Rise of Skywalker

Anyone who knows me knows I'm a Star Wars fan. More a fan of the original stories than the latter ones, I admit, but I did like Rogue One and Last Jedi.

I have mixed feelings about Rise of Skywalker, and I wish I had put those thoughts into words when we saw the movie in the theater in December. But family was visiting, it was Christmas, and I had more important things to do. I decided to wait until after we watched it again on DVD before commenting. 

Second Impressions

The movie was released on video and DVD in mid-March. It's telling that we didn't rush out to buy a copy as we usually do. Even more telling that we decided to rent it, and after we did through Amazon Prime, we waited over a week before we watched it. When we did watch it, we split it up between two nights. A good portion of the scenes simply didn’t hold my attention.

Which scenes were those? Certainly not the scenes between Rey and Kylo (and Ben, each time Rey was able to break through his exterior to the hurting man beneath.) Adam Driver and Daisy Ridley did a fantastic job in their roles. More on that below. But the rest...I've never warmed up to Finn and Po or their storylines. Instead of mirroring the friendship triangle of Luke, Han, and Leia, which appeared to be the goal, they seem to exist solely to cause havoc and destruction to the Resistance. It's difficult to like characters who nearly wiped out everything Leia was working for.

The Real Story

I know I'll watch the movie again in the future, but when I do, I'll likely fast forward to the scenes between Rey and Kylo. I really feel the story between them is misunderstood and largely underappreciated. Driver and Ridley appear to have understood the depth of the bond between the characters--even before the characters found out they were connected in the Force--along with the deep feelings of loneliness and rejection they share, and the subsequent need they have for one another. They are, after all, the only people in the galaxy who truly understands one another. The actors played it well. The ability that Adam Driver has to portray a man in deep emotional pain amazes me, and I love what he's done with Kylo/Ben during the last two movies. When Kylo and Rey talk to one another through the Force bond or when they’re searching for one another, they have my attention. 

The Kiss

I'm not talking about the controversial kiss at the end. I'm talking about the controversial kiss between Rey and Ben. Some people screamed so loud about it on Twitter, I could see their font without my glasses. Why!? They wanted to know. He tortured her! Tried to kill her! Tried to manipulate her! Why have her kiss him? Why not Finn?

My first though was, have they seen the movie? I'll say--and I cannot emphasize this enough--that Rey. wanted. Ben. Solo. For all the reasons I mentioned above. Did you notice her change of clothes? When, in The Last Jedi, she went to face Kylo, she changed her clothes. For the first time, the desert scavenger let her hair down and made herself look attractive.

Photo Credit: Me. You can tell by all the Beanie Babies I had to
place around the TV to keep the cat off the entertainment center.

(It's a terrible photo, but Blogger removed the previous image I'd placed there despite the fact the license was marked All Creative Commons. But to continue....)

Rey changed her clothes for Ben. She was connected to him. In Skywalker, she admitted she’d wanted to take his hand when he offered it, but she wanted to take Ben's hand. (And how do we know it was Ben at the end? Not simply because he seemed to be different man, took off his helmet, and went to rescue her, but because he changed his clothes. It mirrored Rey's actions in the previous movie.) Kylo may have started out pursuing Rey, but it was Rey who ultimately drove the relationship, pushing for change, trying to reach Ben. So much so, she couldn’t handle it when she finally bested him with the lightsaber. That wasn’t just regret at having delivered what would be a killing blow in anger. It was regret at having mortally injured him. So she healed him. And that, I believe, is the real story. Battles aren’t won with anger and revenge killings, but with heart and the determination to stand up for what’s right. 

Rey did both and she won. When she finally got her Ben, she kissed him, the man to whom she would be connected to for the rest of her life. Sadly, in showing the viewer this was indeed the last movie in the Skywalker saga, the powers that be killed him off. We can only hope he'll show up as a Force ghost and spend some time with Rey at the Skywalker homestead.

So that's it. I may not have liked some characters and scenes in Rise of Skywalker, but I still have a lifelong fondness for the Skywalkers themselves, which now includes Rey, and I'll watch the movie again. That’s what fans do. Like Rey, they stick with the object of their affection even when that object seems bent on destroying itself. 

