10 years after the fall of the Jedi, former master Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) is forced out of exile to stage a desperate rescue attempt of a kidnapped young Princess Leia (Viven Lyra Blair). With the menacing Jedi hunter Reva (Moses Ingram) hot on his heels and the looming shadow of Ob-Wan’s former pupil Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen) growing larger, Kenobi is forced to rely on all his wits and help from the growing uprising within the galaxy to save the Princess and make it back to Tatooine alive.
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Rating: 7.5 out of 10.
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen, Moses Ingram, Vivien Lyra Blair, Rupert Friend, Joel Edgerton & Jimmy Smits
Watch it now in on Disney+
Lucasfilm, 2022
Like so much of the gap-filling approach Disney has taken to recent Star Wars fare – setting stories in unexplored time periods between films – Obi-Wan Kenobi’s toughest challenge is justifying its own existence. In a universe this expansive do we really need to be following the same familiar characters yet again? Fortunately the series has a huge leg-up over others in the return of fan-favourite Ewan McGregor, easily the best part of the prequel films and iconic in the role. He’s equally fantastic here, picking up right where he left, with an understated, meditative performance as an Obi-Wan wracked with guilt and without hope.
Series director Deborah Chow frames her narrative as an exploration of hope and guilt within a galaxy filled with dread, positioning Kenobi as a kind of helpful Liam Neeson Taken type – his very particular set of skills can help a lot of people – whose spark gradually returns to his eyes as he recognises the impact he brings to the people around him. Running parallel to that is the story of Moses Ingram’s Reva; the formidable presence of the imposing Inquisitor tasked with hunting down surviving force users rivalling the titular Jedi himself in terms of screen-time. Ingram does what she is given exceedingly well, but the role is rarely written to expand the character beyond silently seething or bursting with rage. The finale manages to add some more context to her character, drawing parallels with Obi-Wan’s own journey, but does so whilst condemning Ingram to a lacklustre mission, ending her story with a whimper rather than a bang.
Lucasfilm, 2022
Where the show falls short isn’t in its themes or McGregor’s performance, but rather the narrative itself: an unfortunately dull and cliched buddy film that drags more than it excites on the way to a thrilling finale. Chow clearly intends the show to be more of a character study than previous Star Wars media, consistently honing in on Kenobi’s mental state throughout his journey, but doesn’t bring enough interesting characters or inventive set-pieces into the mix to create a consistently entertaining show. Kumail Nanjiani’s Haja, a con-man posing as a Jedi, brings a few much-needed laughs and O’Shea Jackson Jr. is clearly relishing being a part of the Star Wars universe but neither is given much to do outside of unloading exposition.
The action, when compared to Lucas’ prequel films, is similarly lacklustre. Gone are the intricately choreographed lighsaber fights of the early 2000’s, replaced by what feels like the same retooled blaster shootouts and space standoffs we’ve seen since Disney took over the franchise. The final big action sequence aims to rectify this – a lightsaber battled overflowing with raw emotional weight and featuring some visually genius use of the vibrant blue and red lights of the blades – but is hampered by choppy, rapid-cut editing. It’s a suitably epic end to this adventure but one that proves Chow doesn’t have Lucas’ eye for the dance of the battle.
Lucasfilm, 2022
We’re living in an age where audiences expect a certain level of surprise in their big-budget entertainment and Obi-Wan Kenobi doesn’t disappoint in that regard, delivering plenty of fan-service moments for eagle eyed fans to dissect and obsess over. While these are fun to see, they don’t do enough to overcome how inessential the story feels. It’s great to see Hayden Christensen back in a galaxy far, far away and he does a great deal to show just how much Anakin has given himself over to his hatred in the intervening years, but only a handful of scenes really reinforce the loss Obi-Wan feels over Anakin and the desire for vengeance Vader has.
It’s hard not to wonder how a smaller scale story would have landed; perhaps the previously scrapped adventure featuring Darth Maul or something set during the Clone Wars to showcase the brotherly bond between McGregor and Christensen in live-action. There’s a certain element of cheesiness in seeing a young Leia running around as Bounty Hunters stumble over themselves trying to catch her that works against the more poignant story of Kenobi. That isn’t to say that what is here is awful, but it could have been so much more potent had the narrative been more focused.
