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unexpectedreylo · 4 years

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What Happened To TROS

There’s a show I watch on occasion called “Autopsy: The Last Hours Of...” featuring a medical examiner going over celebrity autopsy reports and explaining why the celeb died. (It’s on Reelz, in case you’re as morbid as I am.)

Many Reylos have gone over every statement uttered about the film and analyzed every bit of footage to see just what heck was going on with this movie. Based on what’s come out in the press I was about to pitch my own autopsy theories. But every day more comes out about TROS! Chris Terrio digging his hole deeper, Colin Trevorrow’s alleged “script” leaking on Reddit! As of writing, South Korea got the Art of TROS book first so images have been leaking all over the place.

Here are my takeaways at this point:

Problem #1: J.J. Abrams’s brand of filmmaking. Abrams is really good at fast-paced, fun-filled spectacle. He is also good at not explaining things, at interrupting every conversation with action/danger, and at forced, unearned moments that are more about winking at the audience than advancing the story/developing the characters. Case in point: Kirk and Spock acting out the Spock death scene from “Wrath of Khan” in “Into Darkness,” only with Kirk about to croak (he doesn’t). The movie did nothing to set them up as close friends. They were still sniping at each other the whole movie. So it’s unsurprising TROS also had all of those elements.

Problem #2: There was no plan. What’s come out since the film’s release seems to emphasize that they really had no clue how to wrap this thing up because nobody had a clue who these characters were or what their story means beyond Chris Terrio’s curious obsession with Luke and Leia. The audience attributed meaning based on what we got in TFA and TLJ but it seems like hardly anyone behind the scenes had any idea what that meaning was. They threw away George Lucas’s road map and decided to just keep driving until they got somewhere.

Problem #3: There was no time. When I was a kid, I’d see t.v. ads for Paul Masson wine starring the late Orson Welles. The ads’ tag line was always, “We will sell no wine before its time.” Bob Iger’s philosophy is “FTS, give me that movie yesterday!” He announced a new trilogy to start in May 2015 at the end of October 2012. That was less than three years. Recall that it took months to find a director and they ended up junking Michael Arndt’s screenplay, with J.J. Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan having to do a quickie re-write in late 2013-early 2014. Abrams was casting the film at the same time. He asked for more time but all Iger would do is move the release date to December 2015 because he’d promised shareholders it would be out that year. I felt that TFA seemed a little rushed and this explains why. J.J. Abrams and Chris Terrio were officially running the show as of September 2017. Originally TROS was scheduled for May 2019 but again Abrams asked for more time and the film was bumped back to December 2019. Still, that’s only two years and two months. Twenty six months to figure out how to end a trilogy, end a nine-part series, and work around the unexpected death of one of its stars. Oh and do all of this while you hadn’t given Star Wars a thought in years along with a screenwriter whose knowledge is pretty wonky. Is it any wonder why the script sometimes felt like it was written at the last minute by college students pulling an all-nighter on speed? By comparison, George Lucas started writing the OT in 1973, three years before he shot ANH and four years before release. He started writing the PT in 1994, three years before he shot TPM and five years before it was released. Star Wars wasn’t based on a novel or a comic book. The whole saga had to be cooked up from scratch. It required more time and more thought.

Problem #4: They didn’t get the best closer. After TFA, Abrams didn’t worry about the long game for the trilogy because the original plan was to be one and done. He never had to think about Rey and Co. ever again...until Colin Trevorrow got the hook in June 2017. I don’t know if Kathleen Kennedy had anyone else in mind or not. But I am certain Abrams was either Iger’s or Walt Disney Motion Pictures head Alan Horn’s idea. Why him even if he admitted he’s not a good closer? It’s simple: TFA made $2 billion. With no plan, limited time, and a few years of not thinking Star Wars at all, he had to quickly wrap up a series, something by his own admission he’s not very good at.

Problem #5: Too many disruptions. George Lucas somehow managed to survive changing directors for each of the OT, having to let Gary Kurtz go, and the end of his marriage to Marcia Lucas, who just happened to also be the films’ editor. The ST had to contend with Michael Arndt, Colin Trevorrow, etc. getting fired and someone else having to step in and work from scratch. Rian Johnson seemed to be the only one able to get through production unscathed, only to get his film retconned because of the internet peanut gallery. Carrie Fisher unexpectedly died, forcing everyone to rack their brains on how they were going to finish this without her.

Problem #6: They were totally out of touch with what audiences liked about the ST. Before the arrival of Baby Yoda, Kylo Ren was the most searched Star Wars character. Yes, even more than any of the OT characters. While lots of people love Rey, they loved Kylo just as much if not a tiny bit more. He was the one descended from the legends of our youth: Han Solo and Princess Leia, Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala. It also helped that a highly-talented, charismatic actor played him. I think audiences were rooting for him but didn’t expect him to die. Even people I know who otherwise really liked or loved TROS thought they shouldn’t have killed him off.

Reylo was also the gas in the ST’s tank, not only as a romantic duo but as physical representation of the push and pull of the Force itself. Their interplay makes each character more interesting and make the story overall more interesting (I had little to no investment in the Resistance vs. First Order brouhaha).

A logical person would’ve milked this for all its worth but instead they killed off their most interesting character and half of the most interesting relationship in the trilogy. They left their heroine alone in the desert. Had Ben Solo and Rey killed off the Emperor together and survived, and the movie ended with the two of them walking off into the sunset, TROS would have sailed past $1 billion and counting weeks ago.

#reylo #tros #ben solo #ben solo deserved better #ben solo deserved to live #reylo fandom

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a-reasonforthoughts · 4 years

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My thoughts on the Rise of Skywalker, because quarantine forced me to finally watch it. !!!!Spoilers!!!!!

Growing up, Star Wars was my childhood. My sisters and I read all the books (including the comics) and we packed the Essential Guides with us everywhere. Because for our deep love of the Extended universe, when the last few movies came out we had... mixed emotions. I didn’t even see the last movie when it came out after hearing some less than stellar reviews. So here’s my review, or rather my reactions to the Rise of Skywalker. (Yes, I actually sat down with paper and pen and watched this movie.) Title craw: The DIABOLICAL First Order.

‘The Emperor has returned.’ Wow, the are expecting us to go along with a lot aren’t they.

Cool. Kylo wrecking everything.

Yay, a planet that isn’t snow, desert, or forest. Hold on tight kids, they’re throwing us right into this one. We’re already at Palpatine’s house. Ew. Whats with the tank?

Whoa eyes! What’s up with his lips? Can someone bring this fossil a drink?

Imperial March playing while a Star Destroyer rises in the back ground. Is this Vader’s old ship? Rey is “Not who we thought she is.” Thought she was “Nothing”?

Ew, what is Klaud, and why is he here?

Who are all these people on the Falcon? “How do we thank you?” “Win the war.” aren’t you all on the same team? Why do you need to thank him? Cool, another planet thats not snow, desert, or a forest. Never mind.

Oh great, Rey’s here. Looks like the Lightsaber is fixed. I know the names of a bunch of these plants! When Luke was training with the ball thing (Training remote) he was just trying to deflect the shots. Rey’s trying to take down the whole forest.

You sure you want to destroy that thing Rey? There can’t be to many of them laying around Who are all these people? Why’s the Falcon on FIRE?! Since when is “Light-speed skip” a thing? Seriously. Who are all these people? I thought after the last movie there was only like, 10 of them left. Hey! It’s Merry from Lord of the Rings!

What’s this old orange doing here?

“Sith Way-finder” Sigh. Are Poe and Rey a “thing”? Are Finn and Rey a “thing”? Why’s everyone here but R2? There he is. Why did they not bring him?!

Now I’m watching a Planet of the Apes crossover.

That guy who was on the same team is dead now. His blood is clear so the rating doesn't go up. Well, Hux is certainly different.

Someone must have taken his hair gel because his hair was never this poofy before. Is this a Holi Festival, or Burning man.

Why are we learning the name of this random kid? Rey just walked away from her, what was that? Yay! The force link is still there!

Kylo is giving off stalker vibes. It’s nice to see him growing into his role of Supreme Leader. Looks like everyone hates him. Wait- Who is this guy?! Why are they following a stranger!

It’s LANDO Oh, so Rey know’s who Lando is, but thought Luke was a myth. Makes sense. Boom. First order is here.

Lando: “My flying days are over.” Why? “Give Leia my love.” Ew. Wait, why is Lando out here? Did Luke just leave him? He said he came here with him. Has the emotional issues of being abandoned by Luke led him to never fly again? Is this a parallel story to Rey’s abandonment? What’s the motive here movie! They made it even harder for these Storm Troopers to see out of those helmets.

3PO is getting a lot of lines. Rey *is distracted* Ship *Blows up* Now they have sinking sand. WAS THAT ALMOST A CONFESSION?! This guy just says, “The Falcon is not responding.” when asked, and they’re like “Don’t be such a downer!” Oh yay, they survived. Kay, we’re just brushing over Finn’s almost confession. I’m sure they’ll come back to that later. *Cough* Okay, that flashlight bit was funny.

How do you know that’s the guy you’re looking for? That could be anybody’s skeleton! How’d they find a knife that neither Luke, or Lando (who might have been here for 20 years) could find! Rey’s making friend’s with the basilisk.

She just transferred some of her life force to the snake! Why!? This old ship they found in the desert still works. “Chewie, tell Rey we got to go!” Why can’t you do it? You’re not doing anything. Axe. Here comes lover boy. How to Breathe, the movie, by Rey.

Trailer shot.

Was he just gonna run her over?

Cool, she’s pulling the ship out of the sky. Uh oh, helmet’s off, there goes her focus.

Now they’re playing tug-a-war with the ship. It’s the light saber fight all over again. Whoa!!! She juST LIGHTING’D THE SHIP! Kylo Looked freaked out for a second! She just told Finn she had a vision of her and Kylo together, and he looks like he’s gonna cry. 3PO tells them how horrible and dangerous it is to override a droid’s programming. “Let’s do that!” That droid looks like a yoga wheel and a hairdryer.

Rey to the new droid: “Someone treated him badly. It’s alright, you’re with us now.” Yeah, just don’t watch what we’re about to do to this other droid.

Looks like we’re adding another girl to this love triangle (hexagon?) She’s not supposed to be a Mandalorian is she. (So help me-) I hate you and I’m going to turn you in *Hit’s her over the head and pulls out a lightsaber* Okay, lets go.

Why they so mad at Poe for being a smuggler? Wow. They are forcing C-3PO to do this. Backup his memory to the hairdryer! It’s got to have a reason for being here! C-3PO “Oh! I just had an idea of something else we could try-” ZAP! ...Was that supposed to be funny? These writers need to learn what humor is, and when to use it. Why are we focusing on Poe and his old girlfriend the Power Ranger? Wah! What’s up with 3PO’s eye’s? Is he a Sith droid now? Why does he have that function?!

Rey, you’re boyfriend’s here. They wiped 3PO’s memory and he doesn’t know who anyone is, but he’s still polite. Poe angrily points “That’s gonna be a problem!” Our heroes ladies and gentleman. I hope the First Order just blast them. That Admiral’s badge just let them in? Like no one reported that missing?? Wiped 3PO’s memory and they’re getting the dagger anyway. Worst rescue ever.

Vaders Helmet has had a hard life. Rey has a vision in every scene she's in.

More ‘Rey’s family history’ with Kylo “Tell me where you are,” She’s in your room dude.

R.IP. Vader Helmet

That Stormtrooper behind Kylo must be so confused. *Sees helmet, breaks link* “She’s in my quarters!” Told you so. Why is Hux the spy? When did this happen? What does he think the outcome of this will be?

3PO just wandering the halls with a crossbow.

“You are a Palpatine.” Wanna be a Solo? Is this like his fourth proposal? OooooOOOOooo, that was cool! Kylo standing in the blast of the Falcon’s engines was a moment we needed!

Yikes! They took out Hux fast! They didn’t want to question him or anything? No?

The Death Star was blasted to smithereens, why is it here? How is it here?

They made that dagger to line up with the wreckage? I’m pretty sure things that are constantly beat by the ocean will move or erode over time. Who even made that? What was the purpose?!

Yay, another scavenger Who’s also a ex-Stormtrooper, because why not.

That’s a horse covered in a rug. Rey’s out trying to kill herself again.

“There’s another Skimmer!” Wonder who that is. He is literally following her to the ends of the galaxy.

Wait- The throne rooms still in one piece?! The chair and everything?!!! Dark Rey- YIKES! TEETH

I thought he stopped the holocron with his foot, I was really surprised when fingers formed and he picked it up.

Kylo acting so cool as she’s trying to slash him to ribbons. I see Merry again! Wait- What’s Leia got to do? And why does Maz know? They’ve never explained what this strange orange is and what she can do.

Finn’s in deep- Wait how'd he get out here?????

Leia don’t distract your son while he’s fighting for his life!

SEE!!!!!!!

“I wanted to take your hand. Ben’s hand.” You think he’s going to leave you alone after that?

Why is Rey just a total mess in every movie.

Chewie mourning Leia is a good touch. It’s nice to see the reaction of someone who ACTUALLY knew her. Whoa! They got Harrison Ford to come back! That must have taken a lot of bribery (or blackmail).

Has almost dying given Kylo/Ben the power to see non-Force user ghost, or is he just going nuts? So this is just a rehash of Han’s death scene.

Aw, he called him Dad- Hey don’t throw that away, you need that!

He’s nuts. Those red helmets look stupid. Aaaaand it’s the Death Star again Merry in the background! Why’d they make Poe the General? Lando finally got off that planet

“General.” “General.” She’s burning his ship. Good luck Kylo/Ben.

You know how hot that fire has got to be to burn metal “A Jedi weapon should be treated with more respect.” You brat.

Why did he have Leia’s lightsaber here? “...it would be picked up again, by someone who would finish her journey.” Oooookay, but why not just have her take Luke’s old Saber? It’s gotta be laying around here somewhere.

I know it’s symbolic and all that he’s raising the x-wing, but there’s no way that thing still works.

Alright, 3PO’s memories are back. Why’d we have to go through all that? I spy Merry again! How does Poe know all this stuff about Exogol? He’s just a fountain of information over here!

“Now we take the war to them!” That’s literally what you’ve done every movie ever No one is questioning how Lando got here. Isn’t this a secret base? *Dr. Evil voice* ONE MILLION STAR DESTROYERS

Who even wrote this story line? Finn’s going with his gut and everyones just going along with it. Not like you could all die or anything. They brought the rug horses with them

How are they breathing in space!? Those red troopers still look stupid.

What’s this crowd chanting? Are they speaking Parseltoungue? “I never wanted you dead.” That’s why I told Kylo Ren to kill you.

Hang on- his plan is ‘You be the empress, and I’ll just possess you. Grandaughter.’ EW. Why would she want that? How is that a tempting offer? Someone’s gone senile. Direct quote: “I got to go do something!” “I’m coming with you!” Why do these people get attached so quickly?!

“Luke was saved by his father. The only family you have here is me.” Yeah, but I got a boyfriend who follows me everywhere!

