Monday 23 December 2019

Movie Review: Star Wars The rise of Skywalker

*As Anthony and Rose de France Amethyst (aka the Gem version of Thanos) are confronting each other for their fight, not before when two portals from the side opens to reveal not just the remains of gems and members of Team Blast, but also the resurrected gems and members like  Smasher, Marian Blakron, TBag and Mystica*

Amethyst: What the--?!

Red Diamond: Looking for missing people like mine?

Anthony: *looks at everyone behind the portals* The hell...?!

Amethyst: You like to play mind game? Very well then...! *uses her Reality Stone to creating clones of herself*

Red Diamond: Oh my stars...! Everyone, for the authority and justice!! *runs after many clones of Amethysts along with gems and all the members of Team Blast*

Anthony: Oh my god...! *difficult for what to do, he runs away, but get caught by one of Amethyst's clone and get smash at his back and crashes at the wall to wall into the another room of the next movie (and probably the last one)* Oh my god...! My back...! *looks up the big screen, which happens to the last installment of Star Wars's sequel trilogy* Hmm... Maybe i need my energy after watching this movie, and hopefully they don't F***ed it up since "The Last Jedi"...! *sits on the seat and crosses his fingers for his hope*

*Almost two in a half hours later*

Anthony: ...  What the hell just happened...?!

(Review Starts)


Hey everyone, my name is Anthony and welcome to the last movie review of 2019.

As far as we all know, the sequel trilogy of Star Wars is rather a roller coaster ride, we started with "The Force Awakens", which it had a great start, but then all the sudden it tripped like a shoe laces from "The last Jedi", which we're in concern and possibly in rage for what they did for the second chapter of the trilogy. As we reached to last one, we've expected to be redemption, right...??

"Star Wars: The rise of Skywalker" is a 2019 epic space-opera film that was written/produced/directed by J.J. Abrams, co-produced by Kathleen Kennedy and Michelle Rejwan, then co-written by Chris Terrio, Derek Connolly and Colin Trevorrow.

With this film, this was not just the final chapter of the trilogy, but also marked as a conclusion of "Skywalker saga", kinda like the ending MCU's "Infinity saga", which i guess Disney wanted to making it as a celebration of the ending, especially that they kinda focus on their own expansion world of Star Wars like "Rogue One", "Solo" and the recent show on Disney+ "The Mandalorian". But like i said, we were not sure to be prepared that aside of some characters were killed off (SPOILERS!!!), but also some people involved the movie are passed away, like Carrie Fisher.

One more thing to say before we get started, looking back of "The Last Jedi", i felt regretful to calling it a good movie, which i changed my feeling that its not the best chapter for how it turns out, specially with bad directions and some characters were killed off, way too early.

So, with all that said, will the force is strong for the epic conclusion, is this film belongs to the dark side?

Well, lets find out.


The Story
With this story after "The Last Jedi", you think we're just gonna building to our heroes for plans and explanation about First Order's new goal? Well, yeah, but this is where it gets too complicated.

It quickly starts with a bang, where Kylo Ren/Ben Solo was on his search from the mysterious message, he found a Wayfinder device to going into the dark planet called "Exegol", where turns out, he meets Lord Palpatine (aka Darth Sidious), which turns out he was involvement of Snoke as his clone and he also demand Kylo to find Rey for his main target. Speaking of Rey, after practicing the force with General Leia, she reunites her partners Finn, Poe, Chewbacca and R2-D2, which they found the secret information about a spy from First Order that Palpatine has return from the dead and creating "The Last Order", its up to our heroes find another Wayfinder, but also planning to stop The Last Order.

Even though the story is rather interesting build up, but the problem is that its they did the same thing as "The Force Awakens"., but with new elements and pacing, but not the good kind. The problem about the story is that its not just unoriginal, but its just that it has too many plotholes that when something happened, we have no idea how did that or how did this happened, i've asked so much questions like "How did Palpatine survived?", "When do we have a Force healing?", "When do we have a Force communication with grabbing things?", "Why do we have an evil Rey?" and "How does this make any sense?!". But almost all of them doesn't have any answers! That's too much plotholes that leaving them unknown that we still questioned!! And don't even give me started with the twists, these are getting even worse, but i won't give more details from spoilers...!! It feels like the writing just want us to find out some interesting developments, but it just comes off as "off the wall" with so many things that just coming out of nowhere that with no answers, plus the pacing is just all over the place too with too much rush that we need to calm down, especially for the first to second act, which il get to that later about the actions. Speaking of the writing, the written dialogue is rather nice at the time, though it does give a sense of humor, but at least its better than the GodAwful Jar Jar (At least i hope he's dead in the original and sequel trilogy).

