After having a lot of time to digest the final film of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, I have realized the trilogy is not perfect. In fact, it's far from it. I've come to realize it is actually a fairly big disappointment. It had so much potential. It had the potential for people to argue for eons on which trilogy is better: the original or the sequel. Nobody will ever legitimately think the prequel trilogy is better than the original trilogy, and now nobody will ever think the sequel trilogy is better. I have ten reasons why this is the case; ten ways Disney, JJ Abrams, Rian Johnson, and Kathleen Kennedy screwed up. These are in no particular order:
1. Rey is too much of a Mary Sue
You knew I was going to mention this. She executes flying maneuvers you'd expect only out of a very experienced pilot. She fixes the Millennium Falcon with ease. She uses a Jedi Mind trick without practice. She wields a lightsaber with competency against someone who's trained their entire life (although he was wounded). Kylo should have easily been able to handle her in TFA. It's hard to relate to a character that is so good at everything she does. More on Rey later.
2. The back and forth between JJ and Rian
The sequel trilogy suffered from the inconsistency of directors. Rian undid some of what JJ did, and then JJ undid some of what Rian did. It left the trilogy feeling more like three separate barely connected films. There's very little connecting the three films other than the characters. One example is JJ hyping up Luke's lightsaber, only for Rian to have Luke toss it over his shoulder.
3. No good romance story
Something prevalent in the first two trilogies is a romance sub-plot. In the prequels, we had Anakin and Padme. In the original trilogy, we had Han and Leia. In the sequels, we have nothing even close. We had a kiss between Finn and Rose in The Last Jedi, but that romance was forgotten about in the next film. We then had a kiss between Kylo Ren/Ben Solo and Rey, but there was very little to zero romantic build up. He had just barely turned to her side. The kiss felt forced and out of place. If they had started building up the romance in The Last Jedi (or TFA) then it would have made a bit more sense.
4. Force Powers introduced that add plot holes, ruin integrity of Star Wars
I'd say one of the things that bothers me most about the sequel trilogy are some of the force powers introduced in it. I'm ok with the mind extraction power Kylo used on Poe (although why didn't Vader learn this power?). But what I don't like are the dyad, force heal, and new force ghost powers. The dyad allows matter to be transported thousands if not millions of miles. This means people could be transported, right? They basically introduced teleportation in Star Wars, which belongs more in Star Trek. Force Heal means no one has to die, and makes us wonder why no Jedi ever learned it before. I like how JK Rowling said that once a character dies in the wizarding world of Harry Potter, they're dead. That is no longer the case in Star Wars. And the last thing that really bothered me was Force Ghosts and their new "powers". Apparently now they can cause lightning strikes, use the force to lift objects, and even hold solid objects (Luke holding the lightsaber). Why don't they help out the living world more often, then? What rules are there?
5. Missed opportunity at the end of The Rise of Skywalker
When Rey is laying down and the Jedi are speaking to her, we hear Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, Anakin, Mace Windu, and even Kanan Jarrus I think. It would have been a million times more awesome to see them as Force Ghosts. To see all of those characters rally behind Rey and help her would have redeemed TROS and even the entire trilogy, more or less. It would have been a way to tie all the films (as well as a couple TV shows) together and probably would have instantly become a Top 5 Star Wars moment. But instead, all we get is their voices and it has nowhere near the impact it could have.
6. The handling of the original trilogy characters
I feel like Luke, Leia, Han, and Lando all could have been handled better. Even R2D2 and C3PO were mere afterthoughts, although I understand wanting to focus on BB-8 (and sell merch). But there were so many things I wish we had seen with the four human characters. I wanted to see a Han and Luke reunion, a Han and Lando reunion, and maybe even a Lando and Leia reunion. The only "reunions" we got were Han and Leia who were "separated" (don't agree with that), and Luke projecting himself to Leia. Meh. And the way they all were killed off... did they even have to be killed off? Why can't they just live out their last days in peace? At least perhaps Lando does. Han dies so violently at the hands of his son? That's an awful fate for a fan favorite. Luke dying from overprojecting? Ok...