Lucasfilm, 2022
Obi-Wan Kenobi is further proof that Ewan McGregor’s interpretation of the Jedi master is just as iconic as Alex McGuiness’. Buried within too much filler is a powerful performance of a man struggling to come to terms with the loss of a dear friend and the idea of moving forward without him. Deborah Chow clearly understands the character and the personal story she wants to tell here, but struggles to balance it with the other Star Wars elements fans expect – thrilling action, memorable side characters and investing larger narratives – on the way to a finale that features some of the best pieces of Star Wars content produced since Disney took over. The force might not always be with Kenobi, but it will always be with Ewan McGregor.
If The Mandalorian was proof that Star Wars could make the jump to live-action television, then consider The Book of Boba Fett the prequel era of the small screen adventures – a step down in quality hidden behind glossy visuals and more fan service than a rancor could devour. Temuera Morrison excels in fleshing out a character that was never meant for anything more than selling toys, but story built around him is painfully straightforward; a far cry from the mafioso crime story the series was billed as. Nevertheless the moment-to-moment action will keep you entertained and two brilliant episodes make this an absolute must-watch for any self-respecting Star Wars fan.
Following his grand return in The Mandalorian, we follow Boba Fett (Morrison) as he stakes his own claim to the throne formerly occupied by Jabba the Hutt on Tatooine; coming up against all manner of resistance from the local scum and villainy, and a few familiar, if not very friendly, faces. As his grip over the planet becomes increasingly tenuous, Boba and mercenary-turned-right-hand-woman Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen) must seek out allies willing to put a stop to the dangerous smuggling activities of the Pike Syndicate who hold Tatooine hostage. Simultaneously we get an inside look into Boba’s grand escape from his once-presumed death in the fearsome Sarlacc pit, and an unlikely alliance the legendary bounty hunter forms with a band of Tusken Raiders.
Lucasfilm, 2021
For someone with such an instantly recognisable and menacing presence as Boba Fett he sure is one underdeveloped character, uttering a mere handful of lines in his appearances throughout the original trilogy before swiftly falling to what we thought was his untimely demise. That gives the writers (Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni) free reign to flesh out Fett’s character in any way they see fit and for the most part they make him a compelling if slightly banal, predictable antihero. We’ve seen this shift in villains to fan-favourite anti-heroes more and more in characters like Venom and Loki, but going from who we knew as a man famously scolded for disintegrating too many people to someone who can barely strike fear in a bar owner is jarring to say the least.
Boba’s journey to shake that image and lead through respect, rather than fear, forms the backbone of the show; the flashbacks serving to showcase his re-emergence into the world and shift towards do-goodery, even if they are a painfully overused story device at this point. The three directors that helm these episodes do a great job of fleshing out Boba’s journey with the Tuskens, but in doing so create on of_The Book of Boba Fett_’s biggest earlier issues. In spending time with Boba and the Tuskens almost all development of the present-day storyline is sacrificed, but if you don’t take this time to establish Boba’s character, the rest of the show would be a painfully un-compelling slog. It’s a fine balance that mostly works, erring on the side of development that can pay off more in further seasons rather than focusing on a hollow, action packed story about characters we don’t care for.
Lucasfilm, 2021
That’s not to say the show isn’t action packed in usual Star Wars fashion, but what is here feels largely throwaway, with a final episode functioning essentially as an hour-long skirmish, overstaying its welcome very quickly. The strangest decision in the show by far however (some spoilers ahead), comes in the form of episodes 5 & 6, which completely cut away from Boba Fett to focus on Pedro Pascal’s Mandalorian since the events of episode 2. The first of these, directed by Bryce Dallas Howard, is easily the best episode of the season; a welcomed detour that derails the show and highlighting a huge issue in one fell swoop: we as an audience simply care so much more about Mando than Fett. That might be slightly unfair given his two seasons of development to Fett’s one but the fact remains that Boba’s story is vastly less interesting than the simple pleasure of seeing the Mandalorian run around learning to wield his new weapons. Whilst Mando’s episodes are great, it does seem like a move borne out of lack of faith in The Book; forcing the audience to sit through this to be up-to-date for the new season of Mandalorian. It’s not a big issue considering Marvel has been doing it for years across movies, but it is a clumsy, ham-fisted approach that doesn’t do the titular character much justice.
