As much as we hate to admit it, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker felt more like course-correction and melodramatic fan-service than a continuation of the previous movie.
In fact, the last chapter in the Skywalker Saga spends the majority of its runtime going against the ideas that were set up by Rian Johnson as the things that would define Disney’s Sequel Trilogy. Instead, Abrams decided to lean back on concepts that fans have wanted to see in the new movies ever since The Force Awakens premiered in 2015. The return of Emperor Palpatine, Rey’s lineage, and certain cameos from the past were just a few things that managed to anger The Last Jedi loyalists, which ultimately made Episode IX just as divisive.
Suffice it to say, if Rian Johnson’s story was about letting the past die, Abrams’ concluding act salvages what’s left of that past in an attempt to redeem the Sequel Trilogy and the saga as a whole. But what does Johnson think about the conflicting finale? Well, this past Sunday night, the filmmaker was asked about his thoughts on The Rise of Skywalker and interestingly enough, he had nothing negative to say.
.@joshuahorowitz caught up with @rianjohnson on the #Oscars red carpet to talk about the forthcoming #KnivesOut sequel and what Rian thought of 'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' pic.twitter.com/B1tPNlIM0x
— MTV NEWS (@MTVNEWS) February 10, 2020
In fairness, though, we wouldn’t expect anything less courteous from Rian about the cast and crew of a galaxy far, far away, since he’s proven time and again that he’s one of the nicest people in Hollywood. We’d assume that even if he secretly hated the movie, he’d never in a billion years let on about his true sentiments, which would not only be unprofessional but also troublesome.
Then again, it’s one thing to receive criticism and backlash from the fans, and quite another to see your work essentially undone. Perhaps Johnson has taken a page out of his own book by accepting the facts and letting the past die.
In any case, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker did conclude an age-old story as the last entry in the nine-movie saga, and we only need wait to see how the film will stand the test of time.
