"The Rise of Skywalker" (Without Spoilers)

Well, here we are at last. As with all of my "Star Wars" posts, this is going to be divided into two installments, one spoiler free for more general thoughts and some meta, and one for the spoilers that will dig into more analysis next time.

I want to preface this post with two thoughts. First, I consider myself a "Star Wars" fan, though it's a notion I've struggled with since I didn't like the prequels and never bothered with "The Clone Wars" or the other spinoffs. Second, I've been quietly accepting that as I trudge toward my forties, that I'm growing increasingly jaded as a moviegoer, especially when it comes to big franchise films. At this point, I can smell the plot contrivances coming from a mile away.

But good grief, I loved "The Rise of Skywalker." I loved it almost as much as I loved "The Last Jedi."

I understand that the latest trilogy of films has been deeply disappointing for some viewers, that it's been a prime target in the culture wars, and made a lot of mistakes. The film critic part of my brain understands that J.J. Abrams and Chris Terrio defaulted to the same tactics used to make "The Force Awakens": lean heavily on the nostalgia, pander to the fans, and just straight up steal chunks of the older movies to refurbish if you run into any trouble. "The Rise of Skywalker" is awash in cameos, call backs, references, and shameless fanservice. It's also full of wildly convoluted plotting, stupidly convenient coincidences, and downright dysfunctional storytelling. It's wildly inconsistent from moment to moment, moves way too fast, and ends up shoving major characters like Finn into the background. As I expected, Abrams backtracked many of Rian Johnson's decisions in "The Last Jedi," and he didn't do it very well. Nor was the handling of Carrie Fisher's departure anything but awkward.

But all that aside, I have to admit that I had a great time watching the movie. Abrams may have put together a messier, sloppier film than either of the two preceding installments, but he managed to deliver where it counted. I was invested in the Rey and Kylo Ren storylines most heavily from the beginning, and wanted to see where their complicated relationship was leading. I wanted to learn more about Poe and Finn and see the new trio really work together after "The Last Jedi," where they were split up. "The Rise of Skywalker" gave me that. It wasn't always in the most elegant or original way, but the thing that J.J. Abrams consistently gets right is that he puts all the necessary emotional beats on the screen where they need to be. So even if the dialogue is awful, or the logic of the Macguffin-chasing is full of holes, the characters' personal journeys are pretty sound, and they feel genuine in the moment.

The actors are so strong across the board, especially Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac, and Adam Driver. "Star Wars" has always been melodramatic and this movie pushes that all the way to the limit. There are turns and betrayals and momentous reveals everywhere you look. Some of them absolutely do not work, and some of the choices are just plain bad. However, Abrams and company somehow managed to nail the big ones, the ones that really counted, even if they were nonsense in retrospect. The execution was so on point throughout, especially the smaller, interpersonal scenes. Some of my favorite lightsaber sequences are in this movie - the choreography may not be so impressive, but the way Abrams uses them to further character is fantastic. And I hate to admit it, but most of the little moments of humor and many of the nostalgic call backs worked on me, helping to deflect attention from the script's weaknesses.

The reception to "The Rise of Skywalker" has been mixed to say the least, and it's certainly deserved. However, my first instinct is to defend the film from its detractors. It's such a terribly flawed movie, but I see so much in it worth praising too. The movie made me feel like the kid who was a "Star Wars" fan in the '90s again, something I didn't think was possible anymore. It made me want more "Star Wars" movies, even with all the terrible fandom clashes and studio politicking.

And it cemented for me that I still am very much, perhaps unfortunately, still a "Star Wars" fan.
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