a review of 星球大战9：天行者崛起

Much Like Kylo Ren rebuilding his mask in the beginning of the movie, J.J. Abrams pieces together the fragments of his original vision for this trilogy after it was shattered when Rian Johnson was given control over the middle chapter. And like that rebuilt mask it's cool to look at, but the cracks are visible and it isn't the most fulfilling thing to see return. Largely because it once again feels derivative of the original trilogy. Remember how the final battle in The Force Awakens was basically the same as A New Hope's, only bigger? Well the climatic showdown here closely resembles the one found in Return of the Jedi. Only bigger. The whole film is largely comprised of scenes, moments, and a plot that mirrors those that came before, with a few concessions having been made for the things that happened in The Last Jedi that Abrams obviously didn't plan on. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised though. Abrams' film career has largely been defined by nostalgia. Even his only work on the silver screen to not be tied to a preexisting franchise is a throwback to Spielbergian science-fiction thrillers from the '80s. It's all the man has really proven himself capable of offering. Well, that and exciting setpieces with gorgeous visuals. The action sequences are thrilling and there's a lot of great scenery. The new planets visited are memorable and I loved all the creative new aliens species encountered over the course of the movie that made the former action-figure collector in me drool. As to why I find Rise of Skywalker's emulative nature so problematic whereas I didn't in The Force Awakens, it really comes down to two reasons. The first being that these young heroes didn't live up to the ones they were intended to follow in the footsteps of. BB-8's presence dropped off after the first film, Finn's most defining character trait was his one-track mind obsession with Rey, and this is the first time Poe actually felt like one of the main three protagonists after largely being sidelined for the majority of this trilogy and being little more than an ornery screw up whenever he was onscreen (why Leia wanted him as the resistance's replacement general I'll never know). The second being because of The Last Jedi. When Rian Johnson took the reins for that entry this trilogy became the confused brainchild of two people with very different intentions. As a result we are left with an overarching story that feels disjointed and at odds with itself. Rise of Skywalker being the concluding chapter bears the brunt of this conflict and comes up short at establishing cohesion. Instead choosing to ignore its most direct predecessor as much as possible. All is not lost though. The film has a saving grace in Kylo and Ren. The culmination of their shared journey is sweet even if neither end up in the most satisfying position. Watching them both struggle with the darkness inside them and develop such a unique bond has been incredibly compelling and any moment where they are onscreen together is lightning. I'm also not going to sit here and act like I didn't find the whole thing entertaining. Abrams packed this with so much spectacle I found it impossible to take my eyes off the screen even if a lot of it felt like déjà vu. That being said I am glad to see this trilogy finally come to an end. Abrams' resurrection of the Skywalker family certainly had its moments and I did have fun, but at the same time I don't see how his story did anything for them that the OT didn't.