7. Rey's lineage is a massive head-shaker
My absolute preferred lineage for Rey would have been to have her somehow descended from Obi-Wan, perhaps a (great) niece. What Rian Johnson did in TLJ was have her parents be nobody, which I definitely would have preferred over her being a Palpatine. At least as a nobody, that teaches kids (mostly girls) that even if your parents are nobodies and not that successful, that doesn't mean you can't be. Instead, it shows that there has to be some lineage in your family tree in order to make a name for yourself. And knowing the main "hero" of the ST be descended from ultimate evil is just an unsettling feeling.
8. There is no clear villain throughout the trilogy
In the prequel trilogy, the main villain was Palpatine AKA Darth Sidious. In the original trilogy, it was Darth Vader and then the Emperor. In the sequel trilogy, there is no consistency. It goes from Kylo/Snoke to Snoke dying leaving just Kylo to Palpatine and then Kylo turns. There is no clear number one villain in the trilogy. It's not Snoke, he was only in a film and a half. It's not Palpatine, he was only in one film. And it's not Kylo, because he turns and betrays his own "master". There's no one clear villain for the audience to root against.
9. Side characters that are discarded or boring
The sequel trilogy introduced a lot of side characters: Captain Phasma, Rose, Finn, Poe, General Hux, and Zorii Bliss. Captain Phasma was built up with a bunch of hype but dies in a lame fashion in TLJ. Rose was basically forgotten about in TROS. Finn was possibly force-sensitive but we get no resolution on it. Poe was an ace pilot and former smuggler... but what else? His character had no substance. General Hux was a villain who turned for a petty reason. Zorii Bliss was someone from Poe's past who no one cared for. There was very little to no depth for the secondary characters in the ST.
10. Missing an epic lightsaber fight scene
There was no epic lightsaber fight scene in the ST. The closest we got was in TLJ when Rey and Kylo teamed up to take out Snoke's guards, but that fight had flaws and wasn't exactly a fair fight. There was no fight scene with the magnitude of any of the OT fight scenes. There was no fight scene that left us thinking how awesome it was after it finished. This is just my opinion, but I think it's an opinion generally agreed upon by the Star Wars fanbase.
The sequel trilogy was not entirely awful. I only pointed out its flaws. It had its strengths, too. Kylo Ren had more depth than Anakin did in the PT, and Adam Driver killed it in the role. The visual effects and music were all top-notch, with the visual effects the best Star Wars has seen so far. They blended practical and visual effects better than the PT ever did. The acting, even outside of Driver, was pretty good for the most part. But it just pains me as a huge Star Wars fan to know that the ST could have been so much more. I think someday we will get a Star Wars trilogy or movie series that people will universally regard as magnificent, but the sequel trilogy is unfortunately not that trilogy.
Showing posts with label IX. Show all posts
Showing posts with label IX. Show all posts
Friday, July 10, 2020
Friday, December 20, 2019
Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker Thoughts/Review
I have now seen the final film in the Skywalker saga of Star Wars films. Honestly, I'm pretty bummed it's over and there won't be another. We won't ever see Luke, Han, Leia, or Lando again; at least not played by their respective actors and not in a Star Wars episodic film. However, the final film tied up the saga, but the question is, did it do it well? In my opinion, it did. It answered a bunch of questions, had drama, and kept me entertained throughout. Also, from here on out there will be spoilers, so you have been warned.
I have to admit I read some reviews of The Rise of Skywalker before seeing it, and most of what I saw was pretty negative. One person even called it the "worst Star Wars film". No way is TROS the worst Star Wars film, but it is not without its faults. I want to get these out of the way first. This is not a perfect film, or even excellent. I think this film is going to divide fans for a long time. It currently has a 6.9 rating on IMDB and a 58% score on Rotten Tomatoes. I think it was better than what those scores indicate. But I certainly don't think it was close to perfect.
