This Christmas will see the ninth and final chapter of the Skywalker Saga, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. While there will be more Star Wars stories to come, on the big screen and the small, The Rise of Skywalker will mark the end of an era. After all, the Skywalker Saga has been a longform story told across three generations. And one of the biggest questions on the minds of a lot of fans is whether or not the JJ Abrams film will be a home run, not just in terms of box office numbers, not just in terms of critical reception, but fan reception as well. While a lot of people love Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi, there’s no denying that it also drove a wedge through the hardcore fanbase.
In an interview with USA Today, Daisy Ridley who plays the lead character Rey in the Star Wars sequel trilogy discussed the backlash surrounding The Last Jedi.
“I wasn’t surprised, no. It’s just a different thing. Everyone’s going to have an opinion now anyway on the internet, but I also think it’s fair. If people hold something incredibly dear and think they know how it should be and it’s not like that, it’s fair for people to think they were done wrong. It doesn’t mean they were – ultimately, Rian’s a filmmaker and one person can’t dictate how a film is supposed to be – but freedom of expression, sure.”
You gotta love Daisy Ridley’s thoughts on the situation. While she fully understands that fans have the right to complain about things they do not like, she also makes it very clear that Rian Johnson as the artist and filmmaker has the right to make the movie he wants to.
Ridley also goes on to discuss The Rise of Skywalker and how the final chapter is going to differ from the fun re-introduction to the franchise in The Force Awakens and also the darker more mature The Last Jedi.
“Genre-wise, it’s different from the other two, which will become clear when the film comes out. It’s quite emotional. There’s a different drive than the previous two films, but there’s a lot of fun. I really missed John (Boyega) during the last one, but we’re back together and now Oscar (Isaac) is part of it. To me, it felt like kids going on an adventure.”
This makes a lot of sense. While The Force Awakens spoke to our inner child and nostalgia and The Last Jedi to our intellect, it would only seem right that The Rise of Skywalker focused heavily on the feels. I am almost certain that we’ll be leaving the cinemas this December not only with a big smile but with tears flowing down our cheeks like the Niagra Falls.
The biggest mystery of this new trilogy has been who Rey’s parents are. After Star Wars: The Force Awakens, many fans speculated that Rey could either be Luke’s daughter, Obi-Wan’s granddaughter or heck Jar Jar Binks’ second cousin. But in Johnson’s The Last Jedi, it was revealed that Rey’s parents were nobodies — filthy junk traders who sold her off for drinking money. While some fans love the thematic significance of that creative decision, others wondered if there was more to the story. Could Kylo Ren have been lying? Well, whatever the case, it looks like we will definitely get concrete answers in The Rise of Skywalker. Ridley said:
“[Director J.J. Abrams] did say the question is answered. So at the end of the film, you do know what the dealio is.”
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will be hitting Malaysian cinemas 19 December 2019.
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