have this set of movies happen. I feel like Disney waas trying to hold on to the series by installing new blood as quickly as possible, at the expense of the old.

They went into production almost immediately after acquiring the rights. As Dr. Ian Malcom once said "they were too busy figuring out whether or not the could, they didn't stop to think if they should". I would have laid it out: 1st movie mostly OT characters and introduce some new, 2nd movie 50/50, 3rd movie mostly new characters and the originals officially pass the torch.

 

[TROR]

They double crossed George Lucas and now Lucas wants nothing to do with the series.
They didn't want his input or direction, the direction of the guy who wrote the whole storyline for the 9 movies.

Notice how Stan Lee participated in all the Marvel movies and Lucas has kept his distance from the new Star Wars productions.

Lucas also had some stupid ideas about the force iirc.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Lucas also had some stupid ideas about the force iirc.

You mean stuff like Force superspeed used only once?

 

[Professortango1]

My take on this whole thing is that the critics loved TLJ because they are woke. TLJ was a woke type of film. Identity politics was shoved into as many places as humanly possible and at the detriment of well established characters and stories. It was also shoved into as many places as humanly possible to the detriment of the new characters that were introduced in TFA.

So of course, the woke critics loved it. The actual audience who spent money to see it (both die hard fans - and casual fans) didn't like it. Thus the disparity in the RT scores for TLJ.

So enter RoS where Abrams tried to retcon some of the decisions Johnson made. By doing this, he PO'd the woke critics. And those woke critics reacted with the RT ratings they gave. Actual fans like RoS and the disparity between critic and audience is now reversed. But the damage to the franchise has already been done. I don't think there is anything that could've been done in IX that would have fixed that.

What was woke about TLJ? Its my dad's favourite Star Wars film behind New Hope and Empire. I kind of agree. I loved where Johnson took the story. He made the force into something not bound by bloodlines, something that is awakening across the universe. He made our heroes and villains into shades of grey rather than cookie cutter characters. He dealt with issues such as guilt and depression and the effects it can have. Was the movie perfect? Nope. But I really liked watching a Star Wars movie that did something new again rather than giving us fan service. LOOK CHEWIE GOTZ HIZ MEDAL! Ugh

 

[The_Jobu]

What was woke about TLJ? Its my dad's favourite Star Wars film behind New Hope and Empire. I kind of agree. I loved where Johnson took the story. He made the force into something not bound by bloodlines, something that is awakening across the universe. He made our heroes and villains into shades of grey rather than cookie cutter characters. He dealt with issues such as guilt and depression and the effects it can have. Was the movie perfect? Nope. But I really liked watching a Star Wars movie that did something new again rather than giving us fan service. LOOK CHEWIE GOTZ HIZ MEDAL! Ugh

He dealt with new things, I just dont think he dealt with them very well at all. He chopped off TFA at the legs and didn't bother to set up anything better. He turned Luke into a miserable, pathetic git (he wouldn't fight back against Vader and the evil of the emperor but he almost murdered his nephew in his sleep??). Probably the worst lightsaber fight of all time. Antagonized the fans. Broke continuity (stupid Holdo maneuver). Just everything Holdo in general.

Ugh. I could go on but I dont want to think about that movie anymore.

I guess I could see the appeal to people who desperately wanted to see something new out of Star Wars, though why bother changing it so much if everyone loved what it was already? Now ep9 has to spend 3/4 of its running time just trying to patch over TLJ.

 

[The_Jobu]

Would be fair to say that Kathleen Palpatine double crossed and betrayed George Lucas, grabbed all the power and then shut George out from telling his story.

Was it her? Was she a puppet? Was it Iger? We need a good tell-all biography years from now. I want to know how she allowed so many projects with seemingly no oversight, and then had to fire directors and order tons of reshoots.

 

[The_Jobu]

Well Kat Palpatine was under Lucas at LucasFilm before they sold it to Iger.
You would think that then Ms. Palatine would honor George's wishes and story but instead she seized power and formed the Empire and left poor Luc by the way side.