Lucasfilm, 2021
For his part Morrison does his best to bring nuance and emotion to Boba Fett, even if it doesn’t always come through, but is admittedly hamstrung by the show’s drastic shift in focus. The Mandalorian specific episodes also highlight just how effective Boba Fett is when used sparingly as a side character. While that may sound like a negative, it is a big step-up from his previous absence of character, with the show’s ending providing a lot of room to further explore Boba’s future on Tatooine and his relationships with his recently gathered inner circle. Alongside him Ming-Na Wen is solid as Fennec Shand but doesn’t get a whole lot to do. When her character is given a chance to shine she is frequently hampered by some truly horrible dialogue of the “I hate sand” variety.
When it comes to the villains of The Book of Boba Fett, the series is even less sure of itself, relying on the looming threat of the Syndicate to create tension that instantly dissolves once they arrive; a bunch of incompetent, paper people who exist only to justify the scale of the battles. Later in the piece a fan-favourite character is brought into the fold but only long enough to create a minor inconvenience for Boba, relying on die-hard fans instant recognition and knowledge of previous backstory to give their encounters weight rather than establishing anything within this show itself. Nevertheless it’s a fun surprise to see this character make the jump to live-action, even if it is just one more person to take the spotlight of Fett, who at this point feels like a guest star in his own show. It does speak to a larger trend that was refreshing in its infancy in The Mandalorian but which now seems to be the “get out of jail free” card for these shows to coast: simply introduce a character fans love and adore to distract them from the series’ shortcomings. More recognisable characters pop up here than in the last decade of Star Wars content and rarely for anything other than a knowing wink to the camera. Sure it’s fun, but a little more care going into making this show great independent of these characters would be far more impactful in the long run.
Lucasfilm, 2021
The Book of Boba Fett is a strange beast. A spin-off of a show largely based on Boba himself, it exists in a strange place where Favreau and Co know they want to do something with the character, but can’t figure out the best approach to making it as effectively as The Mandalorian. It’s a messy, glossy ride through a story that largely sticks to convention but is never in short supply of an action showcase or beloved character popping in to tide you over to the next scene. Temuera Morrison’s efforts to bring some depth to the character are impressive, ultimately falling short due to the creatives behind the show’s non-willingness to embrace him as a lead, but there is certainly enough here to set a solid foundation for a show that improves with time. This might not be the way but it’s a step in the right direction.
Lucasfilm, 2021
The Book of Boba Fett stars Temuera Morrison, Ming-Na Wen, Matt Berry, David Pasquesi, Carey Jones, Jennifer Beals, Jordan Bolger, Sophie Thatcher & Pedro Pascal – Streaming on Disney+ now.
Star Wars is in a strange place at the moment. One of the biggest film franchises of all time, the series has seen its movie endeavours come to a temporary halt after the disappointment of 2019’s sequel trilogy-capper The Rise of Skywalker, whilst its efforts in other mediums like The Mandalorian and video game Jedi: Fallen Order show that fans are desperate for more galactic adventures that feel different and take advantage of everything the wider world of Star Wars has to offer.
Disney+’s latest offering, Visions might just be the property’s most out-there Star Wars content to date, handing the treasured reigns over to seven Japanese animation studios and tasking them with crafting unique stories in the galaxy far, far away. The results are largely successful, with striking animation across the board drawing from all corners of classic to modern stylings, emotional, impactful stories and some of the best interpretations of those classic Star Wars elements since the original trilogy.
Rather than review the series as a whole, we’ve decided to tackle each episode individually, ultimately ranking them. Whilst you should definitely watch the entire show if you have the chance, if you are short on time or just looking to dip your toe into these anime interpretations of Star Wars then this is the way.
9. The Village Bride
Lucasfilm, 2021
While none of the Visions episodes are bad, The Village Bride is the least successful in coalescing its myriad of big ideas into something that works both as a story and an expansion of the Star Wars universe. Following rogue Jedi, F (Karen Fukuhara) who finds herself in the middle of a small village where tradition dictates a young girl must be handed over to separatist warlords as a protection payment, the episode simply tries to juggle too much; throwing cross-cultural commentary and an examination of nature on top of an otherwise unsurprising story.
Fukuhara tries her best to instill some life into proceedings through her voice work and there are attempts to flesh out F’s backstory but the character is too bland to win us over; the supporting characters too familiar and the story too safe to elicit much of a response from the audience.