First off, I had trouble accepting such a light and goodhearted character we've grown to know and love could be descended from someone so despicably evil in Palpatine. It's nothing against what JJ did, but if this was the direction they were going to take, I would've liked a hint of it in "The Last Jedi". Another thing I didn't particularly like was how Rey and Kylo could transport matter. We saw a hint of it in "The Last Jedi" when rainwater from Ahch-To got transported to Kylo's hand far away. Then, in this film, we had a necklace and a lightsaber be transported from Rey to Kylo. I just can't wrap my head around it, and it seems like something that should be in Star Trek, not Star Wars. Also, I've had trouble accepting that Force Ghosts can influence matter as well. We saw Yoda cause a lightning strike in TLJ, and in TROS we saw Luke block a lightsaber from being thrown into a fire, and we saw him levitate his old X-Wing out of the water. They're called "ghosts" for a reason. Heck, if they're going to go that route, they might as well have a Force Ghost army in some Star Wars spin-off TV series or film. They can't be killed, after all. Finally, I just did not like the opening space fight scene in the Millennium Falcon. WAY too many jumpcuts and it was paced WAY too quickly. Too fast-paced of a scene way too early in the film. Every film in the original trilogy started out slow, or at least not that intense so soon. Those were my main four gripes.
Here's what I thought they did well: The handling of Princess Leia. If I had not known, I would've thought they filmed Leia's/Carrie's scenes especially for this film. JJ and Chris did a great job of incorporating what they had of Carrie into this film. And her passing was done very well and tastefully. I hate that she never really got to see her son, but I think had Carrie not passed away, JJ had it mind to have her meet Kylo/Ben, or at least project herself to him so that she could try to turn him back to the light. I think they used Harrison Ford/Han Solo in her place. His scene with Ben mirrored their scene on the bridge in "The Force Awakens", even down to some of the quotes. This time, instead of Kylo going from confused to dark side, he went from confused to light side.
I also liked Kylo/Ben turning back to the light. You could tell he was conflicted and when Rey saved his life after stabbing him, he knew he had to be on her side from that point on. Him going after her on Exegol with as much haste and determination as he had shows he cared about her. And his sacrifice to her, very touching. I was hoping he would be able to survive, because how often do you see a redeemed bad guy character that doesn't die? However, the Skywalker saga had to end and it still technically could continue with Ben still alive. And to be honest, I was a Rey/Ben shipper so their kiss was definitely something I wanted to see.
Now to go over technical aspects. To be expected, visual effects and sound were top-notch. Costumes and makeup were very well done, although I think I noticed Kylo/Ben's scar on his face disappearing, but that could be just it fading over time. I'd be surprised if TROS didn't get an Oscar nomination for something, with their likeliest nomination probably being visual effects. Acting was decent; my favorite was Daisy Ridley as Rey. The writing was less than stellar, but they stayed true to the characters at least. Perhaps the best was John Williams' score, his last time scoring a Star Wars film. I always felt the music perfectly suited the scene at the time.
Hard to say if I enjoyed this more than "The Force Awakens". I know I enjoyed it more than "The Last Jedi". I definitely want to see it again in theaters. I wonder if people's second viewings of TROS will make them like it more or less. Based on how the IMDB rating for this film is going up (It was at 6.8, it's now at 7.0), it seems like people like it more on multiple viewings. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge Star Wars fan, and if I say this is a satisfying conclusion to the Skywalker saga, then it probably is.
I have to admit I read some reviews of The Rise of Skywalker before seeing it, and most of what I saw was pretty negative. One person even called it the "worst Star Wars film". No way is TROS the worst Star Wars film, but it is not without its faults. I want to get these out of the way first. This is not a perfect film, or even excellent. I think this film is going to divide fans for a long time. It currently has a 6.9 rating on IMDB and a 58% score on Rotten Tomatoes. I think it was better than what those scores indicate. But I certainly don't think it was close to perfect.
First off, I had trouble accepting such a light and goodhearted character we've grown to know and love could be descended from someone so despicably evil in Palpatine. It's nothing against what JJ did, but if this was the direction they were going to take, I would've liked a hint of it in "The Last Jedi". Another thing I didn't particularly like was how Rey and Kylo could transport matter. We saw a hint of it in "The Last Jedi" when rainwater from Ahch-To got transported to Kylo's hand far away. Then, in this film, we had a necklace and a lightsaber be transported from Rey to Kylo. I just can't wrap my head around it, and it seems like something that should be in Star Trek, not Star Wars. Also, I've had trouble accepting that Force Ghosts can influence matter as well. We saw Yoda cause a lightning strike in TLJ, and in TROS we saw Luke block a lightsaber from being thrown into a fire, and we saw him levitate his old X-Wing out of the water. They're called "ghosts" for a reason. Heck, if they're going to go that route, they might as well have a Force Ghost army in some Star Wars spin-off TV series or film. They can't be killed, after all. Finally, I just did not like the opening space fight scene in the Millennium Falcon. WAY too many jumpcuts and it was paced WAY too quickly. Too fast-paced of a scene way too early in the film. Every film in the original trilogy started out slow, or at least not that intense so soon. Those were my main four gripes.