Ben runs and jumps: “Ow.” We finally get to see the Knight’s of Ren in action! (Where have they been this whole time?) “Once you kill me I shall become apart of you!” So she could just, not kill him. Right? Oh yeah, here we go, now we got a showdown!

Well, that was anticlimactic

WHAT IS HAPPENING Poe just realized he's the worst General ever.

YO. Don’t tell your troops there is no hope! What is wrong with you??? Why isn't Lando the General? He is a lot more qualified!!!

Wait a minute!! Where were all these people when LEIA ORGANA called for help????

Wedge Antilles!!!!!! So all the life force sucking was just so Palpatine could up grade his outfit? *Flings Ben into a pit* Palpatine is so done with the Skywalkers Hey, I know these voices!!!! Aaaaand now he wants to kill her. So whats our big moment? TWO lightsabers!

Why did the make that the big epic moment? Why didn’t they have Ben run over and they do it together- It would have been perfect for his story arch! Rey: “And we” Together: “are all the Jedi!” Now she's dying. Why? Not even the writers know So Finn’s Force sensitive. Cool I guess? This is a really touching moment for them, even more so if they did anything other than fight this entire movie!

This kinda feels out of nowhere

I’M SO MAD RIGHT NOW

NOW SHE’S SMILING AND FINE. HE JUST DIED Merry’s here again and I can’t even be happy about it Now Finn has to chose between Rose and the new girl Poe’s trying to start something with his Power Ranger old flame, and she's like “Not a chance.” Now everything’s all happy like BEN DIDN’T JUST DIE. ARE WE NOT GOING TO ADDRESS THIS?????????? Oh hey, it’s the Lars farm. Nobody else moved in after all these years? Now she's burying the Skywalker lightsabers in the place they all hated.

WHY IS BEN NOT HERE!!!!!!! HE WAS A MAIN CHARACTER FOR THESE MOVIES AND THEY DID HIM DIRTY!!!!!!

Well I guess they had to wrap this mess up somehow

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stillwinterair · 4 years

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Pretty sure this thing is rife with typos and inconsistencies because I spent way too long writing this and Refuse to proofread, but, some notes from the writers’ room (my brain) on my Personal Mental Sequel Trilogy Rewrite:

On paper, I think the Kylo/Snoke situation as it occurs is really compelling. Killing Snoke midway through the trilogy was a stupid move in the context of the trilogy we got, but could have very easily been made to work well with a few changes... many of which in The Force Awakens.

(This is gonna mostly be focused on Kylo Ren, but in this version of the story he’s far from the focus, it’s just kinda what I would want to see from a villain)

The ultimate goal in my own personal version of the trilogy would have been to make the late-second-act twist (this trilogy’s “I am your father” moment) be Kylo Ren becoming Supreme Leader, and cementing himself as the big bad. But to do that effectively... we have to make Kylo Ren more sympathetic. We have to trick the audience into thinking he’ll come around. As it stands... the movies don’t actually do this. A certain subset of fans certainly think they did, but there’s really no buildup to “Bendemption” aside from a single scene where he’s hesitant to kill his mom, I guess. Other than that, he’s all evil, all the time.

He should still do all the same things: slaughter a village of innocents, torture multiple people, stand idly by as his fascist regime destroys the seat of galactic government. But give him moments of pause before they happen, and feed into the “pull to the Light” with whispered voices calling through the Force, begging him to stop. Every time, he almost listens... but he pushes them away. And every time he pushes them away, something in him changes. He stands taller, grips his blade tighter, and his power with the Force grows a little stronger.

Now, another crucial building block to the twist: move Kylo’s “doesn’t wanna shoot Leia” scene up a movie... and give it to Han.

The scene plays out as we see it in TFA: Han Solo pleads with his son to come home (I would have had them find Luke by this point for the sake of a trio reunion but that’s an entirely different thread to follow). Kylo Ren -- or, perhaps, Ben Solo? -- grips the silent hilt of his lightsaber, visibly unsure. Is he going to submit to his father? Does he plan to kill him?

We don’t find out. Not in this movie, anyway.

A blast rings out. A bolt hits Han in the chest, his eyes glaze over, his fingers drift from his son’s cheek, first slowly, then altogether. He tumbles aside, falling to his death. The camera pans: someone, perhaps Phasma or Hux, is looking down the smoking barrel of their rifle. They salute, then quickly take cover as the distraught and agonized trio of Rey, Finn, and Chewbacca begin firing on them.

Rage fills Kylo Ren’s eyes. He tenses. His lips twist into a twitching grimace. It seems entirely focused on Phasma/Hux. Bands of white-hot electricity trace the lengths of his fingers.

And then it all subsides.

He turns on his heel and pursues our trio, and the film proceeds as we’ve seen it, except again, Luke is also there. I’ll figure out that puzzle piece later.

EPISODE VIII:

Snoke should be heavily involved here, very clearly the puppet master pulling Kylo’s strings. Kylo is clearly haunted, though: those whispers we heard throughout the last movie are growing louder. Who are they? Jedi of the past? The souls of the dead? Anakin Skywalker himself, his spirit shattering itself into a million little pieces trying to push past the jagged barrier of Dark-side energy Kylo Ren surrounds himself with?

But Kylo needs to be less composed in this movie than he is in TLJ. No standing around calmly or stoically, he’s constantly on edge, looking over his shoulder, feeling judged by everyone and dreading it. Kylo Ren is tortured and haunted and it feels like at any moment, the facade will break. Clearly, the source of all his problems are because he isn’t being who he’s supposed to be, right? Clearly he could turn around at any moment and become someone better, right? Right?

Rey ends up before Snoke and Kylo Ren again, because she thinks Ben Solo can be saved, because the narrative is at least putting some work into making us think he can (“he’s haunted by the choices he’s been making, why wouldn’t he turn back to the Light?”). Snoke plays them against each other, yadda yadda yadda, but it perhaps becomes apparent that Snoke has an ulterior motive:

He doesn’t want Kylo Ren anymore. He wants Rey.

He toys with them, makes them duel to the death, but there’s a lot at play here: Snoke wants the strongest to survive, to shape them into a more worthwhile apprentice. Rey fights defensively, refusing to give up on Ben. Kylo is as aggressive as we’ve ever seen him, more conflicted than ever, raging against the voices in his head. Turn away from her, and strike him down, they say. Join the girl, rebuild the Jedi. Come back to Luke. Come back to your mother. The voices are familiar: Jedi from the past, friends who have died along the way. And then a final voice rings out, more ghostly than the rest: Come home, son, says Han Solo, an echo of his soul which has left a stain on the Force surrounding his son.

He knows what he has to do.

The electric currents we saw in our previous episode return, stronger now. The ground around him is charred, ash-black. Years of so-called “Gray Jedi” in Legends jump back to mind: are we actually going to see a Light-sider using Force lightning? you might wonder. All of his energy goes into a singular blast, aimed at Rey...

But it arcs past her, decimates Snoke’s guards. The Supreme Leader stands, shocked and enraged. He challenges Kylo: “You dare slaughter your own allies? You, boy, are nothing but a worm! But it matters not. I never needed you, anyway. The girl will take your place, and you’ll die as they did.”

Snoke attacks, but his mastery of the Force is nothing compared to what comes next: a torrent of lightning from the fingers of Kylo Ren.

The blast knocks Rey back, flings Anakin’s lightsaber from her hands. But when she stands, there’s a smile on her face. She did it. She won. The evil in Ben Solo has been vanquished, the Light has prevailed, and the First Order is finally defeated.

She asks him to come back with her, back to Luke, to Leia, to the Jedi. He can start again, help rebuild, save the galaxy.

He turns back to face her, and his eyes are bloodshot and yellow. He’s seething. He extends a hand, and an offer: join him, let the past die, create something new. Feel the power of the Dark side. There’s nothing like it. There never has been, and never will be.

This is the true Kylo Ren. The first steps of his manipulation were led by Snoke, but it was the taste of power that led him the rest of the way. It seduced him. Consumed him.

We cut back to the lightsaber of Anakin Skywalker, lying on the ground far away. We see Ren and Rey far in the background, standing opposed, but they’re out of focus. The lightsaber is all we can truly see. It begins to shiver, as if being called by someone. Presumably Rey. We cut back.

Rey refuses his offer, refuses the power, tempting as it may be.

“No? Then you’ll die as he did. As all your weak friends will.”

Another torrent of lightning bursts forth from Kylo Ren. But Rey makes no moves to defend or attack: she’s utterly in shock, confounded by this turn of events.

When the lightsaber ignites, it isn’t Rey who’s holding it. It’s Finn. Lightning crashes into it, holding it back, long enough for Rey to regain control, Force-push Kylo, and for the two of them to run.

Rey and Kylo’s Force bond from TLJ is maintained, as is the ending shot of Rey closing the door of the Falcon in Kylo’s face... but with it comes a darkness. The bond is severed. The door has been closed forever.

The twist of the Original Trilogy’s second act was that the villain was of our hero’s blood; in the end, it saved him.

The twist of our Sequel Trilogy’s second act is that the tortured soul we thought might have been a hero, never was one and never could be. You ~subvert expectations~ but in a way that builds the mythos and actually pays off a plot thread. Looking back at all of Kylo’s moments of tortured almost-goodness, the realization hits that he always had a chance and never took it, that the whispering voices which followed him, his pull to the Light, were an annoyance that pushed him the other way.

Anakin, Luke, and Ben were easily corrupted by the Dark. The difference is, Anakin was manipulated, Luke had the force of will to be a hero anyway, and Ben reveled in the Darkness. These are the Palpatine genes resurfacing.

And then in our Episode IX, we wouldn’t [re]introduce a new (well, old, but new to this trilogy) villain in the LAST ACT, but would instead build the story and mythos of one villain throughout the trilogy, off the puppet master when his role is done, and let him flourish as the evil bastard he always should have been. And then the Force-ghost of Anakin Skywalker can show up and basically confirm that he hasn’t been around because he’s been trying for decades to reach his grandson, that it consumed all of his power, etc.

Anyway. This is a lot but we could have had a really compelling villain here but they didn’t do fucking ANYTHING with him

#star wars #idk how the hell to tag this #anti reylo #for good measure #anti bendemption

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inquisitorhotpants · 4 years

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okay let’s just get this out of the way.

i didn’t like it.

If you liked it, I am honestly jealous of you! I wish I did. But I am really uninterested in any attempts to convince me to like it.

TROS review, with spoilers, below the cut

So I walked out of the theater very “meh” on it. Almost everyone else in my friend circle seemed like they loved it, so I ruminated on it for a couple days and came to a conclusion.

I’m not meh.

I really, really don’t like that movie. I will likely never turn it on of my own volition.

These are not in any particular order, just as they come to me.

The pacing is absolute shit.

JJ’s “Lost” buddies got more lines and screentime than Rose, an established character they promised was getting a bigger more impressive role in TROS.

Everything important Rose did got cut. That lightspeed hopping Poe was doing? Rose worked it out. But I guess we didn’t need to know that.

There are more effective ways to communicate in a movie than having Poe stand around reciting exposition about things he shouldn’t know about, but clearly JJ Abrams is uninterested in any of them

So many unearned emotional moments that mean nothing to the characters but JJ slaps in there to mash the dopamine button because HEY REMEMBER THIS YOU GUISE

So just to be clear, Leia can fucking FLY THROUGH THE VACUUM OF SPACE but just mentally communicating with her shitty kid kills her, sure jan

Rey would have just fucking killed Palpatine if he’d just shut the fuck up but no

Someone banged Sheev Palpatine.

Who also managed to somehow survive the second death star FUCKING EXPLODING.

You had the chance to show a fucking sith cult and went with “have Poe recite exposition about a sith cult”

The universe shows up for Lando, but not Leia???

Do not get me wrong, i adore Lando! But I really feel like even Lando and Chewie would have been like, “what the fuck??” about this?

JJ Abrams is a fucking shit writer

Pretending everything in TLJ doesn’t exist - except for some halfassed R*ylo, apparently - is shitty

Rey felt grossly OOC this whole fucking movie.

SHE ABANDONED FINN ON THE GODDAMN DEATH STAR

In theory, the Palpatine thing could have been good in the right hands; JJ Abrams was not the right hands.

All it took for Kyle Ron to stop being a space fascist was thinking about his dad telling him to be nice? THAT’S IT? Well hell, why are we punching Richard Spencer when we can just ask his dad to tell him to be a good boy??

Why the hell did we bury the lightsabers on Tatooine? All Luke ever wanted was to get away from there. It meant nothing to Leia. It meant nothing to Rey. It was literally only there so that viewers could go OMG I LOVE ANH and get teary eyed

So after that frankly excellent acting where Rey tells Kyle Ron to leave her the fuck alone, we get heart eyes and “Ben!” and a fucking kiss?

When she doesn’t even know who the fuck Ben Solo even is??

Neither do we because he has no fucking lines??

Finn is the glue that holds this fucking trio together and he’s reduced in half the movie to running after Rey. Gross.

We seriously took the member of the trio with the most established backstory and most filled in timeline in canon, played by a Latino actor ... and made him a former drug dealer. really? not a single person went “hmm maybe this looks bad”?

Fic writers will do hours of research so they don’t get something wrong in a PWP smutfic, and you can’t research Poe’s backstory for four seconds?

please enjoy your three minutes in each set piece, keep all hands and arms inside the screaming traincar at all times, and ... nowwww we’re going to slowwwww dowwwwwwwn so Rey and Kyle can Force Skype for no apparent reason

there are no actual stakes

“Chewie died!” just kidding

“threepio is gone!” just kidding

“we don’t have a fleet!” just kidding

“kylo ren, head fascist, is dead!” just kidding

“Final Order” is dumb as fuck

so much finnrey baiting

this covers the part about unearned emotional moments much better than i ever could

Good thing Vader eliminated that galactic menace, amirite? oh wait

“closes the entire saga” hey jj you know there are NINE movies in the saga, right? cause there sure wasn’t fuckall about the prequels in there.

this “trilogy” doesn’t feel like one. at all.

it’s so checkboxy. “they want r*ylo, check! no r*ylo, check! use that leia footage - shit we’re out, give her the weakest death imaginable. twin suns! palpatine! let hayden say a couple words so the prequels fans shut the fuck up! ‘everyone’ complained about rose, cut her out! cameos out the ass!”

The Knights of Ren were boring af.

rey gets no character growth

Are we just gonna make all the black folks in the movies related? Lando & Jannah already are, so do we get a short in a couple months where we find out Finn is his son and they’re all related to Mace Windu?

It just felt very “i didn’t like your movie so i’m going to make 2 and 3 in one smashed together mediocre movie”.

I just cannot get past shit writing and shit pacing and a hack job at “homage”

Now i’m stuck looking at a hundred hot takes on twitter about how “this is ben solo’s trilogy! he’s the real hero! he’s the poor abused boy and no one else has ever had it worse in the entire star wars sagaaaaaaaaaaaa and how dare rey get everything while he was abused and neglected and had NOTHING” thanks jj

Y’all I love this cast and they deserved so much better than what they got from this trilogy.