Even though its ok, but the story is messy with so much plotholes that are unanswered, questionable pacing and not so original story, like who also work with the story, M. Night Shyamalan??


The Presentation
Despite the story is all over the place, but at least the presentation looks great, because as always, its Star Wars.

For starter, the location is rather nice to see with the forest, dark village, the inside of the ships and few others, but sometimes the locations could get tiring quickly that ended up being "Running out of ideas", such as the location depiction of Pasaana, which happens to be yet another planet of desert, i mean come on, you have a planet with cities and other stuff around after six movies before the sequel trilogy. I mean i get they budget that they don't wanna get too much, but come on, be creative and maybe original. Well, sure it has a scene with warp speed from planets after planets, but again, it got all over the place.

The designs of the weapons, vehicles and wardrobes are pretty good too, with the vehicles, its pretty nice to see them again with Star Destroyers, X-Wings, the good'ol Millennium Falcon, though it only has a new ones, like Ochi's ship and a new Star Destroyer that it looks like what if you make a classic SD and StarKiller base. For the weapons, they're looks nice and simple as a star wars standard with familiar sounds and new ones, especially with the famous lightsabers. And as for wardrobes, they're a pretty good costume designs with stormtroopers, the Resistance pilots and even Kylo Ren's outfit. Though it kinda strange that Rey has costume change for the third time differently.

As for the action scenes, its no secret that they're the highlight of this movie, they're pretty cool and fun to watch from shootings, space dogfight and even the good'ol duel of lightsabers. But the downside is that because of pacing, the action gets all over the place with the aforementioned Millennium Falcon's warp speed into planet after planet, its almost like they put too much sugar for changing locations.

Though there's not much else to say, it has some nice setting, cool weapons and vehicles, unforgettable duel lightsabers and actions are good at the times. Though sometimes the locations could be typical with another planet with desert or even the forest.

The Characters
I guess its no secret we always having the return of the characters from previous films, but of course, they have several upgrades. But if anyone one of you never heard or seen the sequel and original trilogy, il make a reminder of the characters.

First is Rey (once again Daisy Ridley), she started as a scavenger in Jakku and learned that she has a force sensitive ever since she's left alone in her home planet. In the movie, she became much more focus to learning about the force and we finally her reveal who she is, but again, i won't give more details without spoiling the movie. However, despite she's always sensing and nearly strong as a last Jedi, but i felt thst she's nearly not as interesting, sure Daisy did a good job and Rey is somewhat fascinating, but its just that she's like too close to be a Mary Sue, yeah im sadly one of those people who're pointing out. no offense, but i always have nothing against main lady from movies, video games, shows and others.

Next we have Finn and Poe Dameron (played by John Boyega and Oscar Isaac). these guys are the main sidekicks of Rey, where they become friends and working together for the mission with the Resistance, whether is Finn being former Stormtrooper or Poe being high ranking pilot of X-Wing. There's not much else to say about them, even if they're originally to be a main deal for them in Bromance, but got toned down. But as always, Boyega and Isaac did a nice work and a fun chemistry between of two.

Then we have General Leia Organa (played by the late Carrie Fisher) a former princess of Rebel Alliance to the Resistance with Force sensitive. However, because of Fisher's death, they had to using  never-before-seen footages of her from "The Force Awakens", even though they have more footages of "The Last Jedi" with her, but they got cut. It feels like they wanted to keeping the character alive, but it was too late from her death. Even though "The Last Jedi" is supposed to be the final role, but this one probably is kinda cheating to using the footages of her while being alive. But as always, she's always the legendary actress for her famous role. R.I.P. Carrie Fisher...

Next is Luke Skywalker (played by my favorite legendary actor Mark Hamill), from before, he's a farm boy from Tatooine before becoming a Jedi like his father Darth Vader until left alone in secret before his unfair death from his so-called student Kylo Ren/Ben Solo. However unlike "The Last Jedi", he's pretty much less in this movie, he's probably being used as a plot device about the truth to Rey, kinda like Obi-Wan's explanation in "Return of the Jedi". Although still, Mark is always did a great work of his classic role.

