Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker Review

     

     The cultural phenomenon that is the "Skywalker Saga" has come to its final close. After 42 years, we have said goodbye to our heroes and villains, and it is very bittersweet. It's sad that we won't be seeing Luke, Leia, and Han on our screens ever again, but it's sweet in that there are more stories to be told in the Star Wars universe. On Monday, I went to see the final installment of the "Skywalker Saga." I went in with very low expectations mostly because of how disappointed I was with The Last Jedi. I wish I would have been writing back then because I had a lot to say immediately after I saw that movie. I went into The Rise of Skywalker very weary because I did not want to have to live that nightmare over again, and the critics absolutely hate this movie, which is the opposite of their opinion of The Last Jedi. Thankfully though, I really enjoyed the movie. Was it perfect? Absolutely not. Far from it actually, but I think it did an overall good job of closing out the saga. I am going to go over the goods and bads of the movie as sort of a list, so this will differ from my other reviews. Here we go:

The Bads

- The pacing of this movie was out of control. Woah, do so many things happen at once it seems. The first act is very quick where characters are jumping from planet to planet in what seems like seconds. It's hard to keep up at certain times and at times extremely messy, but the pace improves in the second and third acts. 

- General Hux being the spy did not make me angry, but the execution of him revealing that "He is the spy" was so cringe. Then, he is killed right after this throwing his storyline right out the window as if it never happened. This felt very 'meh' and sort of lazy writing. I wish they would have further explained his motivations for things.

- I mentioned before that the pacing was all over the place, but there is also a lot of contextual information to take in. New information is coming in at rampant speed. In every scene, there is something to take in, which is overbearing at times. Interesting, but overbearing.

- The conflict of C-3PO not being able to translate Sith is pretty dumb. I'm not gonna lie about that. I thought that was too on the nose. I think it was just to make the plot not as simple and to make the characters struggle a bit more, which is fine, but kind of ridiculous if you ask me.

- I liked how they incorporated Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) into the film because I was so confused on why the writers/producers did not want her to even be in the film especially after she survived The Last Jedi. I am glad they did, but some of her archived dialogue felt very "mad lib-like." You could tell that they took what they had of her and just made the characters talk around it. It's very noticeable and annoying, but it is not completely overbearing.

- The lack of Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) in this film is absolutely mind-boggling. Yes, he's there, but barely. It's MARK HAMILL. Why would they not utilize him more in this movie? Hell, this whole trilogy. We got him a lot in The Last Jedi, but that was not Luke Skywalker. That was a grumpy old man who hated his life, so he made others feel miserable. I really wish he played a bigger part in this film. 

- Finally, why could we not have gotten Luke, Han, and Leia in all in one shot together? We never got a scene of all three of them together in this whole trilogy! Why? This is what so many people wanted, and the writers never took advantage of this. Such a stupid decision. This will always be baffling to me. 

The Goods

- The performances are amazing. They are probably the best they have ever been in the Star Wars universe. Adam Driver and Daisy Ridley give it their all. I really think they should both get some form of recognition during award season. Their relationship in this film plays out very well.

- The core group of characters (minus Luke, Leia, and Han) are back together again. A big problem I had with The Last Jedi is that our heroes were all separated from each other. It did not work, and the movie felt incomplete without them all together. We get plenty of our heroes together in this movie, and their dialogue with each other is so good and witty.

- Some of you may hate me, but I liked the decision to bring Emperor Palpatine back. Was it kinda out of nowhere? Yes, but I think it worked for this film because we did not have any villains left after Kylo Ren turned from the Dark Side, so we needed another one. People are saying that Darth Vader throwing Palpatine off the bridge feels cheapened now, but I disagree. It wasn't about Palpatine's death, it was about Darth Vader protecting his son. There is a difference. Also, Palpatine is absolutely terrifying in this film. He's probably the scariest he has ever been, which made me like the decision to bring him back even more.

- Leia's death scene gave me chills. It really did. She gave all of what was left of her to call out to her son to distract him, and it was amazing and very upsetting to watch, especially since this was the last time we will ever see Carrie Fisher in a movie. After this scene, Kylo officially turns back to the light side after being visited by none other than Han Solo. This scene was also very touching, and it mirrored the scene where Kylo kills Han, but with an opposite insight from Kylo.

- The new characters are great. They are not overbearing or too forced like Rose was in The Last Jedi. No shade to the actress because she's great, but her character...not so much. I think we could possibly get some spin offs with Zorii or Jannah because we learned a little about them, but not enough for their arcs to be complete. We shall see, but I have a feeling they might pop up in other installments of the franchise.

- Lando Calrissian is back and better than ever. I cannot believe that Billy Dee Williams is 82 years old. He still has it, and I am so damn happy he survived this movie. At least a non droid/alien from the original trilogy survived everything. I hope to see him in another movie before he gets too up there, but if this is the last we see of him, I can say I am satisfied with his arc.