I suppose there were a couple of things I liked.

the music was phenomenal, as always. Palpatine’s theme done in the style of Rey’s theme was great.

space horses!

FINN FINN FINN FINN FINN

FORCE SENSITIVE FINN

the bickering scene. I got my hopes up after that. They were quickly disappointed as Rey quickly went off into OOC-land

Dark Rey and that little snarl at the end

I thought the new force powers were cool af. It’s about time we do something with the Force beyond jumpy jumps, zoomies, and the jedi mind trick

I’ve only known D-0 for 4 days but if anything happened to him ... you know the rest.

i actually enjoy the theme of “you are not your bloodline” but it was done so much better by Claudia Gray.

Anytime the trio was together was good.

As much as I am super “eh” on Kyle Ron as a character, I appreciate Adam Driver as an actor, and the scene where Rey passes him the lightsaber and he does that little shrug with the smirk, that was good. I liked that quite a bit.

The problem is that cool setpieces do not a good movie make.

I started The Witcher the day after I went to the movie, purely to stop thinking about this shitshow of a movie, and that show is great. xD

#tros #the rise of skywalker #tros spoilers #tros critical

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idaisa · 4 years

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Major spoilers for everything, but I have a point...

What is with everything having to have a bitter sweet ending all of a sudden. From Game of Thrones turning Dany into a maniac, because, why the fuck not even though there was like 0.5 of a lead up to it, to End Game literally killing off the guy who, if he had survived would’ve had the greatest story arc in the history of cinema (Ironman) and now, The Rise of Skywalker. I know not a lot of people have not seen it, and I’m sorry, MOVE ON from this post cause now I’m gonna get super spoilery. To have these three new movies come out, like I get it the technology is there, why not make new Star Wars movies. And the first one was great, it had nostalgia, it had tragedy, it set things off really well because it brought people in and created a foundation on what we were comfortable with. The second one had so much potential because it had so many places to go, but instead we go this fanboy esk movie, made by someone who clearly doesn’t understand the fans, but whatever that’s for a different rant, and now we have the Rise of Skywalker. A movie that was supposed to fix the problems of the last and also finish off a 9 movie saga. What I got felt like it was doing damage control for the last, and thus didn’t have time/space to do what it was originally meant to do. It shoved a out of fucking nowhere villain (they could’ve made JarJar the bad guy and I’d feel like it came from about the same place) but there was a ray of hope, there was one character who if they did him justice, I would’ve been fine with every other mishap. And that is Kylo Ren/Ben Solo. A character who again could’ve had a very impressive story arc. Starting of a sith, murdering his own father, haunting a young woman who slowly motivates him to question his path in life. This third movie could’ve been his redemption and reward for being good, but you know what happens? He dies. After a brilliant scene between him and his father he goes to save Rey, YES redemption moment offered. Then he fights off his Knights of Ren and faces Palpatine by her side, YES redemption asked for. But then when Rey dies, and he is left with a future without her he uses what is left of his power to bring her back to life, they kiss (yay for those Reylo fans because this movie gets flirty between them REAL quick) and then he dies. She is left alone in the world and he doesn’t even get a force ghost moment with his mother and Uncle. He gets nothing. He saves the girl, he rejects the darkness within himself and he gets nothing.

And yes it could be argued that he saved the person he loved the most, and got a kiss, but even his very soul doesn’t find afterlife happiness because we see NOTHING.

Side point, the relationship between Padme and Anakin was more satisfying to watch end. OMG FUCKING SHOCKER, but seriously, they fell in love it was forbidden, she gets pregnant and with is decent into the darkness, you watch the purest of things, love, withstand that. Who does Padme ask for? Anakin, who does Vader ask about? Padme. And yes she dies, but it served a purpose, to set the twins off, and to add to Vaders mixed emotions about everything. Sure she died stupidly, but still I felt it gave more to the plot than Ben’s death. Ben’s death felt like, a hero of this series (and yes by the end of this he is a goddamn hero) didn’t win. How amazing would it have been to see the contrast, Anakin turns dark, looses the person he loves the most, Ben turns light and gets to be with the person he loves the most, I AM JUST SAYING THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY HERE! And they missed it. Keep in mind I’m not a reylo fan-girl, but if you’re going to give us that relationship, then actually do it.

So my problem with this is, what are we trying to say here? that you can do terrible things but still redeem yourself, sure, but will you see any kind of happy ending here? no, you don’t even get to go to the equivalent of Jedi heaven. And when you’ve invested years of your life watching and following a potentially great moral story here, it’s unsatisfying. Now I am not one of those people who will trash a movie, set fire to all my merch and call it a day. But like how I felt with Endgame, what was the point of all that? why do I feel so deflated and unfulfilled by this story? Because I grew up with films that gave you trials and tragedy but they (for the most part) let the good guy win, and live happily ever after. Rey doesn’t even seem that well off, she finishes the movie, again in a fucking desert. I’m just being hit with these movies and tv series that I invest large chunks of my life into and I’m feeling like in the end I get punched in the gut for my loyalty and it kind of sucks. My favourite trilogy is still the original three. And in some ways I guess this new one beats out the prequels as well. But I just feel like fans, who invest their money, time and emotions into your stories, deserve better. It doesn’t have to be roses, sure he could die and it would say that sacrificing yourself for the one you love is important. BUT HE DIDN’T EVEN GET A FORCE GHOST, he didn’t get that in soul redemption and WHY, what would it have done to the plot to show him as redeemed as Vadar. I just... I feel like there are happy endings and there are endings that make a point, there are endings that teach us lessons and there are endings that satisfy us. Not everyone is going to be happy, you can’t impress millions, but don’t leave me feeling like I could do better. Don’t leave me feeling like some of the good guys don’t win. The thing I loved about the origional trilogy is that it gave you a villain, a real villain who kills potentially billions through out his life (planets and all) turn around and say no to that darkness. And you know what he got? fucking peace, he got to move on to the afterlife redeemed and at peace. And I just think if you are going to kill off Ben fucking solo, an actual skywalker, call the movie the RISE OF SKYWALKER (hinting at some kind of ascendance for him), then maybe you want to give the last SKYWALKER who sacrifices himself for the greater good of lets face it EVERYONE, afterlife peace.

Maybe they’ll do an extended version, change the ending, who the fuck knows, but for now, like with those other franchises, I feel like my persistent loyalty was not rewarded and that kinda stings.

#tros spoilers #got spoilers #enggame spoilers #reylo #star wars #star wars the rise of skywalker #rant #Disney

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certifiedskywalker · 4 years

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My Feelings on TROS

There are simply too many places to begin. However, I’ve narrowed down my issues with the final installment in the Skywalker Saga to three major points that, I at least deem, worth mentioning.

Below the cut are said points. This review INCLUDES TROS SPOILERS, so if you haven’t seen the film, DO NOT READ.

1. Pacing (1a. Palpatine)

As a past runner, when I say that I was winded walking out of this movie, that means something.

However, I feel like this issue is not entirely TROS (or JJ’s) fault. I feel that Rian Johnson, when filing The Last Jedi, could have done more to give Abrams and The Rise of Skywalker more wiggle room to flesh out the future storyline.

Had there been more open screen time to fill, Palpatine’s introduction wouldn’t have had to be thrown into the opening scroll (hence why Palpatine is an issue in and of himself). If Rian had included a scene in The Last Jedi as simple as Kylo Ren or Hux walking in on Snoke talking to a hologram of a cloaked figure with a voice eerily familiar to Palpatine, the undead Emperors’ rushed introduction would feel more organic. There needed to be more hints that Palpatine was behind the scenes in both The Force Awakens and, most importantly, The Last Jedi. If there were more hints there would have been less time needed to explain Palpatine’s survival; thus there would have been more time to dedicate to a fuller, more satisfying ending of the movies we love.

There is more I could say on this topic, but I feel that there are other outlets and people more qualified to speak out on this subject.

2. Rey Palpatine turned Skywalker

I have no problem with the idea that Rey is a Palpatine (although, like introducing Palpatine himself, I wish that there had been a few more hints either from Luke or Leia on Rey’s heritage). What I do have a problem with is, at the end, she names herself a Skywalker.

I understand that she means it as an homage to her Jedi Masters, Luke and Leia. I also understand that ending the Skywalker saga with a continuation of their line shows proof that ‘good people prevail over the bad’, that ‘family is more than just blood’ and ‘you make your own destiny’. As a writer, I also understand JJ’s want to connect the beginning and end of the Skywalker Saga by reinvigorating the Skywalker name and ending it all with the twin suns that started it all. As a writer, and in a poetic sense, I like this ending and I respect those who find the fact Rey calls herself a Skywalker brilliant and a good ending.

As a fan, I hated it. I love the Skywalkers, I do, but this movie was the end of their story (stories). To continue their name, thus continuing their story, feels cheap. While I enjoy Rey as a protagonist, there was another, living Skywalker: Ben Solo. Keeping him alive, without the last name of Skywalker, would, arguably, make more sense.

That being said, I did love what they did with Ben Solo and Kylo Ren. Killing Kylo Ren so Ben Solo, the LAST Skywalker, could rise was powerful. His death was bittersweet as we had so little time to see Ben Solo as himself. So, by already ‘raising’ Ben, the title The Rise of Skywalker was fulfilled. Giving the Skywalker name to Rey made Ben’s redemption feel...less impactful.

I would have much rather her either embraced her lineage as Rey Palpatine or chosen Solo as her last name to honor Han and Ben. Even better, she could have just stayed Rey, just Rey.

I know Star Wars is about the Skywalkers, but at its’ heart, Star Wars is so much more. Star Wars started with people with names not yet carved into history. Star Wars took nobodies and made them legendary. Who would we be without knowing Mace Windu? Obi Wan? Commander Cody? What about Hera Syndulla? Boba Fett?

Why couldn’t the same be done with Rey?

3. Poe Dameron

My boy, my wonderful, beautiful boy. How dirty did The Rise of Skywalker do you? Very dirty, in fact.

Poe, as a character, was not the problem. It was the way he was written by JJ and the way he was limited by Disney.

I am OVERJOYED that Oscar Isaac has made a point in exposing how Disney hindered his expression in making Poe gay. It would have been so refreshing, so groundbreaking, and perfect if a mainstream platform, a monopolizing company voiced support for the LGBTQA+ community using one of their most profitable properties. Can you imagine how liberating, how wonderful that would have been?

Now, we’ll never know. At least not in Star Wars.

I was appalled by the inclusion of Zorii Bliss as a means to convey a straight, hetero-normative relationship with Poe. My dad pointed out that Poe could be bisexual, but, knowing that Disney wants a profit more than anything else, they were purely trying to ‘straight-ifiy’ Poe Dameron. Poe deserved better than to have a beard for his sexuality and Zorii deserved more than being a character purely for bearding Poe. As a member of the LGBT community, it is disgusting to see that the voices of the actors and fans, who yearned to see a progressive, gay character on screen, were overshadowed by the idea of making a profit.

Then there is the issue that Disney, that JJ Abrams, decided to recon Poe’s backstory and make their Latino leading character a drug runner. I know I may sound like I’m trying to be ‘woke’, but this was horrible. Marginalizing the gay community by not making Poe’s identity canon? Okay, not fine but we can recover; but making your SOLE, LEADING, LATINO CHARACTER A DRUG RUNNER? In this political climate (at least in America), this is harmful as Hell!

If what I’ve read is true and Oscar Isaac is not returning to Star Wars or any Disney property, good on him! He deserved to have his voice heard; he wanted to give people a relatable character; he was willing to take the heat of making Poe gay in a conservative world; and Disney didn’t take the chance.

So, screw the mouse and give all your support to Oscar Isaac’s future cinematic endeavors!

My Final Thoughts

I like The Rise of Skywalker, in spite of it’s many, many issues. Some of the other issues I saw were: noninclusion of Rose Tico and the truth behind Palpatine's survival(?).

Few movies are perfect and this one was far from it. However, it is an ending to a series, a saga, or movies that will live on, longer than we ever will. Star Wars, its characters, its worlds, its cast, have changed my life. Even if the movies weren’t amazing or left me wanting, they inspired me. I’ve created art and this blog because of the stories because of a galaxy far, far away.

For that, I am thankful to have seen this movie and have a voice strong enough to give my two-cents. I feel in my bones, my heart, and soul, that, if Carrie Fisher hadn’t had passed, this movie would have been wildly improved. Rest in Strength, Spacemom.

I hope that some of you see and understand my thoughts. To those who don’t, I’m interested in hearing what you think! Let us be civil and leave the blasters alone. Here, in this galaxy, everyone should feel at home.

#the rise of skywalker #tros #the rise of skywalker spoiliers #tros spoilers #the rise of skywalker spoilers #kylo ren #rey #ben solo #poe dameron #star wars #finn #carrie fisher #luke skywalker #princess leia #han solo #rey palpatine #don't forget to love each other

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q--uee--n · 4 years

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Ben Solo's redemption doesn't work.

Okay, so now that I've got your attention (that is if this post gets any attention), I want to clarify that I'm not some rabid Ben Solo anti or whatever - no. But I do think his character wasn't written as well as it could have been, especially in regards to his redemption arc.

I say that because of what we've been shown in the movies - and that is a cruel, almost heartless at times, murderer. The conflict is there, it's subtle, but it more often than not comes off as him being a moody teenager throwing a temper tantrum than someone who's actually conflicted. His conflict is shown better in TROS, but even there it seems stunted and his inevitable turn to the light comes off as abrupt and nonsensical.

This, I think, is because all of his moments of compassion and humanity - the ones that matter, the ones that will make audiences sympathize with him - aren't shown in the actual movies. Rather, a bulk of them are shown in comic tie-ins. Comic tie-ins that most don't read or even know exist. Some people don't even consider them canon.

Take the whole Jedi temple fiasco, for example. In the comics it's made clear that Ben didn't actually kill anyone that night Luke contemplated murdering him. What happened was that the temple, seemingly randomly, burst into flames, and it was the surviving students who assumed Ben killed Luke and the rest of the deceased students when, in fact, that wasn't what he wanted at all. In fact, it's shown that Ben himself thinks he's caused the fire and, guilt-ridden, flees and eventually finds Snoke, who, at this point, is basically grooming him in the ways of the dark side. TLJ, however, implies otherwise and leads audiences to believe that he slaughtered the entire temple - hook, line, and sinker. And then people...don't really sympathize with him all that much.

This is only one out of numerous examples, but the problem with the movies is that they don't do a very good job of showing us who Ben Solo is. They barely scrape the surface with his background, familial relationships, and his inner demons, so by the time his redemption arc is realized in the movie - it kind've misses the mark. Granted, whether or not it works is a matter of perspective, but for a large portion of the audience, it just...doesn't make sense.

Which I think is a shame, because Ben Solo as a character had a lot of potential, but the writers fucked him over as they did most of the characters in this trilogy, and as a result of that, there are a lot of things we're just supposed to take on face value, and all of this combined, to me and to many others, is why redemption just. Doesn't. Work.