8. T0-B1
Lucasfilm, 2021
On its face T0-B1 may appear eerily similar to Japanese cartoon icon Astro Boy, sporting a similarly stunning style of animation and a very child-friendly tone – almost like a Chibi version of Luke Skywalker. Couple this with a Pinnochio-esque story of a robotic boy who must fend for himself after his master his eliminated by a Sith lord and the short can feel a little throwaway. But as the story encroaches into darker territory on its way to delivering a fist-pumpingly heroic finale, its purpose becomes clearer. This is one of the most simple, purest forms of Star Wars storytelling and, for someone, it will potentially be their introduction to this world.
On that level, T0-B1 is successful in delivering that visceral Star Wars thrill of watching a character go from humble nobody to hero, all wrapped up in an incredibly stylish package. It might not be very dissimilar from Luke Skywalker’s story, but it is inspiring and enraptures you in the world of T0-B1, and to some young person out there, that might be enough to create a lifelong Star Wars fan.
7. Tatooine Rhapsody
Lucasfilm, 2021
Easily the most unique of all the stories told within Visions, Tatooine Rhapsody follows the exploits of Jay (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), an outcast Jedi following the fall of the Jedi Order who finds belonging within a band of miscreants, together forming a literal rock band. When their leader Geezer (Bobby Moynihan) is taken prisoner by Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison) and brought to Tatooine to fulfil a debt to iconic crime lord Jabba the Hutt, the band springs into action to rescue their bassist, endearing themselves to a whole new fanbase in the process.
The episode wins points on the strength of its premise alone, leaning into the weirdness that the galaxy has to offer and away from the conventional Jedi vs Sith storytelling that the rest of the series favours. It wears its anime influences on its sleeve; full of zany, over-the-top characters and larger-than-life musical moments, a lot of which will have you wincing from the cringe-inducing lyrics. If you can get past this however, you will be rewarded with a simple but touching story of friendship that offers a glimpse into the ground level stories of regular people within the galaxy.
6. Akakiri
Lucasfilm, 2021
An ode to a more old-school form of Japanese animation, Akakiri presents the stylish hand-drawn adventure of Jedi Tsubaki (Henry Golding), who returns to his childhood planet to aid long-lost love Misa (Jamie Chung) in recapturing the planet from Sith ruling. Traditional in its form as well as art-style, Akakiri is largely a road movie, following the pair and two goofy, overly superstitious guides (George Takei & Keone Young) as they travel across the planet and sneak into the Sith’s castle, narrowly avoiding capture at every turn.
The simple premise works thanks to terrific voice-acting, especially Takei and Young, who bring the most humour to the entire series with their oafish guides’ constant babbling about the events transpiring. Golding and Chung have excellent chemistry, their dialogue hinting at a complicated past, without the need to dig too deeply into it before a shocking ending twists the narrative on its head, unafraid to leave you without a happy resolution in favour of forcing you to think about the complex moral choices that are so often glossed over in Star Wars.
5. The Twins
Lucasfilm, 2021
The Twins could easily function as one of Marvel’s recent What If episodes, telling the story of a set of twins (not dissimilar from Luke and Leia) born through the Dark Side of the Force and tasked with subjecting the galaxy to their rule. One of these twins Karre (Neil Patrick Harris) defects from the pair’s evil plan, stealing a necessary component to a Death Star style weapon and sending sister Am (Alison Brie) into a blind rage, culminating with the siblings thrown into all-out war with each other.
On its face this is essentially “what if Leia went to the Dark Side” but what makes The Twins so fascinating to watch is the way it embraces the craziness of anime such as Dragon Ball Z and Gundam with a battle for the ages; full of explosions and over-the-top twists. A normal lightsaber fight? Try a robotic suit of six lightsaber whips against an entire X-Wing out in the vacuum of space. It is this total commitment to full-tilt insanity that makes the episode so enthralling, with each new development in the battle a showcase of the creativity and inventiveness that the franchise helped inspire in the first place.
