'Rise of Skywalker': The virtues of the new 'Star Wars' universe

How can you not love this guy?

I have a very different relationship with The Rise of Skywalker than most diehard Star Wars fans I know. I am very aware of its limitations and yet there are enough moments that land for me, that undeniably charming and/or moving that I just can't hate with the same fervor as a lot of people.

I find it absurd to suggest, as some actually have, that the film even ranks below some of the prequels in terms of quality. This kind of revisionist history will get you a lot of mentions on Twitter, and normally all opinions are subjective, but like c'mon...

The performances of the actors alone make that argument moot, but moreso the craftsmanship on display, to me, makes the case for why all of these new Star Wars offshoots have been leaps and bounds better than George Lucas' prequel trilogy.

Because I'm a completist, I bought the blu-ray for The Rise of Skywalker. Watching it for the third time, the thing that stuck out the most for me is how rushed it feels. Every third part of a trilogy is burdened with closing a lot of loose ends, which is why they are often the weakest entry. And we'll never know what this movie would have been had Carrie Fisher lived to fully realize her role.

I do feel grateful that this particular saga -- the Skywalker story -- has come to an end. It's a far more satisfying conclusion than I could have ever expected from Lucas and enough of a template has been established with these films (as well as spin-offs like The Mandolorian) that I feel confident in the future of this universe.

That's not to say there won't be (and haven't been missteps). People sometimes forget that Marvel has its share of clunkers, too. Still, I haven't seen any new Star Wars film or show that gave me nothing that I didn't really enjoy or find entertaining, which is again, more than I can say for the prequels.

Watching the blu ray special features in particular for The Rise of Skywalker gave me newfound respect for the film and its creators. The practical effects, the gorgeous fully rendered sets, the puppetry -- my God, the puppetry. There is some really incredible work in that movie that we sort of take for granted. We forget how flat and artificial the mostly CGI worlds of the prequels were.

There a lot of care has been put into every frame of that movie. Now, do I wish as much care could have been put into the script? Sure. And I am hopeful that the producers have learned their lesson. It's ok to let some time pass between these projects, especially now that the mortality of the original stars is less of a concern. Thanks to the coronavirus, I assume I will have to wait years to see the next chapters of The Mandalorian, and I like that I'll have that much anticipation for it.

Anyway, this will be my last word on a movie that far too many words have been spoken about. I don't see The Rise of Skywalker as some sort of infamous disaster. I think it's a deeply flawed movie that did many of the same things beloved Star Wars films did (Darth Vader killed your father...'from a certain point of view') but just a little clumsier than we all would have liked.

And, flaws and all, it was (and all of these new films have been) grounded in the emotional arcs of its characters. There was never a scene even remotely as affecting as Han Solo's spiritual reunion with his son Ben during the climax of Rise, and if the series can still produce moments like that, it'll all have been worth it.