TLDR; Canon does an ass job at developing and providing nuance to their characters, and Ben Solo is a blatant example of that. His redemption doesn't work because canon - movie canon - doesn't make it work and never seemed to care that it didn't work in the first place.

#star wars spoilers #star wars the rise of skywalker #star wars sequel trilogy #star wars the last jedi #star wars #ben solo #kylo ren #long post #meta

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chiclet-go-boom · 4 years

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AND ANOTHER THING

Okay, back to insomnia for another night since this stupid fucking movie is keeping me awake with emotional trauma. So here are my highlights of pain because I have nothing else to do at 4am but try and get them out of me and into the void where hopefully they’ll rot quietly.

Long rant about The Rise of Skywalker with even more swear words.

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PLOT HOLES SO DEEP THEY HAVE THEIR OWN EVENT HORIZON

Pretty much this entire movie, but these are the highlights that stick out:

How the fuck did Palpatine survive his on-camera death? It’s not only never explained, it’s never even touched on. Nobody asks any questions, ever. Complete retcon for the Original Trilogy.

How the fuck was Palpatine somehow Snoke as well? We get a brief shot of Snoke clones in a vat, and that’s it for what we know. His old ass raisin body is still around looking creepier than ever, so he’s not transferring his consciousness around into new vessels apparently.

If he was Snoke, why the hell did he command Kylo to kill Rey in the throne room of the Supremacy “to complete his training”, when his motivation for this movie was to get Rey alive to Exogol to kill him so he could… transfer his consciousness? See previous point.

Palpatine tells Rey she has to kill him so they can “be one” in order to save her friends… only if she does that and he takes her over, he’s not likely going to save her friends. Yet Rey treats it as a serious choice.

If Palpatine wants Rey to kill him so he can merge with her or take her over or whatever the hell transfer of sith power is suppose happen and then she turns around AND DOES IT, why is Palpatine actually really dead now? He wanted to be dead. That was the whole point. Do I trust in this? Or is the guy just mostly-dead again. This plotline whistles, it has so many holes.

Rey and Kylo Ren are equals in the Force. Rey is shown at the very beginning of the movie happily drifting twenty feet in the air while doing her best impression of an atom illustration at the same time. If you read the comics, Snoke is also shown tossing a younger Kylo over a cliff and Kylo catches himself with the Force above the rocks. Now, Kylo gets tossed into a pit at the end and just… falls to his near death? And has to climb up using his hands? Why show Rey floating if you’re not going to use it later for Kylo? Does JJ just not get the concept behind Chekhov’s Gun?

Lightspeed skipping. Very cool. I’ll allow it in space, particularly if you have a Force sensitive pilot who might be able to sense where they’re going and not rip themselves apart by impacting something solid (hello, Holdo Sacrifice Maneuver) but you can’t jump to lightspeed in gravity wells. You’ll tear your ship apart. The fact that Han did once is an outlier and should not be counted because that asshole has the galaxy’s own luck when it comes to bending fate and consequence. Did absolutely nobody read Wookiepedia?

And now TIE fighters can do it too and have both hyperspeed and hyperspace tracking technology installed? Kylo’s Whisper is unique with its lightspeed capabilities, a cutting edge piece of technology, but the ships chasing Poe in the opening Resistance sequence are just run of the mill fighter ships. They should have been left in the proverbial dirt.

JUST GENERAL CRATER SIZES PLOTHOLES

Why did Kylo try to mow Rey down with his actual ship, when it had perfectly serviceable and oh, deadly guns?

If C3PO wasn’t permitted by his programming to translate the dagger (because otherwise this movie would be over a lot faster), why didn’t they just go to a library on Coruscant?

Luke and Leia knew Rey was of Palpatine blood all along? Then why did neither of them know who the hell she was when they met in the previous movies? Luke even said “Who are you?” right to her face.

Why the hell did Rey die? She had all the power of a thousand generations at her fingertips and they’ve already shown she can heal mortal wounds. Instead she just… keels over because the script told her to. So Ben can turn up and heal her back, because they share the same soul and he has the same power. You know, the ability to heal mortal wounds? Only now it’s his turn to keel over for no reason. And if he has to fade into the Force, why the fuck didn’t Rey do it first, leaving him no body to save?

How the hell does a dagger that can point to an ancient Sith wayfinder artefact have an exact match to the outline of a piece of wreckage. It would only be useable from a precise angle and distance to the silhouette - the angle and distance that nobody had any way of knowing.

Since when can Force ghosts catch material objects out of the air and lift physical machinery?

Speaking of, how the hell does a rusted, damaged X-Wing deliberately sunk for a decade in order to strand its owner on-planet with no way off even if he changes his mind have no problems drying out and working perfectly for a hyperspace jump?

Kylo’s Whisper had the wayfinder plugged into it when he went to Exogol. He then used his ship to try and run Rey down on Pasaana, only she damaged it and the central cockpit went up in a ball of flame, sans wings. The wayfinder should have been toast, yet it somehow turns up on a different ship, the one that Rey steals from Kylo on the Death Star. Is the wayfinder now on all Kylo’s ships? The magic multiplying wayfinder? And completely immune to blistering fire temperatures that melted a space-capable ship?

Why is an entire fleet of destroyers, so many they dwarf the skies, just sitting idly on a planet and needing navigational guidance in order to get above atmosphere? Who grounds a star destroyer at all, let alone a murderous amount of them?

How did they get planet killing weapons on those destroyers without massive amounts of kyber? Kyber is scarce, Starkiller Base would have likely wiped out any known remaining stocks of the precious mineral. And the stuff is unstable as fuck, which is why its limited to lightsabers (tiny amounts of crystal) or huge moon-sized bases to contain it. Sticking it on a ship should be impossible. It’s never questioned or explained.

Why was Palpatine surprised by the Force Bond? Surprised enough to completely abandon his plan to take over Rey and instead decided he’d just suck the bond dry of power to regenerate his body (well, it fixed his fingers at least). If he was Snoke or controlling Snoke as he claimed, he should have not only known all about it, he should have known how strong it was.

Rey won by deflecting Palpatine’s Force lightning back at him and melting his body like shades of The Lost Ark. All he needed to do was… stop using lightning and I don’t know, Force push her into the pit with Kylo. Rey problem solved. If Kylo couldn’t levitate anymore, Rey sure couldn’t.

IT TRIVIALIZES CONSEQUENCES. IT TRIVIALIZES SACRIFICE.

In one of the few cool and unexpected things, Rey destroys a transport with Force lightning. She kills her friend Chewbacca (and a bunch of redshirt stormtroopers). She screams in horror but finally runs away from the crime. We’re all devastated, poor Chewie

But wait, no! There were two transports out of fucking nowhere apparently and Chewie is just captured. So it’s a mulligan, people. His death is erased, it didn’t happen. This also counts as a plot hole since Rey senses Chewbacca nearby on the destroyer later just fine, but couldn’t tell he was just on the other side of the rock while they were on the ground.

In order to be permitted to translate the Sith markings on the dagger, C3PO has to undergo a factory reset. He has a poignant moment saying goodbye to everyone and then metaphorically lays down and dies for the cause. But wait! No, actually he’s fine. R2D2 restores nearly his entire memory later on, we can all calm down now.

Kylo Ren/Ben Solo sacrifices himself for the love of his life and nobody takes even a second to mourn him. Even Rey just moves on with no trouble - she doesn’t even cry. If it happens, it happens off camera and therefore doesn’t happen at all. His sacrifice meant nothing because nobody but nobody will ever know about it.

SO MUCH PANDERING IT SHOULD LOUNGE AGAINST A STREETLIGHT

C3PO, a minor character in all the movies, suddenly has a major speaking part and actual plot relevance.

Rey training with the blind helmet and the hunter drone like Luke did.

Rey wearing a Rebel helmet as she escapes from Ahch-To.

Lando. Again. Used as a signpost (go that way, kids!) and appears again with the cavalry later, just like he did in previous movies.

Rey sliding down yet another dune

Ewoks cheering as something blows up in the sky

A star destroyer going down over the Jakku ship graveyard.

Double sunrise/sunset on a sand planet. (fine, I can live with this one)

Chewbacca finally get a medal

Tatooine itself and the Lars homestead.

THE COMPLETE LOSS OF CHARACTERISATION

Rose Tico who? She has a couple of throwaway lines and a walk on appearance. What a jerk move for a great character.

Hux gets barely more significance and completely throws away his entire motivation from the first two movies (a calculated rise to power to command a galaxy wide army because he wants control of everything) in exchange for utterly petty harrassment. It’s not even revenge, he can’t affect much. He doesn’t even plot against Kylo, he just kicks the metaphorical equivalent of sand onto Kylo’s robes and mutters something about rubber and glue. Then gets himself killed because he’s stupid. This is the man who masterminded a superweapon and used it, only to get taken out with a bulky bandage wrapped around the outside of his uniform.

Finn’s decision to leave the First Order in an act of real bravery is reduced to because a “feeling” told him too. Because he has the Force. But doesn’t tell anyone all year. For reasons. He had two character arcs in the other movies, moving him away from a drone in a faceless army into a person with agency and something to offer, and he spends three quarters of this movie running after Rey and yelling her name.

Poe. Oh god, they murdered Poe. He’s the fucking son of real heroes of the Resistance, a golden child with his own legacy burdens and they instead they give him (and his Hispanic actor) a drug dealer background. Crass at best, utterly contemptible at worst. The movies are the most canon canon that it can be. Did nobody check Poe’s Wookiepedia page before putting this into the script?

Kylo Ren kills both his masters in the previous movie, only to bow to a third within the first five minutes in this one. Kylo says “I’ll kill you too” but the next thing we know, he’s got red decals on his helmet proclaiming his new allegiance. What the fuck? Then spends most of the movie contradicting everything he said in TLJ proving that yes, Kylo Ren was lying to Rey all along and it all was a manipulative dick move to consolidate personal power at the expense of everything else. Spends his time gaslighting her and telling her she has no choice but to be his queen.

(side note on this: he TELLS her she WILL take his hand the next time he offers it… aaaaand she doesn’t. Again. Why the fuck did they put that in the script at all? So Kylo can look stupid by being so confident and forceful with his prediction only to get blown off when the moment comes around again? pfft.)

Even Palpatine isn’t consistent. He wanted to live forever, tricking Death and reigning as the supreme Sith Lord for all time. Instead in this movie he apparently just wants to be Rey. He spends 30 years grooming the scion of Skywalker and does absolutely nothing with him in the end.

TOLD THE WRONG FUCKING STORY

This story should have pulled threads from Anakin’s fall and Luke’s failure and used them to tell a story about how its always possible to come back from the worst of your choices and that love for family, love for friends and love for each other is the one real power in the world.

Instead all the Skywalkers died because Palpatine worked through three generations to subvert the will of the very Force so that his bloodline is the only one that remains ascendant. Rey turns out only to be powerful because her grandfather was powerful, completely negating the idea that the Force plays no favorites and anybody can be the one to turn the tide of evil. Anakin’s children are painted in the worst possible light and the entire saga ends on a horrible, desolate note because all of them died and the one who deserved it the least had to give the utmost, and will still always be painted as the villain.

We had bad guys already. The First Order. Hux. Fuck, they could have elevated Mitaka and given the poor baby some meatier lines. We could have had a stormtrooper uprising, which would have tied beautifully to Finn and given him an arc. We had a power dynamic we cared about - Hux versus Kylo which could have gone in very interesting directions with Snoke no longer holding either of their leashes. We did not need a completely new army full of ships to fight and the complete erasure and irrelevance of the First Order.

The decision to include Palpatine could have been a specific plot tied to Kylo-as-Skywalker-bloodline, exploring and driving his redemption as the extent of his lifelong manipulation becomes apparent. Instead, he’s got nothing to do with Kylo other than spouting a few lines at the Supreme Leader at the beginning and then tossing him into the pit at the end. What a waste of an intriguing idea.

Going by dialogue count and the amount of scenes he’s in, Poe is the protagonist in this story, except nothing changes for him. Rey wanders around angry for most of the movie for reasons that are unclear and nothing changes for her either except the revelation that her grandpa is still around which she tells nobody about so it’s never a thing that needs to be dealt with. Kylo is an unyielding, uncompromising murder bot again and is the only one where something about him materially changes, even if its kinda hamfisted. We ran around for the entire movie and nobody even SAID anything to each other for the most part, honestly.

Han Solo’s memory was poignant, if you’re okay with rehashes of conversations we’ve already had in other movies. Kylo Ren/Ben Solo has no lines of dialogue for nearly the last hour of the movie beyond ‘ow’. How his actor managed to carry his character through that anyways is a fucking tribute to Adam Driver’s skill with his facial expressions.

Leia crawled off into a hole to die with nobody noticing and managed to distract her son long enough to get him likely mortally stabbed by the person who was supposed to love him most. Rey did what Luke failed to do. She even regretted it right afterwards just like Luke did. (For the record, this is the point in the movie where I gave up all hope. If Rey could actually bring herself to hurt Kylo, let alone stick his own saber in his chest, I didn’t recognize her character anymore.)

Luke promised Kylo he’d see him again, but then spent all his Force energy motivating Rey, so Kylo died still hating his uncle and never forgiving his mom.

Kylo Ren never reconciled himself with Ben Solo. The movie just treated him like he had a Jekyll/Hyde thing going on so they could throw Kylo into the sea, leaving only Ben behind. That is so fucking simplistic I could have howled.

JUST STRAIGHT UP ‘WUT’ MOMENTS

They literally dropped on top of the dagger mcguffin that had been buried for twenty years. Just. Fell on it.

Rey’s parents sold her into slavery to keep her safe? Say wut?

How the fuck did Palpatine lose track of his kid and his grandkid in the first place? Palpatine doesn’t have kids in canon, he’s SITH. He doesn’t share. If he had relatives, they’d’ve been sacrificed on a Dark Altar loooong before now.

Why is Rey on Tatooine with BB8? Isn’t that Poe’s droid? Did Poe and his droid get a divorce?

Why the hell does Rey have a new lightsaber out of literally nowhere. Ben just died three minutes ago onscreen. Why are we suddenly looking at new glowing stick. Did weeks pass? Months?

How did Leia become a Jedi and we’re only just finding out about it now? And if Leia was a Jedi, why the fuck did she send her ten year old special needs son to his uncle? Are they actually trying to paint Leia as a bad mother who dumped a problem child on her family to take care of while she carried on with her life?

MISSED OPPORTUNITIES

The Knights of Ren. They just turned out to be four seconds of eye candy and completely unnecessary. They wandered around looking vaguely menacing and that was their entire function. They didn’t even actually menace anything until fighting their supposed Master for a half minute for completely ambiguous reasons. Why were they even in the film in the first place?

Jannah could very well be Lando’s daughter per the supplementary materials, but it’s not even mentioned when Lando first pops up - that he’s living on this planet now and his young daughter was harvested by the First Order. It would have been a great “heyyyy” moment at the end when he offers to help her find her family.

