Grand final? – Review of the movie “Star Wars: Skywalker. Revival”

It happened – for the third time in history, a film was released to end the series started by George Lucas in 1977. I will say right away that Return of the Jedi is still the best culmination of all three trilogies. This does not mean, however, that the latest title should be written off in advance.

Earthquake

This is how you can describe the media landscape after the premiere of the eighth part of Star Wars with the subtitle The Last Jedi. The painting by Rian Johnson tried to refresh the quite fossilized skeleton of the saga, making quite a revolution at the same time, and since we had been getting stories using very similar patterns, the film caused quite a stir. There were some smaller and bigger holes in Johnson’s concept, but it was received very warmly by the press. As for the audience, it was not that simple. I myself am a huge supporter of this production, and the very high box office results and the “A” rating in the CinemaScore survey also prove a good reception among viewers. However, there are also skeptics who have to be admitted that they are very active on the Internet (especially on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic). Therefore, Disney could not talk about full success, because at leastThe last Jedi certainly brought the company big profits, it did not positively affect the media image of the brand. The situation was also not improved by the spin-off about the youth of Han Solo, which, due to its mediocrity and lack of promotion, went almost unnoticed.

In conjunction with the gigantic hype on the last installments of Avengers, you get the impression that Star Wars has passed into the background. It’s still arguably the most important pop culture franchise ever created, but the MCU now has much more of a clout. Hence, it was difficult to sense any extraordinary atmosphere of anticipation for Skywalker. Rebirth . I also did not show enthusiasm before the premiere, definitely waiting more in December for the Netflix Witcher …

Restore balance once more

The main plot of the film is based on the pompously announced return of Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid). Rey (Daisy Ridley) trains to face the reborn Emperor, and the Resistance conducts intelligence efforts to uncover a secret that will allow him to face the army of the Sith Lord (modern Star Destroyers have mysteriously appeared in the galaxy). If all of this seems quite familiar to you, then you are right. The plot of the new part seems to be heavily drawn from the classic comic book Dark Empire by Tom Veitch and Cam Kennedy. It’s in its own way funny that a few years after the cancellation of most of the Expanded Universea movie is coming out that would fit well among the older stories that continued the saga. Especially since, like many EU novels and comics, fantasy elements probably play the biggest role in the whole saga. So, almost mythological secrets emerge, and characters who use the Force perform impressive (or absurd – at their discretion) deeds. Another thing is that this was not always an advantage of these titles. Comparing Episode IX with the Dark Empire, however, two fundamental differences emerge. Above all, the comic has tried, more or less successfully, to explain why Darth Sidious has returned. With Abrams, it doesn’t exist at all. The viewer is simply faced with the information that the well-known antagonist is again a threat and was pulling the strings all the time. How did he survive? Why is it only revealing itself now? Where did his army come from? We don’t get answers to these and other questions, and it would even be fine if it served to create an aura of mystery. Meanwhile, the old-new Palpatine is simply bland. Throughout most of the painting, it is like a puppet suspended aimlessly, its only asset being its distinctive voice.

Return to proven tracks?

What’s more, while the Dark Empire tried to shock the viewer by presenting a bold story and graphic side, so in the case of Skywalker. Revival. quite the opposite. I don’t know if it’s a matter of appeasing the offended Last Jedi or simply Abrams’ style, but the final episode is extremely safe and conservative. Those who counted on further deconstruction of the flagship elements of Star Wars should give up hope before the screening. Which doesn’t mean the movie isn’t fun. Fortunately, it was done without such literal tracing as in the case of The Force Awakensand it’s hard not to like heroes. It is also a production that carries a certain emotional value (after all, a certain chapter closes), which makes the heart beat faster. Although you can have serious reservations about the constant fanservice festival. To my surprise, most of these nostalgic winks put a smile on my face. It wasn’t until the very end that I felt a bit tired about it.

It is also worth noting that a lot has improved in terms of Finn (John Boyega). In the previous part, our ex-stormtrooper was basically pushed to the background and filled with Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) a typical RPG side quest. This time, the hero finally has something to do and, together with Rey and Poe (Oscar Issac), he creates a successful trio in which you can finally feel chemistry. It’s also good that it was decided to continue the theme of the bond between Rey and Kylo, ​​which was one of the highlights of the previous film, giving it a new dynamic.

One step back

What I cannot defend, however, are the strange scenario decisions that contradict the eighth episode. Instead of relatively smooth transitions and expansions, some ideas were suddenly changed or thrown out. This absolutely does not look like trying to create a coherent trilogy, but rather a desperate attempt to win back a disappointed part of the audience. The knife in my pocket was opening when it turned out that all of Kylo Ren’s character development was wasted, Ben Solo has made it his point to become the new Vader and makes exactly the same mistakes as before. Fortunately, the great as always Adam Driver saves the situation, and in the second half of the film, however, the hero somehow evolves (though not necessarily as I would like it). The biggest scratch, however, is Rey’s genesis. As it turns out, it was impossible to let her be a figure from nowhere,deus ex machina imaginable.

Several scenes in which JJ Abrams seemingly surprises are also irritating. Suddenly, something bold, even shocking and capable of completely changing the course of events, happens, but a few scenes later it turns out to be a fake, and everything returns to normal. I don’t know if it was supposed to keep the viewer’s attention, because if so, it was completely unnecessary. The film does not give a moment of respite anyway. Unfortunately, this is not an advantage at all.

An entertaining express

Skywalker. Revivalhe has a serious idea to spread the pace. The ninth episode has far too much content for a painting of two and a half hours. Therefore, from the very first minutes, the story rushes at breakneck speed. At the same time, it follows the same pattern, alternately serving the viewers with an exhibition explaining the situation in which the characters found themselves (often in a quite blatant way), then an intense action scene takes place, and then another exhibition that pushes the events forward, and so in near Maciej. Thus, the viewer may often not even get used to a given plot, when it is suddenly cut off and returns for a moment much later (or not at all). It is a pity that new characters such as Zorri (Keri Russel) or the returning Lando (Billy Dee Williams appear for a while and do not have much time,

You have to admit that when something is happening on the screen, it is absolutely impressive. The audiovisual setting is a huge advantage of the production, although in the case of Star Wars it is just the standard. Abrams has already proved in The Force Awakens that he has a hand for details and leading spectacular sequences. All battles, chases and duels are a real feast for the eyes, especially if we decide to show in the IMAX format (even 3D did not prevent my reception). It is a pity that while there is no lack of momentum, the photos themselves were taken rather correctly. The Last Jedi, which can boast of many compositionally beautiful, even artistic shots, it fares much, much better in this respect. However, I cannot say a bad word about music. John Williams was probably the last time he created the soundtrack for a movie in the series and it’s a farewell worthy of a master. A cosmic symphony in good old style is able to save even the weakest scenes.

I have mixed feelings about it …

Although there were quite a few complaints in the above paragraphs, Skywalker. I consider the revival a quite successful picture. The problem is, it’s just hellishly lumpy. When it does something well, it is really great to watch, but usually it’s things that the brand has gotten us used to and you don’t have to dwell on it too much. However, there are a lot of major and minor problems that are often new to the series. Whether you can digest them is a personal matter. I had a lot of fun myself and it probably won’t end with one session. I think people putting The Force Awakens over the Last Jedi, they can be delighted with the ninth installment. In the case of the followers of Rian Johnson’s vision, a lot depends on which elements of the film they appreciated the most and how much they will be able to forgive Abrams.

For the movie Star Wars: Skywalker. We invite you to the revival of Cinema City cinemas all over the country.