- The light saber battles are probably the best of any other Star Wars movies, especially the final fight between Rey and Kylo on Kef Bir. The cinematography and action of these scenes had me on the edge of my seat. They were beautiful and did not seem forced in the slightest. 

- A particular scene I liked is when Rey and Kylo are using the force to communicate with each other, you can see the light and brightness behind Kylo and the darkness behind Rey, showing the juxtaposition of these two characters and showing that both respective characters have contrasting feelings/actions in them. 

- I actually really liked the twist that Rey is a Palpatine. It is a twist that actually works, and it does not seem too forced. We learn in the film that Palpatine was Rey's father's father, which gave me satisfaction on learning who Rey's parents were and not this bullshit that they were "nobodies." Ugh. Also, this twist gave Rey an internal problem, which is much more interesting to watch rather than going in the direction that her parents were "nobodies."

 

- Leia being revealed to have learned the ways of the Jedi made a lot of sense in the grand scheme of the trilogy. I got some tears in my eyes when they showed younger Luke and Leia. Yes, it was CGI, but it reminded me of when I was younger and these movies not existing yet. Plus, this just made Leia such a more bad ass character than she already was.

- Ok. The best scene in the entire movie is when Rey is down and seemingly out of the fight, and she hears the voices of the Jedi who have passed. Chills. What a damn good scene, and she definitely knows she is going to die, which makes it even more powerful. After she dies, Kylo gives his last bit of energy to heal her and return the favor of her healing him after wounding him before. This is how you close out a movie. I loved this scene so much. It is probably one of if not the best scenes of the whole franchise.

- Rey takes the last name of Skywalker and looks out on the sun of Tatooine. Credits roll. That is all. Immediate chills. Complete satisfaction.

     

     Like I said y'all. Was the movie perfect? No. Did it have flaws. Yes. Is everyone gonna like it? No, as it is evident by the critics and the score on Rotten Tomatoes. But I did, so I cannot complain. This movie will be divisive among fans for years to come, and I can see why especially if you liked The Last Jedi because a lot of what happened in that movie is thrown in the trash. The truth of the matter is that J.J. Abrams should have wrote all three movies to make the trilogy more cohesive. He did what he could with this final movie by taking Star Wars back to its roots, one last time. If I had to rate the movie, I would give it a 7.5/10, which is pretty good especially in comparison to other reviews it is getting. I cannot wait to see what the franchise has to offer next. Whether it gives us spin offs or a new trilogy, we are all probably going to go and see them right?

Thank you for reading my review of Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker. What did you think of the film? Leave a comment. Soon, I think I am going to do a ranking of all the Star Wars films, but I have to do a rewatch of all of them first! I hope you all had a Merry Christmas, and have a happy New Year!   

   

Top 10 Best TV Episodes of 2019

     Well another year is over, and a new decade is upon us. This year was an up and down with television, but with mostly ups. I have watched many shows this year with some being spectacular (Succession) and some being sub-par (Game of Thrones), but one thing is for sure: there were fantastic episodes of television this year. For this blog, I will be showcasing my top ten favorite television episodes of 2019. These episodes will not be ranked, but rather be shown in alphabetical order. Let's get to the list...


1. Barry- "ronny/lily"
   

     This episode of Barry is one of the most batshit episodes of television I have ever seen. Barry is forced to murder a cop's ex-wife's current boyfriend in order for the cop to keep his secret of being a hit man. The hit does not go smoothly as planned, though as the target is a master of Taekwondo. Not only does Barry have trouble murdering the man, but his daughter is also a student of Taekwondo to where she possesses almost animal-like characteristics. I really felt like I was on an acid trip while watching the episode. I had never seen something so off the rails before that encompassed both drama and comedy (but mostly comedy). It was quite something to watch, I will tell you that.


2. Chernobyl- "The Happiness of All Mankind"


     In one of the most beautifully crafted, yet disturbing shows of all time, the fourth episode of Chernobyl was definitely the best episode of the miniseries in my opinion. Most of the episode deals with a young man named Pavel being forced to execute stray pets left from residents that lived near the Chernobyl Power Plant in order to rid the lands of radiation. The episode is heart wrenching and very hard to take in, and it shows what these people had to do in order to save their country from being destroyed. The episode also featured a scene where men have to go on the roof of the plant and almost by hand extract the radioactive rubble. It's a very tense and cringe worthy scene, but it is beautifully shot. Though Chernobyl is one of my favorite shows ever made, it is a show that I do not have to see again due to it being a very graphic and disturbingly emotional watch.


3. Evil- "Rose390"


     Evil has been one of the most surprising shows for me this year. It has been such a pleasure watching it; I am always excited to watch the next episode! In the episode I chose from the show, David, one of the main protagonist is called in to help a young boy whose family thinks he is possessed. David makes progress with the boy by telling him that he should call on God whenever he needs something. At first it goes well until David sees that the boy's infant sister is at the bottom of the pool. My mouth dropped while watching this happen, especially since the show is on CBS, a broadcast network. I knew this show was something special when I saw that. Not too many things get my mouth to drop like that...