Anakin. Oh sweet biscuits and gravy, why didn’t Hayden Christensen make a cameo in this as Anakin and give Kylo hope at the end? We could have tied the prequels to the sequels so effortlessly and given our favorite character something he’s wanted for most of his life, the approval and love of his grandfather. Hell, I personally would trade Han Solo’s moment (as sweet as it was) for a moment with Vader.

Kylo (or Rey by proxy) never got a chance to heal his kyber crystal. That should have happened, it would have been fucking poignant to mend something fractured that badly and been a much better symbol than Kylo simply throwing his saber away. It’s supposed to represent his life, his soul. Again, see previous comment about dumb Jekyll/Hyde parallel.

IN CONCLUSION

If you could care less about these characters and Star Wars and you are indeed a casual fan, this movie is pretty to look at. That’s its one redeeming feature. Finn and Poe have great banter, they should have been boyfriends. D-O was cute. Poor Snap, I guess.

Yes, I care that Rey and Kylo/Ben got their kiss, but it was robbed of nearly every iota of emotional weight by the previous two hours of near useless plot and exposition. It could have made me happy cry. Instead I was all but numb with the whiplash, and when I heard “Rey Skywalker” I couldn’t get out of the theatre fast enough.

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk on how emotional trauma over fictional characters has all but derailed my Christmas.

#the rise of skywalker #tros spoilers

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mysteryspot-duhh · 4 years

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Star Wars:RoS rant

I left the movie feeling... nothing.

I didn't hate it, I didn't like it that much.

Which is very much different with TLJ. I left the cinema feeling pumped! 'Ooohh, what are they gonna do for the next one?' 'the rebellion kinda dead, but they are the spark' 'ohh, shit. Is Hux gonna betray Kylo? He hates him noww' 'Kylo gonna be mad of power now?'

Those were the thoughts.

The Rise of Skywalker.

Well, no Skywalker left now. HAHAHHAHA.

Well, I'm gonna say, killing Ben Solo is downright STOOPID. Mind you, it's Ben Solo, not Kylo Ren. Kylo Ren could rot.

Now, rant begins.

1. The complexity of the character KyloRen/Ben Solo is the best in all of the sequel films. Adam Driver's acting, *chef's kiss* Not many people like him i guess- including my mum. She hated, in her words, The Hero. So, that's telling something, right? Ben Solo should be the Skywalker who rises in this movie. But, nooooo. He dead, my guy.

Anyway, if you want to kill him, at least, do it in a dignified way. Let the man say something. Not just drop dead and vanishes without uttering anything. DUMB DUMB.

Oh, and the opening scene of him slaughtering the dudes to find the Sith wayfinder. Too long, my guy. Too long.

This brings us to the next point.

2. HAHAHHA Palpatine shows up guys. The person who were thrown down the ship, and then the ship exploded. Thrown down by Vader no less. Vader did a terrible job of getting rid of his enemy then. You failed Anakin. But, eh. Oh yeah, he survived and somehow HAS A CHILD, AND THIS CHILD HAS A CHILD, AND HE HAS THE AUDACITY TO KILL HER, THEN NOT KILL HER CAUSE HE WANTS HER TO BE EMPRESS PALPATINE SO HE CAN POSSES HER OR SOMETHING BUT THEN THE LIFE FORCE SUCKING THING HAPPENS AND THEN HE WANTS TO KILL HER? Like what, my dude? Stick to an idea lah. Adoyai! Kill her, or don't want kill her. Confuse lah, adoi.

Um, I dislike Rey Palpatine. I prefer her to be a nobody. Rian reaally sold the idea to me. Ugh, so good. The way it's saying that, doesn't matter who your family is, you can achieve greatness if you have the Force with you. Rey has the Force, the Force is with her.

Next!

3. Leia's scene. Kinda odd. Eventhough they tried their best using the footages from TLJ and incorporating it into the scene, it's still lacking. At one scene, you know that Leia is talking to another person, cause her eye is not levelled ,correctly, with Rey. Anyway, that's okay i guess cause you can't do anything with it, but the scene is not flowing right with me. It's odd.

4. Finn should have his own storyline. Not like the one in TLJ. God, no! I've read that he's force sensitive. So, yeah, go explore that.

5. Poe is okay i guess. Butttttt, trading spices/drugs kinda makes his transition to be an important part of the rebellion, doesn't make sense. Like, he doesn't have a personal connection to the rebellion as Finn and Rey. Finn, was a stormtrooper, escape the space nazi, joins the rebellion. Rey has the force, the First Order is the dark side, joins the rebellion. Poe was trading spices and got caught by the First Order and he..has..a beef with them..so join the rebellion, i guess...?

6. Jannah was okay. Is she Bonnie from The End of The F***ing World? I don't know. No time to google. Keri Russell was okay. Rose was sidelined? Even though, she was a prominent character in TLJ? What treachery is this? Not much can be said about her now, can i? When she is barely in the movie. No resolution from the awkward kiss she and Finn had. No? No.

7. The sith blade is RIDICULOUS. Boi, we Indiana Jones now? Find this bad guy, must translate this blade, go to this location. Use the blade to find this thing. Oh yeah,you must stand at an exact spot, and do this exact thing to find the thing. Boleh pulak macam tu kan. Nothing wrong with it, but what if they arrived at different part of the beach. It would take longer i imagine.

Now, things that i liked.

8. Ben Solo REDEMPTION!! To haters, you can suck ass! My son is redempted in the sweetest way. Granted, it was supposed to be Leia (Carrie Fisher) who helps nudge Ben to the light side, but hey, seeing Han again is GREAT. But for me, Ben starts going to the light side when Leia uses her force energy to call Ben. This causes Ben to stop, like, oh shit, mama's calling. She still cares for me?? But then, Rey stabs him and Leia dies. That's great actually. Adam Driver, man gets so little but does so much. And the 'Dad' part. Ugh. 'I know'. The feelings.

9. We have force ghost Luke. That's cool, though it is expected. The Luke training Leia scene is not necessary I think. She doesn't even speak. It's better to be a quiet moment between Luke and Rey. Babu Frik is THE BEST.

10. Okay. This one I reaaaally like cause it's a continuation from TLJ. We can take and give things using force bond now! That's great! This is an idea done right. First, from the splashes in TLJ, hand touch, now we have the necklace, Vader's helmet and then THE LIGHTSABER. That scene, so cool man. Like magic. Rey trusts Ben, and she gives it to him.

But, i would really like it if they are only able to do this because of the force tryad thing. If it isn't, everybody gonna start doing it now.

But, I'm bummed that no words are spoken and they don't even beat Palpatine's ass. It should be like the Snoke's Throne Room fight in TLJ. Though i can see that it is repetitive. But hey, Ben gets to kick his torturer's ass. That would've been more emotionally fulfilling.

There is a problem with pacing and too many locations. 4 planets, 6 if you count the rebel base and Tattooine. There might be more, I lost count.

Great cinematography except for Leia, great music and great action sequences.

All in all, this might be good if it is a standalone movie or a continuation to TFA. Not good as a sequel to TLJ. Emotionally, i am left unfulfilled.

#the rise of skywalker #star wars #adam driver #kylo ren #ben solo #rey #i'm a bit of reylo trash #mostly ben solo's trash #ben solo deserves better #he should gaze the sunset with his love #they should continue the skywalker bloodline #by getting married of course

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force-dyad · 5 years

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“Try for Some Remorse” A Look At Palpatine’s Role In Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

It has been said by many, including the creator: George Lucas that Star Wars is a children’s story. Star Wars largely encompasses themes of forgiveness, redemption, compassion, and hope. Dave Filoni himself has stated that “There’s a redemption for most characters– if not all characters– in Star Wars films and there’s an arc and a path to when they let go and stop being selfish.” This is an important read to have on the Star Wars franchise when going into The Rise of Skywalker because we can assume that Kylo Ren, the wayward son of Han and Leia, is on a path towards redemption. He and Rey are set to right the wrongs of the generations that came before them. My personal read of the story makes me think that we will get a happy ending where Ben Solo comes back to the light and his family. I believe he will be forgiven and given a chance at his new life, a life that Anakin was never able to live. So where does Palpatine’s ending fall in all of this?

Palpatine. Sheev Palpatine (as was revealed in the 2014 novel, Tarkin by James Luceno) is not a sympathetic character. He is probably one of the only characters that the majority of the fandom agrees will need to go in order for the Skywalker family (and the galaxy alike) to live in peace. His selfishness and need for power is Voldemort like in that actual human life is expendable to him. He only cares about one thing: gaining the most power. In the Rebels episode, “A World Between Worlds” it is revealed that whoever controls the world between worlds will control the very universe. In that same episode, our heroes, Ezra and Ahsoka, just nearly escape Palpatine in his quest to access the portal. This episode just reinforces how knowledgeable Palpatine is in terms of the machinations of the force, and highlights what his final game plan will be. Now that we know that he is back, corporeal or not, we can assume that he will attempt to use Rey and Kylo, to access this portal, given the magnitude of importance that the portal holds.

So we can assume that Palpatine will assuredly be back to his schemes of trying to control the Skywalker (Kylo) in order to control the Universe, given his track record of controlling the Skywalker (Vader) to control the Universe (badumtss). But I think he will have a different end than the one in Return of the Jedi. Darth Vader finally “murders” his master at the end of ROTJ, but The Rise of Skywalker trailer including his laugh at the end emphasizes that whatever happened in Episode VI was not enough to truly get rid of the phantom menace. According to George Lucas, the Sith cannot come back as force ghosts, so I don’t think that is how Palpatine will return. I can’t pretend to know how he’ll return, but I’m just crossing the force ghost option out due to the rules imposed by Lucas (though I realize that they can change at any time, but since a lot of the current Lucasfilm team worked under Lucas, I believe they’ll want to respect his vision). Whatever form of Palpatine that Kylo, Rey, and the resistance go up against will have to be defeated in a way that has not been attempted before. The traditional “final battle” will have to be subverted in order for Palpatine’s destruction to feel believable. If a murder is the simple solution to destroying Palpatine, the ultimate villain, then why was the sequel trilogy even made? According to Kathleen Kennedy, Palpatine was always a part of the plan, and I believe her, but like I’ve said, they’ll have to do something different. Before The Force Awakens came out, Kathleen Kennedy gave a quote “I think we can’t explore in quite as much detail issues of compassion, the way [Lucas] did in terms of the values of the Jedi. But we’re going to get there, let’s put it that way. In the arc of all three movies, that will increase.”

In Return of the Jedi, we see Darth Sidious egging Luke on as he fights his father, Darth Vader. Darth Sidious encourages Luke to embrace the anger inside of his heart, “Your hate has made you powerful, let the hate flow through you, and your transformation to the dark side will be complete” he goads Luke on to embrace his feelings of hatred, and anger to embrace the power of the dark side so that Luke could defeat Vader, but the true lesson that one must learn is that fighting is not the way to defeat your enemy. Rose Tico sums up all of Star Wars in The Last Jedi when she tells Finn: “That’s how we’re going to win. Not fighting what we hate. Saving what we love.” Luke proves to be the walking embodiment of that quote once again when he faces off against his nephew, Kylo Ren. Luke has blame to share with regards to Ben’s fall, and though he knows that he can not save him, he still goes to confront him to help save his family and the resistance. Since he is a force projection, he cannot use any offensive tactics against Kylo, nor can Kylo hurt him in any way. He bides time for the resistance to escape, while ensuring that his nephew does not kill off the resistance. Ultimately, Luke chose not to fight two times: against his father, and against his nephew. I think letting go of negative emotions and doing anything possible to protect people is the true way towards balance. Kylo Ren is not at that part of his journey (yet), but I think he is on his journey towards letting go. While Luke and Kylo’s confrontation on Crait was about saving the resistance on the surface level, I believe that the color of the salt going from white to red back to white during the course of their confrontation is symbolic of healing wounds, both Ben and Luke’s. While it’s not a light sided emotion to have anger, it is healthy to confront it. Maybe not in the way Kylo has done so far, but I believe that he’s on the journey towards letting go of his anger, resentment, and hatred.

This is where I believe the final confrontation comes in. Like I said, I think it would be too much of a retread if Kylo and Rey confronted Palpatine and it ended in Palpatine getting the chop via Lightsaber. The Last Jedi already showed us this through Snoke. Snoke tried to have Kylo kill Rey, but Kylo, in a grab for power and to save Rey alike, killed him with the Skywalker saber. Now will The Rise of Skywalker give us the same ending for the biggest bad of them all? I don’t think so because murder is inherently evil. In an interview with Bill Moyers, George Lucas said “…everybody has the choice of being a hero or not being a hero every day of their lives. And you can either help somebody, you can be compassionate toward people, or you can treat some people with dignity or not. And one way you become a hero, and the other way, you’re part of the problem.”

And the other way, you’re part of the problem. I believe that redemption for Ben Solo is inevitable, and I believe he will live and strive towards being a balanced individual for the rest of his life. That being said, I think that when he and Rey finally confront Palpatine, it’ll take a different route than Vader pushing Sidious down the reactor shaft. I do believe that Ben Solo will definitely resent Palpatine for all that has happened to his family because of his influence, but I think that it will end differently. Vader had to deal with years of Palpatine belittling him. From what we know, Kylo already had that type of relationship with a “master” aka Snoke and he already murdered him.

One of the reasons why murdering Palpatine will not work is because we have seen skilled force users such as Yoda, Mace Windu, and Anakin fight him (or throw him down a shaft), but he has gotten away each time. (I mean, maybe he won’t be in his old body in TROS, but I believe he, or maybe his soul, must have escaped somehow.) An ending where Palpatine is destroyed in the same way as ROTJ will lead to many questions for Disney like “So this is not the end of the timeline for the Skywalkers since Palpatine will probably be able to come back, right?” They have to figure out a way where the death of Palpatine will be believable and true to the message of hope and choosing the light, so that people don’t question it. (Remember: If you don’t see what happens to the body, anything is possible.)

This leads me into talking about how I think he will be defeated… Through compassion. Now you may be asking yourself: what? And trust me, I understand the hesitation…Sheev “Darth Sidious” Palpatine is probably the closest thing we get to the devil in the story. J.J. Abrams referred to him as the ultimate evil. But there are many examples in children’s media that help inform how the end of the Skywalker Saga could go. Children’s media tries to teach us that murder is not the way to finish the evil. Specifically I want to talk about Voldermort and Lord Ozai from Harry Potter and Avatar: The Last Airbender, respectively.