Here's what I thought they did well: The handling of Princess Leia. If I had not known, I would've thought they filmed Leia's/Carrie's scenes especially for this film. JJ and Chris did a great job of incorporating what they had of Carrie into this film. And her passing was done very well and tastefully. I hate that she never really got to see her son, but I think had Carrie not passed away, JJ had it mind to have her meet Kylo/Ben, or at least project herself to him so that she could try to turn him back to the light. I think they used Harrison Ford/Han Solo in her place. His scene with Ben mirrored their scene on the bridge in "The Force Awakens", even down to some of the quotes. This time, instead of Kylo going from confused to dark side, he went from confused to light side.
I also liked Kylo/Ben turning back to the light. You could tell he was conflicted and when Rey saved his life after stabbing him, he knew he had to be on her side from that point on. Him going after her on Exegol with as much haste and determination as he had shows he cared about her. And his sacrifice to her, very touching. I was hoping he would be able to survive, because how often do you see a redeemed bad guy character that doesn't die? However, the Skywalker saga had to end and it still technically could continue with Ben still alive. And to be honest, I was a Rey/Ben shipper so their kiss was definitely something I wanted to see.
Now to go over technical aspects. To be expected, visual effects and sound were top-notch. Costumes and makeup were very well done, although I think I noticed Kylo/Ben's scar on his face disappearing, but that could be just it fading over time. I'd be surprised if TROS didn't get an Oscar nomination for something, with their likeliest nomination probably being visual effects. Acting was decent; my favorite was Daisy Ridley as Rey. The writing was less than stellar, but they stayed true to the characters at least. Perhaps the best was John Williams' score, his last time scoring a Star Wars film. I always felt the music perfectly suited the scene at the time.
Hard to say if I enjoyed this more than "The Force Awakens". I know I enjoyed it more than "The Last Jedi". I definitely want to see it again in theaters. I wonder if people's second viewings of TROS will make them like it more or less. Based on how the IMDB rating for this film is going up (It was at 6.8, it's now at 7.0), it seems like people like it more on multiple viewings. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge Star Wars fan, and if I say this is a satisfying conclusion to the Skywalker saga, then it probably is.
Saturday, April 27, 2019
Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker - Five Questions and Predictions
With Avengers Endgame out (and having seen it), the next movie I am REALLY
hyped to see is Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker. The teaser trailer and title were
announced/released two weeks ago, and I've had some time to dwell on them. Below are five questions people might have
about the film, and I put forth multiple choice possibilities and choose my
answer with reasoning. It'll be
interesting to go back here 8 months from now (Yikes!) and see how close I was.
I have now seen the Rise of Skywalker. For my full thoughts on it, you'll have to see my more recent post here. *SPOILER ALERT* I will of course be discussing spoilers so this is your warning.
1. So, apparently Palpatine returns, based on his cackle at the end of the teaser trailer. How is he able to return?
A. He returns as a spirit, much like a Force Ghost (The dark side version of it possibly). Not able to physically appear but in spirit.
B. A clone was made of him
C. He survived falling down the ventilation shaft.
D. He inhabits the body of someone or something else (Like Voldemort)
Answer: I'm gonna go with A, but neither C nor D would surprise me. My prediction is that there is a Dark Side way of becoming one with the Force. Obviously, we'd hear him and he'd be able to influence Kylo Ren and say things like, "Do what your grandfather failed to do." I only included B because I believe that happened in the Expanded Universe novels, although I doubt they'd take that idea straight from them. Option D would be cool to see, however. Could we see him inhabit Snoke's body?
The closest actual answer would be C. He had some assistance, clearly, but never fully died.