Yah I think that's the prevalent theory. George thought he got a backdoor to the franchise installed when KK took the lead and would protect his creative vision.

Turns out, notsomuch.

 

[The_Jobu]

Given the Iger playbook you wonder if he pulled Ms. Palpatine's strings and encouraged her to encourage George to sell to Disney.

Now we're getting into the good stuff. If they ever make an "unofficial" biography film about them, I am definitely watching.

 

[larryz]

LOL.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Given the Iger playbook you wonder if he pulled Ms. Palpatine's strings and encouraged her to encourage George to sell to Disney.

Now we're getting into the good stuff. If they ever make an "unofficial" biography film about them, I am definitely watching.

Remember: there’s always 2...a master and an apprentice. No more...no less.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Was it her? Was she a puppet? Was it Iger? We need a good tell-all biography years from now. I want to know how she allowed so many projects with seemingly no oversight, and then had to fire directors and order tons of reshoots.

I think the actual truth is she was a double agent “puppet”...

But it doesn’t work when you try to stick two hands...wait...nevermind

Well Kat Palpatine was under Lucas at LucasFilm before they sold it to Iger.
You would think that then Ms. Palatine would honor George's wishes and story but instead she seized power and formed the Empire and left poor Luc by the way side.

I don’t think SHE was the Sith Lord...evidence to support this

Yah I think that's the prevalent theory. George thought he got a backdoor to the franchise installed when KK took the lead and would protect his creative vision.

Turns out, notsomuch.

Bingo...Disney has all but confirmed this in their under cover, roundabout way...

 

[The_Jobu]

So Kat Palpatine is Vader aka Katakin Skywalker
Bob Iger is Emperor Palpatine ruler of the Empire
And George Lucas is Obi Wan

And Chapek is Rose Tico

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

What was woke about TLJ?

It wasn't cast with all white people, and had more female characters. It also touched briefly on war profiteering and animal cruelty. Some people are still butt hurt over all of this, and don't understand that science fiction generally has a message about our modern world. It's more pronounced in Star Trek for example, but it's perfectly normal for SW as well.

 

[Professortango1]

He dealt with new things, I just dont think he dealt with them very well at all. He chopped off TFA at the legs and didn't bother to set up anything better. He turned Luke into a miserable, pathetic git (he wouldn't fight back against Vader and the evil of the emperor but he almost murdered his nephew in his sleep??). Probably the worst lightsaber fight of all time. Antagonized the fans. Broke continuity (stupid Holdo maneuver). Just everything Holdo in general.

Ugh. I could go on but I dont want to think about that movie anymore.

I guess I could see the appeal to people who desperately wanted to see something new out of Star Wars, though why bother changing it so much if everyone loved what it was already? Now ep9 has to spend 3/4 of its running time just trying to patch over TLJ.

Except Luke DID fight back against Vader and had to stop himself. Luke saw all he had accomplished being undone by Ben and for a moment considered sacrificing his ideals to end the cycle and then realized that was the wrong way. Luke's arc in TLJ was beautiful and the perfect ending to the character. Now JJ drags his corpse out to appease fans. LOok! He CaUghT da LiGhtSAber!

The Holdo maneuver was freakin' great btw. Johnson did some really cool things in taking Star Wars out of the same repetitious rut. Then JJ needlessly shoved it back. Why did we need a Snoke or Emperor for the third film other than to copy the same exact beats of Jedi? Why say the Force isn't about bloodlines and then make Rey the decedent of Palpatine and also claim to be a Skywalker? Why ignore what Johnson set up about other Force users in the universe awakening hearing of Skywalker taking on a ground fleet alone? This movie rushes so much when we didn't need half of this stuff. Rey training? Added nothing. Poe having an ex? Added nothing. Killing Chewie only to reveal him still alive immediately after? Added nothing. Heck, the whole trip to Burning Man added nothing. C-3PO's memory wipe, big nothing. Just focus on the story JJ instead of trying to check off every box of what fanbois complain about.