The latest Star Wars trilogy concludes this Christmas with the release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and there is no reason not to be excited.
The latest run of Star Wars movies have taken a lot of flak, receiving mixed feedback both from critics and audiences. However, with so much to be positive about the last five years of new releases, it would be foolish to write off The Rise of Skywalker straight away.
Based on the few teasers that has been provided so far, Episode IX looks incredible. The latest trailer reveals classic Star Wars action, stunning lightsaber duels and enticing roles for new and ancient characters alike. Showing viewers aspects of the saga they already love while maintaining an air of mystery around the sequel draws in fans expertly.
With JJ Abrams returning as director, Episode IX could turn out to be the very best of the modern Star Wars trilogy. The Force Awakens was a brilliant movie but arguably played a little too safe, while most fans would agree The Last Jediwent strayed in the opposite direction in trying to achieve too much.
The trailer for The Rise of Skywalker suggests Abrams has been less tentative in introducing new ideas, and based on his previous record, viewers should be optimistic that this might be the perfect correction of the prequels’ previous flaws.
There is definitely a section of the Star Wars fandom aiming to stamp out any excitement for this movie and the trilogy in general, and their voices are unfortunately loud. But for young viewers, this is the Star Wars of their generation, and they deserve to enjoy the process as the older generation did when the original trilogy was released.
If the original Star Wars came out before you were born and were old enough to see the prequels in cinemas, then this is your first experience of Star Wars on the big screen. The purist distain for anything new should not detract from that. Young Star Wars fans should not feel ashamed to take ownership of what has so far been a largely positive addition to the Star Wars universe, one that looks to only get better with Episode IX.
If pessimism proves true and the movie is a flop, chances are it will still be an entertaining one. Even The Phantom Menace, the worst that the franchise has to offer, is highly entertaining simply by virtue of being in the Star Wars universe. The same detractors who try and shut down the hype for Rise of Skywalker slate the prequels, but their criticism only prevents them from seeing through the trade disputes and dodgy nineties CGI to some genuinely enjoyable and entertaining moments in the prequels.
Even if you didn’t enjoy the prequels, and indeed if you don’t enjoy Rise of Skywalker, the fact that these movies are adding to the Star Wars universe is something we can only be grateful for. The extended world created by George Lucas is already so rich, and anything that furthers the detail of that should be applauded, not rebuked.
Hopefully, that won’t matter because Rise of Skywalker will be a roaring success. But even if the promising trailer doesn’t stimulate your excitement, persuade yourself to be open-minded anyway. Where is the fun in expecting the film to be bad when you can buy into the hype instead?
Image: Lucasfilm Ltd. via Wikipedia