In Harry Potter, Voldemort is the ultimate evil. He is He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. He’s someone that does not care about the humanity around him. He kills Harry Potter’s parents and attempts to murder Harry Potter, which is his ultimate downfall. In Harry Potter, there is a prophecy that says that someone will kill Voldemort but that “neither could live while the other survives,” but like all great stories, prophecies are not truly activated until someone seeks to prevent their fate. This ultimately leads to his defeat; but his defeat wasn’t as simple as Harry shooting the killing curse at him. During the final confrontation, Harry uses a disarming spell (basically a defensive mechanism). Harry tries to appeal to Voldemort’s humanity.“It’s your one last chance,” said Harry, “and it’s all you’ve got left… I’ve seen what you’ll be otherwise… Be a man… try… Try for some remorse…” Even through all the pain and horror and destruction that Voldemort has caused Harry Potter’s life, he still tries to appeal to Voldemort / Tom Riddle’s humanity, much like Dumbledore, who always called Voldemort by his given name. Appealing to his humanity is appealing to what Voldemort hates the most, as his number one fear is mortality and losing his power. Sound familiar? A Sith lives without love because they reject any emotion that will bring them closer to the light. A famous Dumbledore quote is: “Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all, those who live without love.” Pity: “the feeling of sorrow and compassion caused by the suffering and misfortunes of others.” Voldemort’s end is ultimately due to his own hubris and misunderstanding of wand lore. His own hubris brought him down, not Harry.

Another similar scenario is Avatar Aang in the series Avatar: The Last Airbender In this story, Aang must defeat the evil Fire Lord who has seeks to conquer through destruction. The previous Avatars all tell him that he must kill Ozai to bring an end to the war, but still Aang cannot. Avatar Aang is an air nomad who has been taught to respect all life, so the act of murder is something that he cannot come to terms with. When Aang finally confronts Ozai, he reiterates that they do not have to fight and goes on to use defensive moves against Ozai, avoiding the fire bender. It isn’t until he reaches his Avatar State (aka all the avatars join forces and he becomes all powerful) that he starts using brute force, but before he strikes the killing blow, Aang returns to his own body and stops it. In order to stop Ozai, Aang takes away his bending power, leaving him powerless.

Both of these methods have brought in complaints from fans. Why wasn’t this ultimate evil power attacked by the main protagonist? People found the final battle in Harry Potter to be anti-climactic since Harry uses his signature spell of expelliarmus, something that everyone from his peers to the Death Eaters (Voldemort’s followers) criticize and call him weak for using. With Avatar, it’s the same argument: where’s the death? But I put forth that these people should not be looking for destructive mechanisms in a children’s story. Those methods are always painted in bad light. We might think that that will be the true way to get rid of evil in the world, but as adults, we see things differently than children. One of the reasons why evil prevails is because of lack of empathy and compassion. It is foolish to say that evil will be defeated completely through showing those things towards evil people, but that’s the only way to defend the light.

I think Ben Solo showing compassion towards Palpatine is not at all about Palpatine getting a redemption arc. I think the only way for Kylo to truly heal is to let go of any and all anger. I would even go as far as saying that he will forgive Palpatine. Not because he deserves forgiveness or because of any true feelings of fondness towards him, but because letting go of the resentment and anger and grief that Palpatine has caused is the only way to truly move on. Kylo holding a grudge or attacking Palpatine in anger will not fix the force. I believe that through showing Palpatine some kind of compassion, Palpatine will go on a self-destructive path. This way, we’ll have a different way of defeating evil that ultimately shows us the reason why the sequel trilogy had to exist to fix the Skywalker story. It also shows us that we must choose the light in as many situations as possible and let go. The key to a happy life is being able to let go: of fear, of anger, and the negative emotions that led to two Skywalkers falling to the dark side.

Thanks for reading! And of course, thanks to BlindManBaldwin for posting the original post about Sheev’s role in IX + Compassion and for talking through this with me! Check out my podcast on it on Soundcloud, or wherever you find podcasts!

#sheev palpatine #kylo ren #star wars #is this meta?#meta #the rise of skywalker #bendemption #darth sidious #i edited this on mobile and it ate the text!!!!! good thing i saved this somewhere else

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hamfistedmorals · 4 years

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Rise of Skywalker: Initial Thoughts and Feelings

As a movie, it was engaging. As a Star Wars story, it hooked me. But as a conclusion to this particular trilogy? As a final chapter to the entire saga? Oh boy, was it a hot mess.

BEWARE OF SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT

(Disclaimer - I’m one of the 5% of Star Wars fans that loved The Last Jedi, so that might influence my opinion, but I’ll try to keep things unbiased.)

It was all over the place, and I mean that quite literally.

We got to see so many new locations, and most of them seemed interesting. Unfortunately, because of the breakneck pace and the ticking clock, the film doesn’t spend any time developing these places apart from Exegol - and that’s only planet who’s name I can remember. Adding on to the map of a Galaxy Far, Far Away is always a good thing. But so many new locations in one movie, with our heroes jumping back and forth every ten minutes...doesn’t make this universe feel larger. Actually, it makes it feel smaller. In past Star Wars movies, it would take time to go from one planet or star system to another. But that really doesn’t seem to be the case here. If there’s one problem that’s been semi-consistent throughout this trilogy, it’s the confusion of timing. (What’s the point of the title crawl if Episode 8 is going to pick up immediately after Episode 7? But I digress.)

The Dyad in the Force is easily the most fascinating concept of the entire trilogy.

I braced myself for the movie to ignore the connection previously established between Rey and Kylo Ren, as it ignores so much of Episode 8. But no, Rise of Skywalker actually build on the bond between these two characters and gives us more amazing scenes of them interacting entirely through their connection in the Force. We learn that they are essentially a one-of-a-kind anomaly, that Palpatine can use to restore his life energy. Rey and Ben even learn how to use their bond by the end of the film. It’s a new idea that Star Wars hasn’t done before and I kinda love it - I just really wish they had explored it more, and better outlined what it is, where it came from, and how it works. Then again, after how much people hated the Midichlorians, I expect the writers are hesitant to give any answers about how The Force works.

I also appreciated the official introduction of Healing, as a Force Power.

Say what you will about some of the Force-Abilities introduced in TLJ, but this one makes perfect sense. So much so that I’m pretty sure it’s already a thing in Star Wars video games? It was well foreshadowed and it played a role in Rey and Ben’s final fight, as well as that heartbreaking climax. Honestly, I truly thought Rey was dead in that moment. I teared up, thinking that her parents’ sacrifice was for nothing. Wondering if Finn could sense that she was gone. Wondering what Ben would do without her, since he had no one else. To be honest, I almost wish Rey had stayed dead, since as it stands...we have a redeemed villain sacrificing himself to save the hero that redeemed him...sound familiar? If Ben had lived, and Rey had died, it could have been a tragic inversion of Return of the Jedi, instead of just a retread. But oh well. I had a feeling they were going to kill off Kylo Ren anyway.

It feels like they did have plans for Finn, but never properly carried them out.

Rise of Skywalker very clearly implies that Finn has discovered that he’s Force-Sensitive. Which is a good idea, it just comes out of nowhere. Apparently, that’s what he was going to tell Rey - JJ has clarified it. One problem...that’s not a detail that should be confirmed in an interview. It should be answered within the movie. There were two separate conversations about Finn wanting to tell Rey...something, but the film never comes back to that or gives it any conclusion. Likewise, the idea of Finn being force-sensitive is only ever foreshadowed, never brought to light. Overall, Finn got some great moments, like when he met Jannah and got to connect with another former Storm-trooper...but his overall character arc in this film never got off the ground.

Was it just me...or was Poe constantly angry throughout the movie?

I don’t know if this was just Oscar Isaac’s frustration slipping through, or if it was meant to be the stress of the war, or something...but Poe was in a bad mood in just about every scene. But just like with Finn, this never gets resolved or even really acknowledged. Didn’t Poe go through an entire arc in the last film about learning to be less of a hot-head? For some reason, he and Rey are at each other’s throats...even though the end of the last film hinted that they found each other attractive? He does get some backstory as a Spice Runner (though they don’t explain what that is. Maybe it’s answered in one of the books, I dunno.) and we get to meet Zori, who is truly a charming and compelling character. Even if she was only written in as a final “no-homo” to Finn and Poe, I wanted to learn more about her.

They did Rose dirty. They did her so dirty.

She should have been an official member of the squad in this film, not relegated to cameos. There was no reason she couldn't have been more involved. Her romance with Finn should have been addressed. Even if it was just him gently letting her down, they ought to have mentioned it. Regardless of how you feel about Rose and that particular pairing (Personally, I adored her) it's downright strange that she's so absent from the story when she was a main character last time. Gee, I wonder why this was done? Could it be because the character was eviscerated online by a group of hardcore “fans” who compared her to Jar Jar Binks? Who not only made racist, sexist, and body-shaming comments about the character - they drove Kelly Marie Tran off social media? It really seems like downplaying Rose in this film was a direct response to how unpopular she was, and that isn’t fair to the character or the actress. It just seems...cowardly.

The CGI on Leia...could have been better.

Not gonna lie, it might have been safer to simply reveal Leia’s death in the title crawl and open the movie with her funeral. Don’t get me wrong, I was initially quite impressed with how they managed to re-create Carrie Fisher. It was nice to see her training Rey, and we even get an answer to the age-old mystery of why she never became a Jedi. But as Leia’s scenes went on, the cracks started to show. It became very noticeable after a while that she would never adjust her standing position or really move at all. So many of her lines were shot to avoid showing her face while she spoke. Don’t get me wrong, I understand why it looked this way. I’m just saying that as a viewer, I noticed. Leia’s death scene was the worst offender of this. By the way...what exactly killed her? She apparently gave the “last of her energy” to call out to Ben, but...nothing beforehand indicated that her health was failing, so why would a simple telepathic message consume all her life energy? She’s done it before. Either way, the death scene was kinda lame...but other characters reactions to it? Hit me right in the feels. Chewie’s breakdown tore me to pieces. I wanted to hug him. And as for Ben...

That Han Solo Cameo

I’m impressed, first of all. We all though Han could never come back since he wasn’t force-sensitive, so he wouldn’t get a spirit form. But the great thing is, Han didn’t come back - not really. It was all in Ben’s head, hence the lines echoing his father’s death. I love how Leia’s death, compounded with Rey healing Ben and all but telling him that she would be with him if he wasn’t on the dark side, is what ultimately swayed him to turn back. When he called Han “Dad...” In that broken voice, and Han just said “I know...” Honestly, that was the best scene in the movie. Ben previously said to Rey that the Dark Side was in her blood, so she couldn’t escape it. It was so clear that he felt that way about himself too, which may have been part of why he turned. Seeing Han was a perfect reminder that he had more than just Vader in his ancestry.

Chewie’s “death” was the other scene in the movie that took my breath away.

Echoing the Force-Battle over Anakin’s lightsaber, Rey and Kylo Ren have a tug-of-war for the ship Chewie is on, and in her rage, Rey accidentally conjures Force-Lightning and blows up the ship, shocking everyone. It demonstrates Rey’s power, as well as her natural leaning toward the Dark Side (through anger.) It also foreshadows her lineage. Plus, the whole concept of accidentally killing your beloved friend..It’s got so much tension, so much emotion - it’s fantastic. Only one problem...Chewie survived, and we find that out not even five minutes later. Honestly, it’s the last movie. Anything goes, you can kill off main characters, even beloved main characters. All of the emotional drama that this scene brings to the table stops mattering once you find out Chewie’s alive. I would love to see Rey actually have to deal with the consequences of what happened, for the movie to explore how it makes the other characters feel about her. On the other hand, one of my first thoughts after it happened was “Geez, if the fandom hated her before...” All the fans who complain Rey is a Mary Sue (She’s not) Yeah, they’d never, ever forgive her if she was responsible for Chewie’’s death.

I can’t decide how I feel about Kylo Ren repairing his mask.

When I first realized it was happening, I was disappointed. In a way, it undoes his character growth in Last Jedi when he rejected his hero worship of Darth Vader - and even did what Vader could not, slaying his master and living to succeed him. Kylo Ren surpassed Vader once he stopped trying to be him, and that was awesome. But between bringing back the mask (with the painfully on-the-nose line about the “cracks in your mask”) and the reveal that “Snoke” is still alive, all of Ben Solo’s coolest moments from TLJ have been reversed. On the other hand... the Kylo Ren mask is, and always was, a symbol. In TFA, it reflected a pretentious attempt to be more like Darth Vader. But in this movie, it seemed to reflect Kylo Ren embracing the image of being the “Big Bad.” much like how Luke embraced his status as a legend, just before he died. And I’m not gonna lie, seeing the words “Supreme Leader Kylo Ren” in the title crawl was quite satisfying. Not to mention, at the end of the day...it’s all an act. Kylo Ren has always tried very hard to be “evil” but his heart just isn’t in it. He’s trying to be something he’s not - so maybe it’s okay if the mask comes back.

Let’s rip this band-aid off: Bringing Palpatine back was a mistake.

If they needed a greater-scope villain for the climax after Ben was redeemed...why not use Snoke? Apparently, they’re the same person anyway, and people were mad that Snoke died without having a greater story to tell. Palpatine’s return goes entirely unexplained. He just hand-waves the issue by quoting Episode 3. As a viewer, why should I feel triumphant when Rey kills him at the end, when as far as I know, nothing is stopping him from returning again? After all, he survived certain death before, and we don’t know how he did it. (This is what I mean when I say the film is good by itself, but highly flawed as a continuation of existing Star Wars.) Palpatine’s return devalues Anakin’s sacrifice. It weakens both Vader and Kylo as villains because it removes their agency - we now know they only turned because Palpatine manipulated and groomed them. They’ve made him the greater-scope villain of every single trilogy, which just feels weird. I always thought the overarching villainous force of Star Wars was supposed to be, y’know, the Dark Side and it’s tempting call. That anyone could potentially succumb. But speaking of this film rejecting the idea of “anyone” being special...

Rey...did not need to have a bloodline.

You need Palpatine to have a reason that he’s so intrigued by her? You’ve already got that - she’s part of an anomaly in The Force that no one’s ever seen before. Need a life-changing shock that pushes her closer to the Dark Side? All you have to do is let Chewie stay dead, and have it be her fault. As much as I have genuinely loved Rey’s character growth and I always enjoy watching her, I can’t help but feel like giving her a bloodline at this point was at least partially done to mitigate the claims that she’s “too powerful.” Not to mention, it ruins the reveal at the end of The Last Jedi, and it’s one more thing that makes the Star Wars universe feel smaller. Coming from a powerful bloodline shouldn’t be a requirement for changing the fate of the Galaxy. Sure, Force-Sensitivity is often hereditary, but not exclusively. Besides, there are more people out there attuned to the Force that just the Skywalkers, Palpatines, and Kenobis. Why couldn’t Rey just be one of them? If Star Wars really is going to go on forever, it can’t simply be the continuing sage of two or three families screwing up the Galaxy.

What’s up with the super-rushed tone of the ending?

So, Rey and Ben share a kiss - whether or not you ship them, this moment is wholesome, heartwarming, and so earned - But then Ben immediately, and I mean immediately falls down dead. He doesn’t get any last words or even a last moment. (Come to think of it...does Ben have any lines at all after his scene with Han? I...don’t think he does. That’s just weird.) Nope, he just fades into the Force so quickly that I didn’t even realize what happened at first. Rey makes it back to the Resistance base and reunites with her friends, but they don’t share any dialogue either. No final moments, not even Finn telling Rey that he’s Force-Sensitive. Disney gets to check off their diversity clipboard by having two nameless women kiss in the background, and Rey then visits...Tatooine, of all places, to bury The Skywalker twins lightsabers. Because you see, a Jedi’s Weapon deserves respect. Burning them? Shameful. But burying them, A-Okay.