But the one character who came back without death is Lando Calrissian (played by Billy Dee Williams), from before, he used to be a gambler for the bet with his Millennium Falcon, and an old friend of Han Solo. Even though we haven't seen him since "Return of the Jedi", but it is nice to see him again, especially going back to his trusty ship. With this movie, he comes back as a disguise in Pasaana to helping our heroes based on Last Order, man, Lando really like to disguising as a different race since "Return of the Jedi", he's pretty clever eh?

Then we have Kylo Ren/Ben Solo (played by Adam Driver), as we know, he's the chosen one from the First Order who used to be Luke's student and finally becoming a vengeful supreme leader over Rey. Even though he's somewhat remains the same, but i find him to be more fascinating than Rey, even though sometimes like "The Last Jedi", he could be neutral at the time, since he's always looking for Rey. Even though he may not as big as Darth Vader, but he's a pretty cool villain/neutral character of the sequel trilogy.

And finally we have Lord Palpatine (played by of course, Ian McDiarmid), who's the dark lord of the Sith and the main antagonist for not just this movie, but the entire saga. In this movie, he came back from the dead that we had no idea for how did he survived from the second Death Star after being thrown out by Darth Vader. This is the biggest plothole i've ever watch for how or when he faked his death or even being a puppet master of Snoke...!! Despite our biggest problem about him, but of course, Ian did a pretty good and creepy work to playing as a sinister lord with dark power.

The rest are not much else to say, there's BB-8, who's the new R2-D2, along with another new droid D-O (with a voice by J.J. Abrams himself), C-3PO (played by Anthony Daniels after 9 movies of the saga), R2-D2's famous companion droid and C-3PO's best pal, General Hux (played by Domhnall Gleeson) who's a second-in-command of First Order, Rose Tico (played by Kelly Marie Tran) who's a mechanic and friend of Finn, Maz Katana (played by Lupita Nyong'o) who's former space pirate who's aware about the Jedi, and Chewbacca (played by a former basketball player Joonas Suotamo) who's a Wookie's longtime pilot of Millennium Falcon.

As for the new characters, its nice to have some new ones, but once again, not much else to give, like General Pryde (played by Richard E. Grant) who's a new general of First Order, but in high-rank, Jannah (played by Naomi Ackie) who's basically the female version of Finn, and probably my new favorite Zorii Bliss (played by Keri Russell) who's a crime leader of Kijimi and a childhood friend of Poe, and i gotta say, she looks pretty cool with her outfit.

The characters are mixed bag that even though some of them are likable what we care, but others just fell flat for end up being under-develop or even one of those characters being left on the shelf before he/she appears.


And now for my conclusion of this film.
Overall, "Star Wars: The rise of Skywalker" is um...   Yeah, this movie is all over the place and i don't know if i considered a perfect ending of the saga. The story is a mess and unoriginal, there's too much plotholes that remains unknown, the pacing is all over and most of the characters could've make more or even being unlikable. Granted, the presentation and 50% of characters are good for the time to see them again, but even if they didn't save themselves over this movie.

For the recommendation, its very very debatable if its either good or bad, based on the reception of fans/viewers and the critics. When it comes to me, its too hard to tell to calling it a "Good movie", its just comes off as a major disappointment how this movie would've been. I know Abrams is trying to make a celebration of the end of the saga, but it failed for how it turns out. Though my father was a fan of Star Wars, which he liked it, but with this, not for me for the disappointment.

For my final rating of this movie, i hate to say for all you Star Wars fans out there, il give this one 4.5/10.

Well, thats he end of my movie review of 2019, if you guys have your opinion or any suggestions, let me know at comment bellow and support me on KO-FI.com/blackevil.

Thanks for reading, and im Anthony, signing out.

(Review ends)

Anthony: Hmm... Such a disappointed way to end my review in the final decade, but i just want to having my own happy ending...! *but notices that he sees a rusted gauntlet and an old lightsaber on the floor, despite he has his green lightsaber, he grabs the old one that happens to be a classic blue lightsaber and looks behind about a big battle of Gems and Team Blast against many of amethyst clones, he needs to be prepared for joining the battle...!*

To be concluded...!

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