Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

An undeniable roller coaster, where you jump at such a speed throughout this universe that I don't even have time to stop, admire, or absorb the atmosphere of the new location or the old one. At the same time, this naturally means that there's nearly two and a half hours of shooting, fighting, or explaining, and you never get a chance to catch your breath. Fortunately, what you learn in between the jumps works for me. I've had a weakness for Reylo from the very beginning, so I swallow up the development of their relationship and abilities with enthusiasm, and I would like to see even more. More than ever, the rest are just a supporting cast for this couple, but fortunately, they are truly funny and imaginative, especially Poe, because it's clear that Oscar Isaac is really enjoying this role. I was most afraid of the return of the old familiar villain, who has had enough presence throughout the entire saga, but luckily his presence makes sense in tying it all together with the new generation of heroes, and in the end you see that with his involvement, the going gets more than just tough, and if the plan fails, it will be the end of everything. And while things sometimes work out too conveniently or quickly, or the main characters are helped out by chance (the Force), that's how it is in fairy tales sometimes, and Star Wars has been a fairy tale with princesses, knights, and swords for over forty years – and it saddens me that those who call themselves true fans, unlike me, have forgotten this beautiful fact. Fortunately, the dreamer J. J. Abrams has a noticeably better memory. (12/23/2019)

The interesting thing about the Star Wars franchise is that I'm not into it on its own, but if a spin off (Solo) or a series (The Mandalorian) comes out, I'm downright excited, which is pretty weird. Again, I wasn't entertained at all, I didn't care about the characters, I didn't like the action or the practical effects, so I suffered through the classic two hour martyrdom. Story**, Action**, Humor*, Violence>No, Entertainment*, Music***, Visuals***, Atmosphere**, Suspense*. 2/10. (03/19/2020)

This was great in IMAX. The space spectacle of the year, with a blistering pace, amazing (digital) locations, delicately busy camerawork and nostalgia, supported by unexpected appearances of old characters. In the final confrontation, I felt the force, almost like in the final rebellion against Sauron. And finally, I liked Daisy Ridley. Unveiling the new identities of the re-established characters didn’t make much sense to me, but since I don’t remember exactly what happened in the preceding episode, I didn’t care (I don’t consider this trilogy to be part of the beloved STAR WARS; it’s just commercial parasitization). However, a second screening on a significantly smaller screen, where it was no longer possible to not notice the (dis)honesty of working with viewers in telling a meaningful story, diminished my impression of the film. The Rise of Skywalker is merely a disposable rollercoaster ride, an attraction in the new Star Wars section at Disneyland. (12/24/2019)

I watched the 9th episode of Star Wars while knowing that it has bad ratings on this site. And I have to admit that I must slightly object. This movie doesn’t deserve bad ratings. It is evident that it deserves good ratings. The problem is not with the actors. We have been living with them for a few years already and among the newest ones, the closest to my heart are Oscar Isaac and Adam Driver. We can state that as a fact because the actors are simply good. Moreover J. J. Abrams is a certainty that considering the technical aspects, this movie would have adequate amount of tension as well as action. That I acknowledge with gratitude and I appreciate it. Considering this aspect, The Rise of Skywalker is quite decent. The problem with which everything rises and falls is the script. But what did you expect? I do admit that the screen writers could have omitted a few scenes. Not only do I have the feeling that all stormtroopers are black now, which feels like racism, but moreover I have a feeling that in nowadays Hollywood movies, there must be a black general, which also feels like racism. From time to time I had to close my eyes to be able to finish this movie but eventually I did finish it and I must say that it was more or less a good movie. Let us not lie to each other, this trilogy is not a world-wide breakthrough, so why should we judge it as such? It is just fine for 4 stars. (12/28/2019)

With the end of the saga, the time has come to remember the man who started it all and who is only artfully recalled here and there so as not to be mentioned – see the nostalgic promo videos perfectly crafted by Disney's marketing team to create the impression that the saga now finally belongs to the fans and that the fans conclude it for the fans (thus Lucas is found there in the grand total of only one shot). It is fascinating how the corporation succeeded in cutting George Lucas, who had always been mentioned in the same breath with the franchise, off from Lucasfilm within a few years of acquiring the brand. Lucas was not only the creator, but also a malevolent god who does whatever he pleases with the films and ignores the prayers of the fanatical admirers of his work. This distant memory makes a refreshing impression today, when we conversely live in an era when marketing campaigns and the entire PR product are often more important, powerful and characteristically even more expensive than the blockbusters that they promote, and when the films themselves are made according to PR plans and not on the basis of any vision or ambition. How paradoxical it is that the cleverly designed return of the saga to the fans and, furthermore, the evident subordination to their taste gave rise to the most unforgettable and most unanimously panned film of the entire series. If the highlight of the series still remains the fifth (strongly atypical in the context of the whole saga) episode with its outstanding narrative structure, which perfectly alternates between the environment and the characters so that it never gets bogged down, then the ninth instalment, following the example of its hyperjumps, rushes to cram as many elements as possible into its monumental runtime. However, the resulting effect is merely a blur of colour from which nothing remains at the end of the closing credits. I vaguely recall that the ninth film nullified (seemingly) everything innovative and fresh from the previous episode and replaced it with nonstop fan service, which made even hardcore fans nauseous. But, as is the case with few films, you have to see it in the cinema, because you will not get the gradual disappearance of the crowd’s enthusiasm and incredulous cries and outbursts of desperate laughter anywhere else. Personally, I decided that I wanted Porgs, Ewoks, Jawas and Gungans to be present at the end of the saga, so I am 75% satisfied with the film. (12/22/2019)