4. Lop & Ochō
Lucasfilm, 2021
Another hand-drawn tale – this time from Japanese studio Geno – Lop & Ochō blends not only its in-episode worlds, with a small, heavily Japanese-influenced city overrun by an Imperial regime, but its story influences, drawing on the original trilogy’s fondness for found family storylines and the political overtures of the prequel trilogy to particularly potent effect. Alien slave Lop (Anna Cathcar voices the anthropomorphised rabbit) is rescued by Ochō (Hiromi Dames) and her village-leader father Yasaburo (Paul Nakauchi), and adopted into the family as a sister to Ochō, who is next in line to lead the clan. When an Imperial occupation divides the clan from within – with Ochō choosing to join the Empire in order to stave off her village’s destruction and Yasaburo opting to fight for their freedom – Lop is forced to step in to stop the Empire and reconcile her broken family.
The stakes are certainly epic in scope, but Lop & Ochō favours a more focused approach to the storytelling, detailing the ground level struggle of the village and the particularly tough situation it finds itself in: desperate to be free of Empire rule but unable to function without it thanks to years of resource mining. It’s a high concept wrapped up in the distinctly human struggle of Yasaburo’s clan and the emotional beats between the central trio hit home, despite the relatively short runtime. Lop, Ochō and Yasaburo are all given enough time to let their ideas breathe and you can understand each party’s viewpoints, making Lop’s ultimate decision that much more emotionally impactful, as only the the best Star Wars stories can be.
3. The Ninth Jedi
Lucasfilm, 2021
When young Jedi Ethan (Masi Oka) answers a mysterious beacon from the shadowy Juro (Andrew Kishino) offering him one of the ancient weapons of the Jedi – a lightsaber – he finds he is part of a large group of outcast Jedi who have answered the call. As the group debate over the true identity of their host, young Kara (Kimiko Glenn) is forced to go on the run after bounty hunters storm the house she shares with her father, murdering him in an attempt to steal the lightsabers he has created for Juro. Seeking shelter at the only other place she knows, Kara finds herself on a course to interrupting the Jedi’s gathering, with her arrival setting off an unpredictable chain of events.
The Ninth Jedi is one giant exercise in challenging iconic Star Wars preconceptions, steadily building tension towards a reveal that throws the audience for a loop but never feels like a cheap trick. Instead it invites us to look at how we view the franchise as a whole, at how we have been conditioned to think a certain way about how certain characters look or behave and how that behaviour pigeonholes them as a certain type of character. That might sound overly political or preachy but The Ninth Jedi never feels that way, with its slow burn of intrigue and action-packed side story intersecting in an explosive finale.
2. The Elder
Lucasfilm, 2021
A simple but extremely effective episode, The Elder focuses on a master Jedi and his Padawan as they investigate a disturbance on a nearby planet, plunging them into a deadly battle with an ancient Sith enemy. Immediately the animation grabs you; an intricately detailed and polished style that sets the scene for a more mature episode than what has come before. Once the duel swings into full effect it is stunning to behold: a dimly lit, rain-soaked affair brightened only by the vivid greens, reds and blues of the participants lightsabers, with fight choreography as impressive as many of the franchise’s best.
The relationship between Jedi’s Tajin (David Harbour) and his apprentice Dan (Jordan Fisher) will be instantly familiar to fans of Obi-Wan and Qui-Gonn’s bond in The Phantom Menace, creating an immediate connection to the characters that adds to the tension of the final showdown. It might not pack the heavy thematic notes of other episodes but The Elder is a fine example of how the fundamentals of Star Wars can create something engaging and investing without the need for complex worlds or backstory; how the choreography and movement of a fight alone can tell a compelling and gripping story.
1. The Duel
Lucasfilm, 2021
George Lucas has long spoken about the influences he drew on when creating Star Wars and like Lucas’ original films The Duel wears those influences of Japanese samurai culture and Westerns on its sleeves, combining them with a visually striking, black and white art style to create something wholly unique to the Star Wars canon. We follow our largely silent Ronin hero (Masaki Terasoma) as he wanders into a small village seeking shelter and sustenance. When a group of Stormtroopers, led by a mysterious Sith warrior, arrives to subjugate the village, a group of bounty hunters employed by the villagers bravely fight back unaware of the power of their Sith opponent. Overpowered and on the brink of the defeat, the village must place their faith in the shadowy Ronin to defend them.