Rey is never shown mourning Ben Solo.

Whether or not you think he “deserved” redemption, the film clearly sided with the idea that he did. It based a lot of it’s conflict on Rey and Ben being a hero and a villain who also cared about each other. Going so far as to include the Dyad, and give them a kiss scene. So it’s bizarre that Ben’s death doesn’t seem to affect Rey. She doesn’t even have any sort of reaction to it, but she does have a gold lightsaber now. Which is so incredibly cool that it baffles me that they didn’t let her have it sooner. She never gets to really use it. A random local shows up, for no other purpose than to ask Rey who she is. Rey looks on to see Luke and Leia’s Force-Spirits give their blessing (No Ben, for some reason.) And she then introduces herself as Rey Skywalker. Because they had to justify that title somehow, right? Then the scavenger-turned-jedi, who started out all alone on a desert planet but found a family through her travels...ends her story all alone on desert planet. Hey, wait a minute-

The problems of this trilogy boil down to the fact that it had two writers, with two different visions for the characters.

Perhaps the death of Snoke, the introduction of Rose, and Rey’s lack of lineage directly conflicted with J.J.'s plans for the new trilogy...but The Last Jedi happened. It's canon now. Trying to pretend otherwise doesn't "fix" that. Having moments that directly contradict the previous film, even taking intentional jabs at it (looking at you, Force-Spirit Luke) is a waste of time and honestly feels...kind of immature? As a writer, I’m sure it isn’t easy, but you've got to work with what you have, follow the ideas and plot threads introduced, or else none of it will feel organic. So many moments like repairing Kylo Ren's mask, bringing back Anakin's destroyed saber, giving Rey a bloodline...they just cause whiplash.The only arcs that really continue through each movie are Kylo Ren's redemption, and Rey's identity issues. The writing of Episode 9 does everything it can to erase the ideas of Episode 8, and as a result, the entire trilogy feels directionless. The story feels like its at war with itself. I understand if Rian left J.J. in a compromising position, but sometimes you have to let go of ideas if they can no longer work in your story, however much you want them to. And, not to pick on J.J. too much, but...if he really had a major plan for the trilogy, then why didn't he stay to write Episode Eight? He left the second chapter of the trilogy to an entirely different writer, so...what did he think was going to happen?

It’s a good movie. It really is. I was on the edge of my seat. If you’ve never seen the first two films, you’ll likely enjoy the hell out of it. But if you’re hoping to get a satisfying conclusion for the characters you’ve grown to care about...well, I’ll just say that I didn’t find that here.

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unexpectedreylo · 4 years

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Booki-Leaks: The Good, Bad, and Ugh of the TROS Novelization Thus Far

I’m putting this below a cut so no one complains I’m giving out spoilers though we’ve all seen the movie by this point.

In case you’ve just tuned in, the TROS novelization is being sold a couple of weeks early as a con exclusive at this weekend’s C2E2 convention in Chicago. I am not in the Windy City so I don’t have the book (it comes out on St. Paddy’s Day) but I have read spoiler posts and seen screenshots on Twitter.

I think any expectations that Rae Carson was going to “fix” TROS were completely unrealistic. It’s not her job or the job of anyone else writing a movie novelization to do that. She had to work within the parameters she was given and she should not be used as a punching bag by those who are still dealing with the directions the film took.

In non-Reylo spoilers, Carson does one thing the film didn’t bother to do and that is explain why Palpatine is sitting there on Exegol in the first place. It is a clone body and one in pretty bad shape. This is kind of a knockoff of the early ‘90s comic “Dark Empire,” where Palps had been surviving off of clone bodies but wanted to turn Luke to the dark side and then decided he’d like a new model in the form of Leia’s baby son Anakin.

What Reylos really care about though is how their scenes on Exegol are handled. And for me, it’s a mixed bag.

The Good--For the most part, I liked the passages describing Rey knowing Ben was there on Exegol and handing him off the lightsaber through the bond. It was a nice acknowledgement of the dyad, how it felt to the both of them, and Palpatine miscalculating the power in bringing the two of them together.

As for the passages after Palpatine is taken out, I can buy that Ben is still struggling with guilt and remorse. He gives everything to Rey and he expects nothing in return so the smile she gives him and her kiss mean everything to him.

At least here Rey feels something for losing Ben, which was not addressed at all in the film.

The best part is that Ben reassures her he’ll always be with her and he does not appear as a Force Ghost at the end. This means he is still a living consciousness somewhere and all of those theories we’ve had about him in some other netherworld, ready to make a comeback, still hold.

The Bad--How many times do we need to beat into the Lucasfilm story group and those working on these films that the Iconic Blue Lightsaber That Keeps Reappearing is Anakin Skywalker’s lightsaber, NOT Luke’s? Luke’s lightsaber is the green one he made in ROTJ.

Rae, Rae, Rae, why on Exegol did you use “gratitude” to describe the kiss? Why? Whyyyyyy??!! I’m sure Rey’s totally grateful not to be dead after all thanks to Ben’s selflessness, but we all know where the B and C students are going to run with this. “Rey didn’t kiss him because she loved him! She kissed him to say thank you! Plus that’s her brother!” The rest of it about finding connection and celebrating finding each other’s nice but the B and C students won’t get that far in the sentence.

The UGGGGHHH--Lucasfilm, why are you allergic to the word “love” now? The interactions between Rey and Ben seem romantic but the prose doesn’t quite commit either. Ben’s dying and he can’t even tell her telepathically how he feels? He does think though that giving Rey “back to the galaxy” was his mitzvah for the day. *Eyeroll.*

The problem is even bigger on Rey’s end. The kiss is from Ben’s perspective, so we don’t know how she feels until after he dies. Then the perspective switches to her and initially she feels the pain of being torn away from her dyad, which while it makes us feel bad (again), is at least an honest way to depict a bond as powerful as theirs. It should hurt to lose him.

But here’s where they lose me. Rey thinking through her feelings separates Kylo and Ben into two entities, one she would “never mourn” and the other she laments “not getting to know.” Kylo Ren and Ben Solo are the same man. One is a shadow persona that Ben allowed to dominate, that he wore like a...mask. The other is the true personality with the integrated shadow. Rey reached out to Kylo Ren out of empathy and compassion and he returned those things to her. Ben was the man she wanted to be with but the films’ subtext shows she was drawn to him even in Kylo mode. If Rey would never mourn Kylo, she would’ve killed him on the Supremacy or just let him die on Kef Bir. It just seems like something to placate the antis and blue checkmark pop feminists. It also doesn’t make sense that Rey mourns not getting to know Ben better. She’s been in his damn head! He’s the other half of her soul! What is there left to know? Again the B and C students are going to point out Rey couldn't possibly have loved Kylo/Ben because one she hated (would never mourn) and the other she didn’t know very well at all. Plus she never says it or thinks it. UGGHHH.

The worst though is how quickly Rubber Band Girl moves on. Not as criminally bad as in the movie but once Ben reassures her he’ll always be with her, she says “no one is ever truly gone,” smiles and goes on her merry way. I see what Carson tried to do, to ameliorate the damage but it’s still damage.

Triple UGGGHHH.

On the brighter side, this saves me $25.

#reylo #tros novelization #tros complaining #tros negativity #but I say a few nice things about the book

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qcpmedia · 4 years

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“Birds of Prey”: A Crisis of Infinite Harleys

by Chris Clay

Ok-- let's get this part out of the way first: I love Harley Quinn.

Have done since her debut on Batman The Animated Series. My mother let my dad take me to see Tim Burton’s brilliant 1989 Batman film (I was 5 at the time) because she was under the assumption that Batman was always the high camp she remembered enjoying in the television show from her childhood. Thanks, Adam West! My journey into comics began shortly after learning to read with classical mythology, so I was totally prepared for all manner of tales about monsters, demons, serial killers, human traffickers, etc. Quickly becoming an avid comic reader, 10 year-old me was a DC & Marvel veteran who spent a lot of mental energy filling in the blanks on the softened-for-cartoons versions of Bats, Spidey & the X-Men.

After years of seeing "versions" of my favorite supers onscreen, I thought this new character, originally the Joker's jester henchwoman, was a breath of fresh air. She seemed like the perfect fit for both the show and the Joker, the first real Manic Pixie Dreamgirl. She was funny but also scary, vulnerable and just overall awesome. Best of all? She didn’t seem nerfed for kids tv. She just seemed oddly... real. And she was contagious. That complex reality bled onto anyone she shared enough screen time with. She helped me to see Poison Ivy as the troubled yet brilliant and sensitive person the show had always hinted she was. Besides Catwoman, no other character tested Batman's rigid sense of right and wrong more beautifully. Even Joker seemed multifaceted when Harley was around. I cheered as loudly as anyone when she ditched that clown, and those Harley/Ivy episodes were some of the best the series had to offer.

OG Harley & subsequent versions over the years tended to show a woman that was preyed upon by a master manipulator who pushed her to the edge of sanity. To the edge, not over it. She was definitely traumatized, but the original portrayals never presented any extreme mental problems. Sure, she was codependent & had a temper. And shitty taste in men. Those traits in moderation are not craaaazy. That's just being human.

Harley continued to evolve over the years, shaped by many creators and performers across multiple mediums. Her look has changed, her status as villain or antihero has vacillated and her relationships have been presented more and more as on her terms rather than something foisted upon her by chance.

The characterization problems started in comics, but David Ayers' disappointing 2016 Suicide Squad film brought this lesser Harl to the masses, along with a version of her *ahem* more revealing New52 costume, seemingly metahuman durability & chalk white skin. I always loved the idea that Harleen had the ability to take her jester clothing & clown makeup off, sit around with an equally dressed-down Ivy and talk about who they really were, what made them tick. This new Harley (like her modern comics counterpart) was always "on", displaying very little of the soulful, mature character many of us comics & animation fans know and love. Despite that, she was definitely the highlight of the film, and there were flashes of brilliance that made me believe Margot Robbie could get to the fundamental truths of the character if given another chance.

And that brings us rather neatly to Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn).

Harley Quinn, last seen in the aforementioned Suicide Squad, has just been dumped by the Joker & is forced to make her own way in Gotham City’s underworld. In short order, she meets Dinah Lance, Renee Montoya, Helena Bertinelli & Cassandra Cain. All of these ladies have, for various reasons, fallen onto the radar of neat-freak gangster Roman Sionis, played with scenery-scarfing delight by Ewan MacGregor. Forced to band together to survive, they eventually learn that despite their considerable individual talents, they're more formidable as a team.

For some reason I still can’t quite articulate, I remember being slightly underwhelmed when the cast was announced. I liked all of the actors... hell, each of them has had at least one role I absolutely loved them in-- but I still felt they were odd choices for their respective roles in this movie (more on that later). The trailer was where I got genuinely worried that Warner might be climbing back into the hole so many creators toiled to pull the DC film properties out of.

However, as I said in the beginning, I love Harley Quinn. I was definitely going to see this movie. In Margot Robbie, I felt Harley had a champion on par with Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool or Hugh Jackman as Wolverine; an actor who would work tirelessly to get their character right, on the page & onscreen, however many tries it took. Plus she was saying some interesting things about what she thought the the film & the character should represent during the rollout (and I know the movie isn't the trailer), so I was at "cautious optimism" by the time I sat down to watch the film.

I was totally wrong about one thing: the cast is the best thing about the movie, and that’s not some backhanded compliment. K.K. Barrett's production design is great, colorful while not feeling cheap or phony, and Cathy Yan has a great eye for fun directing choices that keep things zipping along... but the cast is the real MVP. They’re actually great.

Jurnee Smollet-Bell is understated & surprisingly physical as tough-as-nails chanteuse Dinah Lance, a classic “woman trying to keep her head down in a bum situation”. She gave modern comic book moll vibes & I Stan. Rosie Perez's Renee Montoya brought a dose of realism to the candy-coated insanity swirling all around her while also giving Harley an entertaining foil for the first 2 acts. She has probably my favorite fight scene in the entire movie.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead, the person I went into the movie thinking was the most grossly miscast, is hands down my favorite character in the film. She's equal parts ruthless & socially awkward, a take on Huntress that is somehow both anachronistic & perfectly in step with her comic counterpart. Even newcomer Ella Jay Basco brings a unique charm to what could have easily been an irksome reimagining of fan favorite Cass Cain as a sassy teenage pickpocket. MacGregor’s turn as Sionis is less a character than he is a symbol, acting as a stand-in for various brands of broken maleness, but the guy’s clearly having a blast and he has decent enough chemistry with the leads. Chris Messina as Victor Vsasz is an absolute snoozefest, a waste of both character and actor that I’ll give no more space or attention.

Now for the elephant in the room: Margot Robbie's Harley is my least favorite thing about the whole movie.

"But Chris..", I hear you yelling at your computational device, "...you said she was the lone bright spot of SS!"

True, but in a film with clever, unmuddied direction & other actors that actually display some semblance of emotion or charisma for more than one scene a piece, the bar has been raised this go round & Robbie's frantic mugging limbos under said bar by a mile. What’s worse is that she actively takes screen time that could be better spent fleshing out one of the other four characters. Only Huntress (who has probably the least screen time of any of the leads) actually has a backstory, but her origin is a large part of the plot. One could be forgiven for thinking the she wouldn’t have had one at all otherwise. We don’t really know anything about Cassandra Cain, Montoya is literally just Stock Cop, and you could make a whole movie out of how the hell Dinah ended up singing at Sionis’ club. And where the hell is the Joker?! Why is he letting Harley destabilize Gotham’s balance of power or letting Sionis threaten his ex-puddin’ while also claiming to be the the underworld’s top dog? Instead of answering these questions, we get a bunch of throwaway characters attacking the newly-emancipated Quinn and Suicide Squad flashbacks that look even uglier than before when placed side by side with the production design of this film. The fact that most of these characters are so thinly characterized yet still connect is a testament to the performances and chemistry of the central cast.

You get the feeling that a lot of this movie was Robbie as producer, exerting her ideas & energy onto a massive production that needed a lot of moving parts to line up in order to work. It's not easy to have everything riding on you, whether it’s the future of the DCEU, progressive representation of women in film or just your own movie stardom. I understand that and I sympathize. This frantic, flailing movie is the product of some 3 years of rewrites and pitching, shooting on and off for 9 months, plus all the promo stuff. Every interview that I've seen the cast do has basically been Robbie explaining things ad nauseam while Jurnee Smollet-Bell or Mary Elizabeth Winstead kind of quietly nod in agreement, with the exception of the recent season premiere of Hot Ones, where capsaicin finally allowed someone else get a word in edgewise. The real problem with that comes when you see the movie and realize she’s contextualizing so much of the film on other media outlets because the film itself doesn’t really seem to have the time or interest, leaving it’s star to try and explain what we actually see onscreen on the press tour. This leads to a situation akin to Final Fantasy XV, where the player needed heaps of supplemental content to understand what could and should have been included in the story proper. She just seems overworked, similar to when Ben Affleck wanted to perform the Herculean task of writing, directing & starring in the next solo Batman film. Maybe Margot & Harley both need a little break?