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

This review contains blatant spoilers. If you haven't yet seen Star Wars: The Last Jedi, do not read this. It will ruin your experience. 

As of this writing, I've only seen the movie once. It was fast paced and hard to keep up with all the details on the first viewing, so these are my first impressions. 

As a charter fan of the Star Wars movies and a formerly voracious EU reader, I'm pretty picky when it comes to the franchise. Episodes I, II, and III sorely tested my loyalty. Because of that, I was hesitant when Abrams ignored the original third trilogy and SW canon and released Force Awakens. As I quickly learned, my trepidation was on spot. Having seen New Hope more times than I care to admit, I instantly recognized the similarities between the two stories. Force was nothing more than a repackaged version of the original.

I did like Rogue One—after I read the book, which fills in the gaps I noticed in the movie. The story is far more poignant than what was portrayed on the screen, and it’s now one of my favorites.

Still, I met the release of Last Jedi with far less enthusiasm than I should have as a now-quasi fan. Conflicting reviews from friends ranging from, “I loved it,” to “It was awful. I just go for a sense of completion,” didn’t help. But I went because I, too, go for a sense of completion.

As it turns out, I loved it. Last Jedi is now my favorite behind Empire Strikes Back. Yes, at times it took too much from the original trilogy. There was a fancy version of Mos Eisley complete with a bit of cantina music; the heroes having to disengage a threat located on the enemy ship; the dark side of the Force residing on the planet and Rey (instead of Luke) ultimately facing it and herself in a cave; a young Anakin-type child slave with Force powers, and even the word-for-word use of, "I feel the conflict within you.”

And yes, they’re repeating the whole Empire-Rebellion storyline with the First Order vs the Resistance, but I've read enough medieval history over the past six months to recognize that was a common occurrence among kings and king wanna-be's in the fight for ultimate power. So the latter didn’t bother me as much as it would have in the past.

But I did like the fact that they dug deeper into the characters lives' as well as the overall story, fleshing out both instead of relying on spectacular effects and battle scenes. (And those scenes were spectacular. It was quintessential Star Wars, which is one reason people love this movie. And that red on white on the Hoth-looking planet was a great choice.)

Adam Driver did a fantastic job with his character. The subtleties in his movements and facial tics at times spoke volumes, and I absolutely loved the chemistry between Kylo and Rey. Chemistry that was blatantly lacking in episodes I-III. I understood Kylo more and why he did what he ultimately did (note: it wasn't for Rey's sake. The director played that out well.) Overall, the tension and conflict ran high throughout in both action and characterization. There were so many black moments, I didn't see how the story could possibly have anything but a depressing ending

I also now understand why Luke vanished and lived at the site of the first Jedi temple. I’d read that Mark Hamill didn’t like the way Luke was portrayed, saying something to the effect that Jedis didn’t hide. I walked into the theater thinking the same after having seen Force Awakens. But Luke wasn’t a Jedi on that island. That’s the point he was trying to make to Rey. He’d failed, causing death and destruction. Having suffered the consequences of his “hubris,” he shrank back from the beating his ego had taken, read the Jedi texts, and struggled to put the Jedi religion into its proper perspective in the universe. He came to the conclusion that the Force wasn’t theirs to play with. They were just one part of it and they’d wielded it like a child with a weapon. He understood the damage the Jedi had caused despite all their well intentions, and he didn’t care to be a part of that any more. I got that and liked how the entire storyline unfolded.

I also appreciated the wisdom in that scene. As was said, failure is a good teacher. I know from experience it can redirect us to a better, more sensible direction.

There were some poignant scenes in the movie as well. If I were the crying type, tears would have filled my eyes at Luke and Leia’s last encounter. Oh, and that sunset scene. That brought the entire series full circle. My thanks to whoever did that.

When it was over, perhaps to my husband's dismay, I gave a quiet, slow clap of approval. Star Wars had returned in all its glory. I can't wait to see it a second time and experience it all over again.

Mr. Holmes

I've been on a Sherlock Holmes kick lately thanks to the Masterpiece series, Sherlock. But my interest in the detective is hardly new. As a child, I began reading Sherlock Holmes mysteries after graduating from the Box Car Children and Nancy Drew. I was horrified when Sherlock died during an encounter with Moriarty, and relieved when he returned to life. So when I saw the movie, Mr. Holmes on Netflix, I put it in our queue.