2. What will the relationship of Kylo Ren and Rey be like at the end of Episode IX?
A. Non-existent, as one will be dead.
B. Still enemies
C. Allies, or at least will have a truce
D. Romantic
Answer: I want it to be D, but Rey's parentage is still in question. Kylo told Rey her parents were nobodies, but he could have been lying (or possibly misled by Snoke). She still could be his sister or cousin. I'll go with C as my prediction, but I want it to be D. They won't kill Rey off, and I don't think JJ Abrams will want to kill Kylo off either, so I don't think it will be A. And I highly doubt they'll still be enemies; it would just feel like we need another film to resolve their conflict.
Officially it is A 😢, but for a brief moment is was C and D. I should have known Ben/Kylo would die because this film was billed for it "concluding the Skywalker saga", and if he had survived, the Skywalkers would live on.
3. Speaking of Rey's parentage, what is it?
A. Kylo was telling the truth. Her parents were nobodies.
B. Luke is her father. He abandoned her mother, and her mother (And stepfather?) left her on Jakku.
C. Han and Leia are her parents. She was conceived in secret and hidden on Jakku.
D. She is a manifestation of the Force, much like Anakin.
Answer: I just find it difficult to be B or C. Wouldn't they know about it and want to tell her? Also, I've noticed a bit of a conflict between JJ Abrams and Rian Johnson, who directed Episode VIII. They had different ideas for the films, so I think it might not be A. I'm leaning more and more to D. It would be kind of a copy cat origin story, but if they do it differently and uniquely it could work. So I'll go with D, with A as my second choice. They have to address this in Ep. IX, at least to some extent.
Wow, none of the above. Technically A is right, but they were trying to be nobodies in order to protect their daughter from her grandfather. I had a feeling JJ would decide Rian Johnson's choice wasn't good enough, I just had no idea she would be related to him.
4. What does the title, "The Rise of Skywalker" mean?
A. Skywalker is or becomes a title for Jedi. Much like "Darth" is for the Sith, Skywalker becomes a title for Jedi as the Jedi rise and Rey (and possibly Kylo/Ben) start a new Jedi order. So Rey would be "Skywalker Rey".
B. Rey is a Skywalker, and she learns her true identity.
C. Luke's influence as a Force Ghost is critical to the Resistance and he aids in their victory.
D. Luke and Palpatine have a Force Ghost battle and Luke comes out on top.
E. Kylo sheds his name "Kylo Ren" and becomes "Ben Skywalker" (Not Solo).
Answer: It's a pretty vague title. I got answer "A" from someone's theory on Reddit, which I really liked obviously. Although you wouldn't see a title called "The Rise of Darth". But I can see Skywalker referring to a group of people and not just one person. B is obviously a candidate. C and D kind of go together and both could be possible. I know D sounds ludicrous but I could see it happening. E could mean the title is about Kylo Ren, since he has Skywalker blood. If he returns to the light he could identify himself "as a Skywalker". The title of Episode VII referred to Rey (indirectly). The title of Episode VIII referred to Luke. I think the title of Episode IX will refer to someone else as well, which leaves only Kylo Ren. It could be about his redemption and return to the light side, so I'll go with E. However, most people are figuring this must refer to Luke, so my next best guess would be "C".
The actual answer is kind of a cross between A and B. Rey assumed the Skywalker name, almost as if it were a title. My friend even said it was like Luke or Leia adopted her from beyond the grave.
5. The fates of the following people:
A. Kylo Ren:
a. Dead
b. Alive, but still Dark
c. Alive and turned to Light
Answer: C. It's gotta be, right? I touched on this in question in number 3, and I said I don't think they'll kill Kylo off. At least I hope they don't. If it was B they would need another film or something to resolve this, wouldn't they? It would be like leaving Darth Vader alive and still dark side oriented after "Return of the Jedi".
I should have known, like I said above. He sacrificed himself for Rey and hopefully Rey would respect his memory and tell everyone he was a hero.
B. Captain Phasma:
a. She died in Episode VIII
b. She comes back in IX but dies
c. She comes back in IX and lives
Answer: B. JJ and Rian have an internal conflict going on from what I've gathered. JJ will want to undo what Rian did and bring back Captain Phasma, only to have her die for real.