As with the best Western stories, The Duel challenges the morality of its hero, not staying beholden to the dichotomy of Jedi and Sith as the episode presents the possibility of the Ronin being tuned to both the Dark and Light side of the Force. Visually he appears to be a Jedi, but as events unfold you understand that, unlike the art style, this world isn’t that black and white. Exploring the murkier underbelly of the Star Wars galaxy is something fans have long been clamouring for, and The Duel shows that Jedi and Sith exist without being wholly good or evil like heroes and villains of the past.
The visuals are, simply put, stunning; resembling a living painting with the way the line work of the hand-drawn style shifts as characters move. Vibrant blue laser bolts and vivid red beams of lightsabers pop against the muted background, creating scenes so visually stunning they could be hung as artwork. As the first episode in the anthology, The Duel is tasked with setting the tone for things to come and it succeeds the most in balancing all the elements at play, from the Anime craziness of the Sith’s umbrella lightsaber, the classically Japanese Ronin hero to an R2-D2-like droid that provides some much-needed humour. A perfect introduction to an exciting new chapter in Star Wars.
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Star Wars: Visionsstars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Alison Brie, Neil Patrick Harris, Henry Golding, Jamie Chung, David Harbour, Jordan Fisher, Masi Oka, Kimiki Glenn, Anna Cathcar, Hiromi Dames, Paul Nakauchi, George Takei, Bobby Moynihan, Temuera Morrison & Karen Fukuhara – Streaming on Disney+ Now.
Since Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm back in 2012, the Star Wars films released by the Mouse House have always been an interesting thing to watch from a cultural and business perspective. They’ve all been wildly financially successful (with the exception of Ron Howard’s Solo: A Star Wars Story – a fun, little romp which gets a bad rap) and none of them can be considered bad, but creatively there has been a distinct lack of consistency and cohesion. 2015’s The Force Awakens absolutely blasted the new saga out of the gate and the standalone adventure released the year after, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, continued the momentum and helped prove that Disney could experiment with the storied franchise and get away with it – to the tune of billions. Rian Johnson’s second entry in the trilogy, The Last Jedi, seemingly broke the movie world: causing a rift through a fandom never seen before and sparking endless claims that Johnson had “ruined the franchise” and petitions to erase the film from canon. Enter The Rise of Skywalker, the final film in the trilogy, once again helmed by JJ Abrams, who is given the unenviable task of unifying the two film’s visions and crafting a cohesive and satisfying conclusion to the story of Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), Poe (Oscar Isaac) and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). Does he succeed? In a way yes, but also not really.
The Rise of Skywalker is a big, loud, ambitious mess of a movie. It’s as simple (and as complex) as that. Abrams throws everything and the kitchen sink on the screen here in an attempt to give the audience something cohesive as well as conclusive. It’s a fine balancing act between the familiarity of The Force Awakens (which fans complained about) and the left-field, out-with-the-old, in-with-the-new approach of The Last Jedi (which fans also complained about) – and, unlike the Force, it really doesn’t balance. Abrams sticks to the same formula he did with The Force Awakens here, placing a heavy focus on fan service and nostalgia to win over the audience. There are moments of brilliance here, fist-pumping moments of pure ecstasy that will make most fans break out in a grin as they experience a flash of the same giddy high the original trilogy left them with, but these are very few and far between. No, most of what we get is a severe overcompensation for The Last Jedi; all but erasing the events of that film from existence and utilising only the very bones of the plot – Kylo Ren is still the Supreme Leader of the First Order and Rey is still carrying on her Jedi training while the Resistance scrambles to regroup after the defeat at the Battle of Crait. It’s been no secret that Abrams has said he had a very specific plan in place for the trilogy and Johnson’s film all but threw that out the window, but Abrams seems determined to finish what he started, even if the setup isn’t there.
Disney, 2019
This is where the problems start to arise. From the get-go we are thrust into a story that feels strangely separate from the two entries that have come before. It continues the style of Abrams, sure, with a healthy dash of Return of the Jedi to boot, but the connective tissue that should have linked these two films is not what we got in Episode 8. Without this context it’s hard to invest in the story, even if it includes the characters we know and love. A new, yet familiar, antagonist seemingly appears out of nowhere with no explanation provided and the audience is just expected to go with it. It’s a lot to ask of such a devoted fanbase especially before you proceed to fill your film with bizarre character choices and some nonsensical twists and turns. Without spoiling things too much, we follow the usual gang; Rey, Finn, Poe, Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo), C-3PO (Anthony Daniels), R2-D2 and BB-8 as they search for a way to rebuild the ranks of the dwindling Resistance, led by General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher), and defeat the villainous First Order. Meanwhile newly promoted Supreme Leader Kylo Ren consolidates his position of power by teaming with an old enemy as he searches for both the remaining Resistance forces and Rey herself in an effort to destroy the Jedi and build his own new Empire.