4. Game of Thrones- "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms"


     Mostly everyone can agree on season eight of Game of Thrones to being a steaming pile of garbage. That is not secret; however, I think many forget about the first two episodes being amazing. In this episode, we had Brienne finally becoming a knight, Arya fully transitioning into womanhood, Jamie pledging his help to take down the white walkers, Jamie apologizing to Bran for paralyzing him, Jon revealing to Daenerys that he is one of her ancestors, etc. The episode had some impeccable character moments that made me really think that I was going to miss these characters once the show was over. The rest of the season should have been thrown in the trash, but "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" remains as one of Game of Throne's best episodes of the entire series.


5. The Good Place- "Tinker, Tailor, Demon, Spy"


     This episode of The Good Place was brilliant and so entertaining to watch. The show is known for not taking itself seriously which is why it is considered one of the best comedy series ever made. The twist in this episode was amazing and was thoroughly thought out by the writers. The audience speculated that Michael was replaced by an "evil" Michael, but really Janet was swapped by an "evil" Janet. Not only was that twist great, but the buildup of the audience finding out if Michael was the real Michael or not was so suspenseful. There is at least one exceptional Good Place episode a season, and I can say that this episode was season four's exceptional episode. I cannot wait to see the rest of the final season in 2020!


6. The Mandalorian- "Chapter 3: The Sin"


     The show that has inspired "Baby Yoda" memes everywhere finds one of its episodes on my list. The show has sparked somewhat of a mixed reception online especially on message boards (Reddit), but almost everyone can come together to say that this episode was everything a Star Wars fan wants. Action. Character Development. Suspense. The list goes on. This is the episode we really see Mando develop attachment to "The Child" and what he is willing to go through to save him. We see Mando take on all of the bounty hunters before being saved by his fellow Mandalorians. I think this episode will prove to be the heart of the show as it highlights what the show actually is. The relationship between the Mandalorian and "The Child."


7. Pose- "Never Knew Love Like This Before"


     This episode is definitely the most emotional and upsetting episode on the list. The episode gives us a shocking, unexpected main character death in Candy, who was built up to be unlikable by her fellow community members. Candy is murdered in a hotel room, and her corpse is shoved in a closet to where a maid finds her body. At her funeral, all of her friends and acquaintances have a conversation with her ghost to where we see almost everyone make peace and apologize for not giving her a chance. Also, she is able to make peace with her parents for not accepting who she was which is an incredibly touching moment. The end of the episode shows Candy a lip-sync performance before her soul departs. This episode is an all-around tear-jerker, and it really brings awareness to what is still happening to the LGBT community in today's world.


8. Succession- "This Is Not for Tears"


     I really love Succession. Plain and simple. And this episode proves why. After covering up sexual harassment claims and giving hush money, the Roy family is about to outed. They do everything they can to get these "allegations" off their backs, but to no avail. In the episode, Logan tries to gauge his family/coworkers for a scapegoat. He ends up in the end picking Kendall. He thinks Kendall will take the blame since Logan has dirt on Kendall from season one and has been his puppet the whole season. Kendall, in a twist, reveals at the press conference that his father knew about the sexual harassment claims and hid them while also revealing that his father is a horrible person to where his father watches from the TV screen and gives a slight smirk. All around brilliant. I cannot wait for season three of this crazy show!


9. Veep- "Veep"


     One of if not my favorite comedies sadly ended this year, but the series finale proved to be timeless. Selina Meyer wins the presidency in the end by manipulating and promising her rivals to drop out of the race and pledge their support to her if she passes and gives them what they want which includes giving Jonah the vice president position and outlawing gay marriage even though she has a gay daughter. We are reminded of what a despicable and ruthless political figure Selina is one last time. Not only does she do this, but she throws the one person that has been there with her the whole way to the wolves due to the scam she was attached to. Later we see that all of Selina's team has abandoned her as she sits alone in the oval office as she gives an upset look before snapping back into it. I love this finale, and will severely miss this show. Julia Louis Dreyfus is an absolute treasure.

10. The Walking Dead- "The Calm Before"


     After the clusterf**k that was season seven and eight, season nine of The Walking Dead felt like renaissance of the show. "The Calm Before" is one of those "big" Walking Dead episodes that happens every now and then. Alpha sneaks into the kingdom and lures/kidnaps people away to where she executes them and places their heads on spikes to mark her territory. The episode is very emotional, and it marks the final appearances of fan-favorite characters Enid, Tara, and Henry. I knew this episode was coming, but I was shocked to see who it was that was killed. It was also fun watching YouTube reactions the next day to see people's thoughts on the episode. This episode secured season nine as one of if not my favorite Walking Dead episodes.


Thank you for reading my list of my "Top 10 Best TV Episodes of 2019." What were some of your favorite television episodes of this year? Leave a comment!