Falling that far into a pit of fire on a ship going down is hard to survive, especially for a non-Sith/Jedi. I think bringing her back would've been a slap in the face to Rian Johnson.
C. General Hux:
a. Dead
b. Dead
c. Dead
Answer: All of the above. Is there any chance this guy survives? He clearly has no good in his heart. The only question is how he will die.
Well, yes, but who saw him helping out the good guys? Not me! Kylo clearly got on his bad side, so Hux took action. Too bad for him General Pryde saw right through him.
C. a. How will Hux die?
1. Rey kills him
2. Finn or Poe kills him
3. Kylo turns on him and kills him
Answer: Number 1 wouldn't be satisfying enough. I'd like to see 2, have a battle between non-Force users. But I think it will be 3.
I didn't even consider him being a spy and one of the first order generals killing him. Gotta consider every possibility.
D. Leia:
a. Alive and present
b. Alive but gone away/missing
c. Dead
Answer: I almost forgot about Leia. Hard to say how much of an impact she'll have, with Carrie Fisher passing before they could film any of Episode IX. I will say C, and they'll make it as tear-inducing as possible.
I was right. I was impressed with how much footage they had of Carrie and how they were able to use it. It was tear-inducing, although I didn't cry myself. But I felt like it after seeing Chewbacca's reacting to Leia's passing.
Well, there you have it. I answered the five (plus) biggest questions about Episode IX. It's still almost 8 months away and I cannot wait for it to get here!
Meh, not terrible predictions, but some really caught me off guard. Click the link above to see my full thoughts on Rise of Skywalker. 🙂
I have now seen the Rise of Skywalker. For my full thoughts on it, you'll have to see my more recent post here. *SPOILER ALERT* I will of course be discussing spoilers so this is your warning.
1. So, apparently Palpatine returns, based on his cackle at the end of the teaser trailer. How is he able to return?
A. He returns as a spirit, much like a Force Ghost (The dark side version of it possibly). Not able to physically appear but in spirit.
B. A clone was made of him
C. He survived falling down the ventilation shaft.
D. He inhabits the body of someone or something else (Like Voldemort)
Answer: I'm gonna go with A, but neither C nor D would surprise me. My prediction is that there is a Dark Side way of becoming one with the Force. Obviously, we'd hear him and he'd be able to influence Kylo Ren and say things like, "Do what your grandfather failed to do." I only included B because I believe that happened in the Expanded Universe novels, although I doubt they'd take that idea straight from them. Option D would be cool to see, however. Could we see him inhabit Snoke's body?
The closest actual answer would be C. He had some assistance, clearly, but never fully died.
2. What will the relationship of Kylo Ren and Rey be like at the end of Episode IX?
A. Non-existent, as one will be dead.
B. Still enemies
C. Allies, or at least will have a truce
D. Romantic
Answer: I want it to be D, but Rey's parentage is still in question. Kylo told Rey her parents were nobodies, but he could have been lying (or possibly misled by Snoke). She still could be his sister or cousin. I'll go with C as my prediction, but I want it to be D. They won't kill Rey off, and I don't think JJ Abrams will want to kill Kylo off either, so I don't think it will be A. And I highly doubt they'll still be enemies; it would just feel like we need another film to resolve their conflict.
Officially it is A 😢, but for a brief moment is was C and D. I should have known Ben/Kylo would die because this film was billed for it "concluding the Skywalker saga", and if he had survived, the Skywalkers would live on.
3. Speaking of Rey's parentage, what is it?
A. Kylo was telling the truth. Her parents were nobodies.
B. Luke is her father. He abandoned her mother, and her mother (And stepfather?) left her on Jakku.
C. Han and Leia are her parents. She was conceived in secret and hidden on Jakku.
D. She is a manifestation of the Force, much like Anakin.
Answer: I just find it difficult to be B or C. Wouldn't they know about it and want to tell her? Also, I've noticed a bit of a conflict between JJ Abrams and Rian Johnson, who directed Episode VIII. They had different ideas for the films, so I think it might not be A. I'm leaning more and more to D. It would be kind of a copy cat origin story, but if they do it differently and uniquely it could work. So I'll go with D, with A as my second choice. They have to address this in Ep. IX, at least to some extent.
