WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, in theaters now.
The Skywalker Saga concluded with the release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Much like The Last Jedi, however, the J.J. Abrams-directed film has divided fans and critics alike as they struggle to find a common consensus.
For the most part, the audience seems to be happy with The Rise of Skywalker's endless fan service and odes to the past. It confirmed, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Disney and Lucasfilm listened to The Last Jedi fallout and didn't want a repeat.
At the same time, this film is the safest and least-daring Star Wars movie ever released. It's predictable and as by-the-numbers as you can get. More importantly, though, it spits in the face of writer/director Rian Johnson by destroying what he established in The Last Jedi. In simpler terms: Disney and Lucasfilm caved to the toxic fandom's demands.
Before the comments section lights up, there's an important thing to keep in mind: whether you enjoyed The Last Jedi or not, Disney and Lucasfilm gave Johnson the OK to make the film he wanted. If they hadn't been happy with what he was proposing to do, they held the power to prevent it from going ahead. Instead, they trusted Johnson to execute his vision and creativity, which is what any studio should do when it hires a filmmaker.
Look, any film is a risk. Sometimes, it works out; other times, it doesn't. It's also OK to dislike a film and say it didn't work for you, but targeting the crew members and being a general nuisance online isn't a good look for anyone. Despite all this, a studio should stand by its director's vision. Yet, The Rise of Skywalker features so many backhands to The Last Jedi that it feels as if Disney and Lucasfilm are trying to pretend as if they were on the fans' side the whole time.
In many ways, this new film rewrites its predecessor's story and tries to erase it from history. For example, a twist to Rey's backstory was demanded by the extremely vocal elements of the Star Wars community, and the filmmakers folded. Instead of allowing her to shine as a unique and novel character in this universe, she was woven into the lore in a typical soap opera-esque "I'm really your secret twin sister from your stepfather's affair with my mother" fashion.
Also, what was up with the subtle digs at the previous film? For instance, when Rey threw away her lightsaber and Luke Skywalker's Force ghost caught it, he remarked how a Jedi would never do that. As thinly veiled and tongue-in-cheek as the line might sound, it's a jab at the unpopular scene from The Last Jedi where Luke chucked his lightsaber over his shoulder.
The most disappointing aspect of The Rise of Skywalker, however, was the treatment of Kelly Marie Tran's Rose Tico. The actor received a plethora of abuse on social media from the trolls, forcing her to deactivate her account. This new movie was the perfect opportunity to give her character an impactful arc and to prove a point to the bullies. By sidelining her, though, the filmmakers essentially said that harassment works.
Sadly, toxic fandom won this round and got the movie they wanted -- and deserved. The Rise of Skywalker feels like fan fiction originated in a Reddit comments thread with about as much staleness as a four-week-old turkey sandwich. What's even scarier is how it sets a bad precedent for other films; if a fandom screams loudly and obnoxiously enough, the studio might give them exactly what they want. And that's a terrifying thought.
Directed and co-written by J.J. Abrams, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker stars Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, Billie Lourd, Keri Russell, Anthony Daniels, Mark Hamill, Billy Dee Williams and Carrie Fisher, with Naomi Ackie and Richard E. Grant.