The internet is scrambling to diagnose why a well-reviewed movie starring a beloved character played by a popular actress is underperforming at the box office, citing everything from the trailer to the rating to the movie’s title, with many (including BoP creator Gerry Conway) blaming the lackluster box office on sexism, but I think there might be a simpler answer: this version is trying to pull from the entire history of Harley to create a singular characterization from sometimes disparate portrayals. It doesn’t help that Robbie’s Quinn exists in a universe that’s constantly shifting under her feet after every film.

Most comic characters are criticized for being inaccurate to the source material but Harley has arguably the opposite problem; almost a Crisis of Infinite Harleys, where Robbie and Warner Bros. want to stuff the best elements from every version of Harley into every movie she’s in. It’s supposed to be fan service but instead, often feels scattered and tiring. Not to mention the stuff these films just pluck straight out of thin air that don’t work...

The DC Universe version of the character chose to leave the Joker on her own terms and I thought that was a brilliant and socially relevant writing choice, so it was strange to then see the more mainstream (and arguably more popular) version of Harley be dragged out of Joker’s hideout, kicking and screaming. In a film who’s title was purposely made ridiculously long to accentuate the character’s supposed newfound self-sufficiency, For all of the things that do work well, Birds of Prey just doesn’t feel like what’s explicitly promised on the tin.

I still love Harley Quinn, and I still think Margot Robbie’s the right person for the job. No need to Pattinson her or anything... just put less on her plate and give the character and the movies she’s in a clear, singular direction. Pretty please, puddin’?

#birds of prey #harley quinn #dceu #margot robbie #ewan macgregor #jurnee smollett bell #rosie perez #dc comics #black mask #renee montoya #batman #ben affleck #robert pattinson #movies #essay

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theanarchistfaery · 4 years

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Star Wars Episode VIII - The Last Jedi Review

Thanks to a certain streaming service I was finally able to watch Star Wars Episode VIII – The Last Jedi. And I guess I have an unpopular opinion on it. It seems no other Star Wars movie, not even The Phantom Menace, received such a major backlash. Nonetheless I am trying to be unbiased and as honest als possible. As always, spoiler alert.

Ready for light speed!

The film opens wih the First Order (basically the Empire) hunting down the remains of the Resistance (basically the Rebel Alliance) after the destruction of the Starkiller Base (basically a more powerful Death Star). The Resistance is having a hard time losing their enemy, because, as it turns out, they have a device which allows them to track down ships while they are in hyperspace.

Finn, the deserted stormtrooper meets Rose Tico and together with Poe Dameron they develop a plan to infiltrate the First Order' mothership Supremacy and deactivate the device. But they keep it secret, because they fear that Vice Admiral Holdo would never agree to it. Finn, Rose and BB-8 fly to a casino on Cantonica to get the best code cracker in the galaxy. They hire DJ instead, a dubious code cracker who helps them in exchange for Rose's amulet.

At the same time Rey is trying to convince Luke Skywalker, who lives in exile, to help the Resistance. He refuses, stating that he blames himself and the Jedi for the treason of Ben Solo a.k.a. Kylo Ren.

While at first every word she said was wrong, Rey learns the true nature of the force herself, cuts a stone in half with a lightsaber and even has a telepathic conversation with Kylo Ren. He then tells her that Luke had tried to kill him. Luke on the other hand tells Rey, that Kylo destroyed his Jedi academy and killed most of his students. Rey however believes there is still something good left in Kylo, so she hops on the Millennium Falcon and leaves Luke behind on his exile planet, hoping she can bring Kylo over to join the Resistence.

Luke then tries to burn all that is left from the Jedi scripts. Yoda's force ghost appears and he tells him in his iconic grammar that failure the greatest teacher is.

Meanwhile Finn, Rose and DJ managed to infiltrate the Supremacy. Rey arrives there in an escape pod and meets Kylo. He brings her to Snoke. It comes to a dramatic showdown, where Kylo kills Snoke and helps Rey to escape. He does however not switch sides.

Finn, Rose and BB-8, who were surrounded by Stormtroopers thanks to DJ's betrayal, also escape. Poe has raised a mutiny against Holdo to buy them some time. He puts her under arrest and goes to the bridge. But then Luke Skywalker or rather a mental manifestation of him, shows up.

The First Order's fleet is still after them, so they decide to abandon the Raddus. Holdo however stays behind onboard the Raddus and performs a kamikaze maneuver, flying the ship with lightspeed into to the Supremacy so it gets destroyed and the Resistance ships can escape to a base on planet Crait.

Here the First Order makes a last attempt to smash the Resistance but Luke's projection shows up to distract them. The Resistance escapes and Luke, who never physically left his exile, exhausted from his massive performance, dies in a similar way Yoda did in „Return of the Jedi“.

In a final scene, back on Cantonica, we see a bunch of children who are obviously force sensitive and telling each other stories about Luke Skywalker and the Rebel Alliance.

This may come as a shock to some of you, but I really liked it. I even would go so far as to say, and as blasphemous as it sounds, it captures the very essence of Star Wars. While „The Force Awakens“ felt more like a retelling of „A New Hope“, just with different characters, which was fine but not great, this film dares to be different and original. Sure it has some pacing problems. The sub plot with the resistence fleet trying to escape the first order and with Finn and Rose is a bit too long and too complicated, but it wasn't too bad. What I liked the most about it, was that we finally could see some conflict within the Resistence.

I'm glad they went back to explaining the force like Yoda did originally. As this mystical energy field that is generated by every living thing and that holds the galaxy together. No pseudo-scientific explanations here. Midi...what? Midichlorians? Never heard of those.

Star Wars has a tradition of drawing clear moral lines. There is good and bad, the Jedi and the Sith, the force and its dark side. My personal interpretation is that Luke's statement that the Jedi need to die is a reckoning with the black and white thinking of the past. Obi-Wan once said, that only a Sith deals in absolutes but on more than one occasion the Jedi did this as well, when they for example said that someone who was once tempted by the dark side, can not be redeemed, or when Yoda said „do or do not. There is no try.“ The truth Luke learned was, that the force itself is amoral, and that both the Jedi and the Sith can be arrogant and ruthless in their actions. He is convinced that as long as Jedi exist, there will be people who get tempted by the dark side.

For the first time, not only in the expanded universe, but actually in a movie, so as canon as it an get, the Jedi's ideology is scrutinised. Not only that. It is questioned by Luke Skywalker himself.

We also learn that Rey's parents were complete nobodies. Kylo Ren however is the son of Han and Leia. He is the heir of both Skywalker and Solo, and yet he was tempted by the dark side, or rather in a morally grey area. The message could not be clearer. Heritage means nothing.

At that one scene where Rose keeps Finn from sacrificing himself to destroy this weapon of the First Order, I at first could not decide if it's brilliant or stupid. Sometimes, and especially to win a war, sacrifices are nessecary, but if everyone sacrifices themselves in order to survive it kinda defeats the purpose, so I can't help but agreeing with her.

If I have anything negative to say about it, I'd say that it could have been at least 30 minutes shorter. The Finn and Rose scenes as well as the final showdown have a pretty problematic pacing.

And yeah it is a little irritating how good Rey is with literally everything, from lightsaber fighting to using the force. Things that normally take years, she manages within a short amount of time, depending on how convenient it is for the plot. Many people already called her a Mary Sue character and I can see why.

But maybe this is the point. Luke in his exile shares some similarities with the protagonist of Friedrich Nietzsche's „Thus spoke Zarathustra“. They both live as eremits and they both in a way speak about the death of God, which stands for the fall of an old belief system leaving us in a state of nihilism.

If you look at it that way, Rey could be a quite literal representation of the Übermensch, a being that actively overcomes nihilism and leads humanity to a new moral system that is beyond the categories of good and evil from the Jedi's perspective. She is not a superhuman because she is extremely powerful but rather because she realises a deeper truth, that the force can not guide her to what's right or wrong and that she has to figure this out for herself.

But if we consider what happens in the final scene in which the children draw hope from the old stories about the Jedi, this theory either falls completely apart or the movie totally misunderstood what Nietzsche was trying to say.

What the movie did surprisingly well was that it deviates from everything that came before where it needed to do that, while keeping true to its legacy. It may not be perfect, but I prefer this over the prequel trilogy anytime.

#spoilers #starwars #thelastjedi #rey #finn #lukeskywalker #kyloren #yoda #leia

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nerfherderbinniegirl · 4 years

Text

What has been running through my mind since last Thursday

I have had so many thoughts since TROS came out.

Before it’s release I was beyond excited, hyper about it! It’s finally here, the conclusion, the wonderful finish to 42 years of amazing movies, ones that might not have been perfect, but built up to a wonderful story arc that I lived and breathed as a child and then as a younger adult. Now, as a middle aged adult female, who grew up with Princess Leia, Luke and Han, with Lando and Chewie of course, as well as Darth Vadar, as the background of my childhood, and I had gained Obi-Wan, Anakin, Padme, Shmi, and Bail into my inner circle of love for characters when I was in my 20’s and early 30’s; I was so excited because I had also in my 40’s gained Ben Solo (he was always Ben to me), Rey and Finn, with Rose, keeping Chewie nearby and giving me glimpses into the world that had never been perfect, but resonated with me.

Ben resonated with me most of all because of how my childhood went. I was a difficult child and teen. I say all the time that had I been born 25 to 30 years later than I was, I’d have been medicated from age 6 on. I had medical issues with my ears, my hearing. I developed severe anxiety around school and social situations, when my natural state is actually to be very outgoing. I am introverted in regards to my energy needs, however I am not a quiet person at all. I am too loud, too emotional, too intense for most people, my family most of all. I was the kid who cried too easily and stomped up stairs and slammed bedroom doors because of what I was lacking.

I lacked validation for myself, for my real feelings. Everything I experienced was real and concrete for me. I was not given any tools that worked for me, so I delved into myself. Deep inside I lived in a world that was private and a fantasy. I love fantasy novels, I have read more science fiction/fantasy than anything else, and all of it is always more fantasy than science. I loved Doctor Who growing up, watched it religiously every Sunday afternoon. I really had no choice but to rely on it to help me through my crippling anxiety and fear for every Monday morning. I was an embarrassment to my family, my mother did not know what to do with me, so she did nothing to change my coping skills. I was a 6,7, 8, 9, and 10 year old who did not know how to do anything of basic skills in school, had no friends for more years than I like to remember. I was bullied, and survived because we did not have the technology that we have now. I stopped having so many bad effects of my anxiety by the end of 5th grade because of a wonderful teacher, who was patient and funny. He never made me feel like a freak, though I was.

In my mind, I was stupid, worthless, unmanageable, unlovable, a problem. A problem that could not be solved. I wanted to leave my world and live elsewhere where I could become anyone I wanted to be. The transition from elementary school to middle school gave me the freedom within to change some things. I became more outgoing and tried to erase who I was in the past. I did not do that well, but I also made lasting friendships for the first time. My best friend since age 12 is a testament to that.

At 15 I planned to end my life. I still don’t know what stopped me, though I did not even follow through with any part of my plan. I pulled through, found meaning in music, books, my friendships. I survived even though I should not have.

I share all of this because when I watched TFA the first time, I understood Ben Solo so deeply it scared me. I thought, I’ve been there, I’ve had those thoughts. I tried to fight back the same ways. I did think about ending my father’s life twice as an adult. Once at age 18 and once at age 27. He was a hurtful and abusive man. The damage done was intense. I could never feel comfortable around my friend’s fathers because of what I thought a father was supposed to be like. And at the same time I wanted my father’s love so much, I craved it. Even through all of the psychological abuse, through the conditioning that I was put through, to be the perfect daughter. “Don’t be so loud, be thinner, don’t grow your hair long, be what I want you to be, be less emotional, be more helpful, don’t be selfish, don’t ask for anything you want, be satisfied with what we deem is right for you.” These words were the pinnacle, and they happened 2 months before he died (not at my hands, cancer got him in the end): “When you are thin, then you will be beautiful, and then you’ll find a husband.” I was 27 years old, single, the last one in the family, but not the youngest, the middle. I was pathetic to my family. Unlovable completely because my own father could not see my beauty or think I was worthy of love. I wanted to kill him by driving him off the road and into a tree, off a bridge, something. But I kept my mouth shut because that is what I was trained to do, and I swallowed it down.

When I was really young, before age 2, my father was attentive and loving. I was the perfect little girl. My younger sister was born right before my 2nd birthday, and I was forgotten. All of a sudden it shifted. I have visceral feelings of being pushed aside, and warned to be careful with her, not to hurt her. I was not a hurtful person, I was not violent. I could have only been violent to myself. I spent so many years hating her because she took my place because my father could not find it in himself to have space for both of us.

My mother was not much better, she was dismissive in her abuse. Forgetful and selfish in her own ways. They did not plan to have the 3 of us younger kids. We were all surprises! Yay! Wow, so now you are saddled with 3 more children you never planned for, and you actually have to parent them. What a concept! My mother was flawed in so many ways. She had the nerve to ask me if I needed her at my college and then graduate school graduations. Asked me if I needed her to see my first apartment. To all of you mother’s out there, aren’t you supposed to want to be present for those things? Wow. Though, with fucking bells on for my younger sister’s graduations! There are so many bad stories about how I was the throw away child in the family. It’s sick.

Ben was supposed to get better than he did! He was supposed to get what I finally found, belonging in love and with a made family. My husband is the best thing that every happened to me. He loves all of my quirky nature. He knows all of the stories. He’s heard my siblings make remarks about me, and treat me like I am a leper, and he knows me best. He loves me fully, protectively and intensely. Ben and Rey’s story spoke so strongly to me because it reminds me of us. They both want to protect the other, and they feel compelled to be with each other even when it is hard.

It’s a disservice to the fans to have Ben die at the end of TROS. They betrayed us with that ending. Ben and Rey earned their happiness and family. They earned their connection. I know in time it will hurt less, I’ve lost both of my parents and I know how grieving works for me, however I will never be okay with what DLF, JJ, Chris, Kathleen and Bob Iger took from us. And I was forever be grateful for the wonderment that is Rian Johnson, he is a blessing for all of us. He created a story that gave life to redemption and healing. He gave us love so deep and primal, not based on sexual attraction (not only, or at first – though that shirtless scene is brilliant) but based on understanding and deep affection for each other’s souls.

I will end with saying that I am a licensed marriage and family therapist. I work with couple’s and families to understand what drives us in relationships, and how to heal the past experiences so we can be the best people in our relationships and with ourselves. It’s work I had to do before I was ready for the deep and abiding love that I have with my husband, who brought me two wonderful parents who have helped heal this little girl inside to feel accepted and wanted as she is, even when she is too loud and too opinionated.

#tros #tros spoilers #reylo #ben solo #rey #real life #personal #very personal

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