Wow, none of the above. Technically A is right, but they were trying to be nobodies in order to protect their daughter from her grandfather. I had a feeling JJ would decide Rian Johnson's choice wasn't good enough, I just had no idea she would be related to him.
4. What does the title, "The Rise of Skywalker" mean?
A. Skywalker is or becomes a title for Jedi. Much like "Darth" is for the Sith, Skywalker becomes a title for Jedi as the Jedi rise and Rey (and possibly Kylo/Ben) start a new Jedi order. So Rey would be "Skywalker Rey".
B. Rey is a Skywalker, and she learns her true identity.
C. Luke's influence as a Force Ghost is critical to the Resistance and he aids in their victory.
D. Luke and Palpatine have a Force Ghost battle and Luke comes out on top.
E. Kylo sheds his name "Kylo Ren" and becomes "Ben Skywalker" (Not Solo).
Answer: It's a pretty vague title. I got answer "A" from someone's theory on Reddit, which I really liked obviously. Although you wouldn't see a title called "The Rise of Darth". But I can see Skywalker referring to a group of people and not just one person. B is obviously a candidate. C and D kind of go together and both could be possible. I know D sounds ludicrous but I could see it happening. E could mean the title is about Kylo Ren, since he has Skywalker blood. If he returns to the light he could identify himself "as a Skywalker". The title of Episode VII referred to Rey (indirectly). The title of Episode VIII referred to Luke. I think the title of Episode IX will refer to someone else as well, which leaves only Kylo Ren. It could be about his redemption and return to the light side, so I'll go with E. However, most people are figuring this must refer to Luke, so my next best guess would be "C".
The actual answer is kind of a cross between A and B. Rey assumed the Skywalker name, almost as if it were a title. My friend even said it was like Luke or Leia adopted her from beyond the grave.
5. The fates of the following people:
A. Kylo Ren:
a. Dead
b. Alive, but still Dark
c. Alive and turned to Light
Answer: C. It's gotta be, right? I touched on this in question in number 3, and I said I don't think they'll kill Kylo off. At least I hope they don't. If it was B they would need another film or something to resolve this, wouldn't they? It would be like leaving Darth Vader alive and still dark side oriented after "Return of the Jedi".
I should have known, like I said above. He sacrificed himself for Rey and hopefully Rey would respect his memory and tell everyone he was a hero.
B. Captain Phasma:
a. She died in Episode VIII
b. She comes back in IX but dies
c. She comes back in IX and lives
Answer: B. JJ and Rian have an internal conflict going on from what I've gathered. JJ will want to undo what Rian did and bring back Captain Phasma, only to have her die for real.
Falling that far into a pit of fire on a ship going down is hard to survive, especially for a non-Sith/Jedi. I think bringing her back would've been a slap in the face to Rian Johnson.
C. General Hux:
a. Dead
b. Dead
c. Dead
Answer: All of the above. Is there any chance this guy survives? He clearly has no good in his heart. The only question is how he will die.
Well, yes, but who saw him helping out the good guys? Not me! Kylo clearly got on his bad side, so Hux took action. Too bad for him General Pryde saw right through him.
C. a. How will Hux die?
1. Rey kills him
2. Finn or Poe kills him
3. Kylo turns on him and kills him
Answer: Number 1 wouldn't be satisfying enough. I'd like to see 2, have a battle between non-Force users. But I think it will be 3.
I didn't even consider him being a spy and one of the first order generals killing him. Gotta consider every possibility.
D. Leia:
a. Alive and present
b. Alive but gone away/missing
c. Dead
Answer: I almost forgot about Leia. Hard to say how much of an impact she'll have, with Carrie Fisher passing before they could film any of Episode IX. I will say C, and they'll make it as tear-inducing as possible.
I was right. I was impressed with how much footage they had of Carrie and how they were able to use it. It was tear-inducing, although I didn't cry myself. But I felt like it after seeing Chewbacca's reacting to Leia's passing.
Well, there you have it. I answered the five (plus) biggest questions about Episode IX. It's still almost 8 months away and I cannot wait for it to get here!
Meh, not terrible predictions, but some really caught me off guard. Click the link above to see my full thoughts on Rise of Skywalker. 🙂
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