In this quality production, Sherlock Holmes is an elderly gentleman living in the English countryside, barely able to walk and no longer interested in solving crimes. When the movie opens, he is returning home to his cottage by the sea from Japan, and he is greeted by his live-in housekeeper, Mrs. Munro, played by Laura Linney. Also living at the cottage is Munro's son, Roger, who in real life is an exceptional young actor by the name of Milo Parker. From the start, we see the relationship between the Munros and the curmudgeonly Holmes is somewhat contentious, but young Roger manages to work his way into the heart of the crusty detective.

But their story is simply a subplot. Sherlock has one more mystery to solve, and it involves him and the reason he abandoned his vocation and retired to the countryside decades before. A reason he can no longer remember. The movie has a slow start, and initially, swift cuts to images from both the past and Japan confused us, but it all works together in classic Holmes style to provide the viewer with a satisfying ending. With solid performances, a poignant storyline, and beautiful scenery, this is one I'll watch again.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

This post contains spoilers. Unapologetic spoilers.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, a space battle takes place as an oppressive evil that has overtaken star systems strives to capture a resistance fighter in possession of plans they want and need. But alas, the fighter hides the plans in a trusty droid. After a daring escape, the droid ends up on the sandy, arid planet below where it encounters a lone resident who is then catapulted into a journey that will fling our motley band across the stars. They meet up with Han Solo and his faithful companion, Chewbacca, smugglers running from those who want their due. Together, they escape in the Millennium Falcon, a galactic hunk of junk that made the Kessel Run in twelve parsecs. They're captured, but eventually escape again in time to blow up a massive weapon, all while trying to elude a dark-masked villain out to capture them.

Sound familiar? There's a reason. While The Force Awakens successfully blends the old with the new, at its heart, it's a rehash of Star Wars IV: A New Hope that contains elements that will remind viewers of Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Catwalk over a lot of space where a confrontation with the masked villain occurs leading to one hero falling into the abyss? It's there. Struggle to break into a building and lower the force field so fighter pilots can destroy the planet-sized weapon that destroys planets? It's there. Cantina where one character tries to find transportation off a planet? It's there. There's more, but I know one needs to stick with three examples.

I'm told it's called paying homage to the original trilogy, but I call it recycling. Which leads me to the following question: Why, J.J. Abrams, why? You do a fantastic job, but as with Star Trek, you had a blank canvas with few restrictions before you. Why rehash an old story, especially when a third trilogy exists along with an entire Extended Universe of stories from which to draw? And sending Han back to smuggling? That's totally contrary to the character growth we saw in Star Wars IV - VI.

Don't get me wrong, the movie is well done with plenty of action and a story that moves along at a nice pace. New characters are introduced, and screen time is provided to the old. And thankfully, it lacks the cheesiness that was the Ewoks, Jar Jar, and the dialogue someone for some reason gave Ewan McGregor, a fine actor who didn't deserved those silly one-liners (when he was finally given permission to act, the third movie improved exponentially.)

Another reason I'm dismayed is that I'd read Abrams was pulled into the project by the intriguing question, Who is Luke Skywalker? After watching Force Awakens, I believe the question really was, How can we pretend the movie is about Luke Skywalker? Why?

WARNING: spoilers, spoilers, spoilers......

Because Luke has about forty-five seconds of screen time at the very end of the movie. And he wasn't given one line. Not a single word. My cousin reminded me it was a powerful moment. I'll grant him that, but for those of us who have loved Luke since that magic moment where he stared at the double sunset on Tatooine wondering about his future, that's kind of upsetting. So was the catwalk scene, but you'll see it coming.

Bottom line: If you go expecting an action-packed movie, you'll enjoy The Force Awakens. If you go expecting no more than to meet new characters and to get a good jump-off to upcoming movies, you'll enjoy it. BB-8 is adorable, you'll watch lightsaber duels, the old cast is in it, and overall, it's a fun movie millions love. Clearly, since it's breaking records. Just don't go expecting a new storyline. The disturbance in the Force you'll feel will be your minor sense of disappointment.