Despite the story falling short of expectations, what we do get is still a fun, if ultimately forgettable ride and all the hallmarks of Star Wars are here. The effects and visuals are spectacular and genuinely jaw-dropping in spots, with the story moving through a plethora of new planets and locales from arid desserts to bustling cities and dank worlds beset by constant lightning storms. The effects-work extends to the creatures that inhabit the planets as well, a lot of which are brought to life using practical effects – something that Abrams has thankfully been extremely vocal about since The Force Awakens – and it all looks amazing and works to recreate that feel of classic Star Wars. Then there’s the action: more than maybe any Star Wars film; be it the starship fights – some of the best in this sequel trilogy – or the lightsaber duels, almost every scene ends with some sort of action set-piece and they consistently wow and keep you on the edge of your seat, with the exception of one scene which can’t be discussed for spoilers (you’ll know the anticlimactic scene when you see it). John Williams returns to see out his musical contributions to the trilogy, once again delivering an amazing score which perfectly compliments the visuals and serves as a reminder that he is perhaps the greatest composer to ever live, each piece of music drawing the emotions from the audience that he wants. All these things done right are what makes The Rise of Skywalker so frustrating. They had it, they almost had it; the perfect ending for these characters if it weren’t for the inconsistent story. All the pieces are there but it’s the connective tissue that is simply lacking and which doesn’t allow them to come together in the ideal way: you’re left knowing you’ve seen a Star Wars film, but one that is confusing and upsetting rather than joyful and a fitting send off to the characters we all love so much.
Disney, 2019
The one consistency throughout the entire trilogy, however, is the acting talents of all involved. Every member of the cast gives their all, no matter the size or importance of the role. Adam Driver continues to deliver the best performance of the Disney produced sequels as Kylo Ren, showing Ren as a deeply flawed and conflicted individual whose struggle to choose the dark over the light is constantly causing him pain. Driver’s story might not be as nuanced as his performance in the film but he lifts the material significantly, adding some depth to the unsure newly crowned Supreme Leader. Next to Driver the person that gets the most material to work with is Daisy Ridley as Rey, who doesn’t have much to really work with in terms of an arc but does her best to show the confusion and longing for purpose that Rey feels. This tends to be a common theme for almost all the characters in the film, as a result of trying to cram this story together and course-correct for The Last Jedi, there seems to be a distinct lack of character arcs for most parties involved. John Boyega and Oscar Isaac are both great actors but their roles allow for them to make minimal contributions to the plot other than being along for Rey’s adventure. It’s a shame given the promise hinted at in The Force Awakens and is a waste of their talents. Carrie Fisher’s role as Leia is a particularly interesting one, given her extremely sad passing before filming began and Abrams is in the unenviable position of crafting a performance from unused footage from the past two films. Thankfully it works and although Fisher’s role was conceived to be much larger before her death, it is a respectful tribute and send-off to the actress who will forever be our princess.
More than anything The Rise of Skywalker is disappointing. There were such high hopes riding on this closing chapter of perhaps the most beloved film franchise of all time and it just doesn’t finish out the stories of the characters we love very well. The action, music, characters and general feel of Star Wars are all there and it’s a movie that you can still enjoy and get some enjoyment out of certain set-pieces; but the story is so haphazardly put together and sloppy that it taints this entire sequel trilogy and highlights Disney’s lack of an overarching plan for the direction of Star Wars. The only thing to do now is hope that future films learn from this mistake and it leads to some great new instalments in the franchise but the Skywalker saga is now complete, and as a lifelong fan of the galaxy far, far away, this one hurts like a lightsaber to the heart.
Disney, 2019
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker stars Carrie Fisher, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Joonas Suotamo, Kelly Marie Train, Domhnall Gleeson, Richard E. Grant & Ian McDiarmid – In cinemas now.
