I’m going to preface this by saying that I am a Star Wars fan, and I wanted to enjoy the Sequels. That being said, every time I remember the movies, I am hurt. I mean actual physical pain.
Turn back the clock. It’s late 2015, a new Star Wars film is going to be in theaters for the first time in ten years, and for the first time since 1983 it might actually be good. Christmas 2015. You binge the whole Saga in the right order days before. You go in to watch Star Wars: The Force Awakens (for my family this started a Star Wars Christmas movie tradition). And when you come out, you feel transcendent. You’ve just been on an exhilarating adventure. JJ’s story, while a touch derivative (similar story beats to A New Hope), is still spectacular. The visuals are great, John Williams always hits it out of the park with his score (Rey’s Theme is my favorite). And then there’s the cast of characters. JJ’s choice to go for relatively unknown actors like Lucas did for ANH worked masterfully. Daisy Ridley as Rey and John Boyega as Finn (formerly FN-2187) shined in their roles. Oscar Isaac was a joy to watch, and the cameos were both great for the story and excellent fanservice. It was as perfect as one could hope for, and the box office told a similar story. For a short moment in time, there was a chance that The Force Awakens could dethrone Avatar as the highest grossing movie of all time. It still stands at #4 with over $2 billion. Everything was set for the Sequels to erase the bitter taste of the last 3 movies. Then Disney happened.
For whatever reason, possibly some criticism that TFA was too similar to ANH, Disney decided to hire writer/director Rian Johnson to make the second film in the trilogy. And it was a disaster. Now, I have no issues with Rian personally, and he is a brilliant filmmaker (watch Knives Out), but the creative decisions made in The Last Jedi make me think he didn’t watch TFA. Rose Tico as a character, and her entire arc, make no sense and serve no purpose but to put a lightsaber through what could have been a wonderful story between Rey and Finn. Using The Force in all sorts of ways throughout the film (I will excuse Yoda summoning lightning as a Force-ghost, but the hell was that with Leia), astonishing battle tactics (the Hondo Maneuver, anyone?), and the twist that Rey’s parents, the reason she was incredibly reluctant to leave Jakku in the first place were “nobody” just gut the film in a way that dazzling visuals and John Williams couldn’t save.
Naturally, there was backlash. People did not like seeing a mythos they’ve studied for decades used with reckless abandon. Some of the stuff went overboard (if you don’t like a character, don’t go after the actor. I thought we learned with Jake Lloyd), but the general consensus was that TLJ wasn’t the best. Now there’s a problem. Rian has pulled the story left of what one could reasonably assume was JJ’s intended path. And with only one film left, there’s not enough runtime to course correct gradually. Disney is faced with a choice.
In comes JJ Abrams to finish what he started. The trilogy has to end, after all they only get three films. And so he does what he can. A convoluted plot that involves Palpatine, an extra-large helping of fanservice, and perhaps the most forced love story since the Star Trek reboot. Now, I admit I felt emotional watching The Rise of Skywalker. It was the last movie, and it truly felt like the end of the Skywalker Saga. But I cannot now bring myself to watch it. The Rise of Skywalker was the last movie I saw in theater (thank you 2020), and I can barely remember it. It felt like JJ knew that there was no coming back from the charred husk that was TLJ so he cobbled together a “greatest hits” of old Star Wars characters, fed our emotions as best he could and called it.
I’m hurt because it could have been oh so different. If Kathleen Kennedy had any sense of direction, she would have left the Sequels in JJ’s hands. The man is the god of revivals (M.I:3, Star Trek, the list goes on). He had already laid down an excellent foundation that he could have built on. We could have had smooth and sensible story for Rey’s parentage, Rey and Finn’s potential love story could have been glorious. Speaking of Finn, maybe he becomes his own man over the course of the trilogy and isn’t dragged about willy-nilly. And one thing for sure, we don’t ever have to see Rose Tico.
The Sequel Trilogy started out great, then changed to a different driver who stuck it down a ditch that the first driver couldn’t get it out of. It is yet another in a long line of suits not understanding that art is a delicate medium and that two filmmakers don’t see the same story the same way. I’m hurt and angry when I remember the Sequels because it could have been so much more.
