Film Excess - Free Ukraine - Stop Putin - End the war NOW!!: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker/Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

12/21/2019

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker/Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019) - A solid saga ending

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+ Best Action-Adventure of the Year + Best Family Movie of the Year + Best Villain of the Year: Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid)

A large collection of characters and visuals are brought together on this primary-colored poster for J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

The Rebellion are forced to a final reckoning with an enemy thought dead; Emperor Palpatine. Meanwhile last Jedi Rey's roots are explored, and her strong relation to Kylo Ren comes to a conclusion.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is written by Chris Terrio (Argo (2012)) and great New-Yorker co-writer/co-producer/director J.J. Abrams (Mission: Impossible III (2006)), with Derek Connolly (Monster Trucks (2016)) and Colin Trevorrow (Jurassic World (2015)) contributing story elements. It is the concluding third film in the reboot Star Wars trilogy and the concluding ninth film in the overall Skywalker saga, which began with Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977).
The script has been compiled with the added difficulty of key cast member Carrie Fisher's (Heartbreakers (2001)) 2016 demise; her Princess Leia hasn't been written out of the new film, and her scenes have not been completed with a CGI-created performance, apparently: Rather, footage that was left over from Abrams' great first Star Wars film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) has been used, and the story is designed to match.
The film begins with an exciting space chase and goes on at a break-neck pace, but some fun moments are afforded droid favorite C-3PO (Anthony Daniels (Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980))), (less for other droid favorites R2D2 and BB8 this time around); John Boyega (24: Live Another Day (2014, miniseries)) also gets some amusing situations, and a cute new mechanic character named Babu Frik is adorable and fun. SPOILER The film sends Leia off, (after we think it sent Chewbacca off, but that was a red herring), and dashing pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac (X-Men: Apocalypse (2016))) gets the command. The main focus is on Rey; Daisy Ridley (Scrawl (2015)) continues to be a vibrant, commanding presence as the diminutive heroine, - and on evil Kylo Ren aka. Ben Solo, SPOILER who undergoes the most profound change in the film: Adam Driver (Logan Lucky (2017)) takes his Star Wars star to the next level here; after Rey saves him, he finally casts away darkness for the light. There's also an amazing planet with tall dancing creatures and cute baby aliens.
The film's villain is a reanimation of the greatest foe in the Star Wars pantheon, if you ask me: Not Darth Vader but, of course, Emperor Palpatine, in the harrowing, still in the iconic guise of Ian McDiarmid (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)). His intonations and the corpse-like makeup and prosthetics add tremendous fuel to the film, as it reveals Rey to be his granddaughter. His lair and the sound design are also truly magnificent. Richard E. Grant (Jackie (2016)) is well-cast as a new secondary villain of the First Order.
The film uses ghosts of siblings Leia and Luke Skywalker to guide Rey, (and, more than a bit confusingly, seemingly pose as her adoptive parents), but the latter's power as a character arguably played out in the saga's best film to date, masterpiece Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), and his inclusion here is questionable. Rise of Skywalker also re-earths another old character in Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams (The Ladies Man (2000))), whose reappearance will be either hammy or satisfying to you according to your individual perspective.

The story is something about a dagger, that has inscription that needs to be translated, because it will lead to a 'Pathfinder', which will lead to the location of the secret Exegol planet (...); it's also about light-sabers and the Force. The plot can feel a bit secondary to the technical wonders in this film, John Williams' (The Killers (1964)) fabulous score and Dan Mindel's (Spy Game (2001)) ravishing photography, as well as the great performances. But mostly the considerable pot of emotional investment that is at play here, which drives the adventure through thrills, tears and to rousing optimism, when the universe finally answers the call to stand with the Rebellion.
As a devoted Star Wars fan, The Rise of Skywalker is a thrilling and satisfying end to the saga, if not exactly to be counted among the best in the 9-picture series.

Related posts:

J.J. Abrams: 2019 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

2019 in films - according to Film Excess
2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) - Abrams scores big time, makes beautiful space opera blockbuster
Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) or, Star Trek It Before You Wreck It
Star Trek (2009) - Abrams' imperfect but awesome reboot
Super 8 (2011) - Abrams' nostalgic family crowdpleaser
Cloverfield (2008) or, It Tore Her Head Off! (co-producer)

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: Estimated 250-300 mil. $
Box office: 59.1 mil. $ and counting (just released)
= Uncertain
[Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker premiered 16 December (Los Angeles, California) and runs 142 minutes. Trevorrow was hired to direct but withdrew after failing to deliver a script that producer Kathleen Kennedy thought acceptable. Abrams decided to keep Fisher in the film, using the leftover Force Awakens footage. Shooting took place in England, Jordan and in New York and Los Angeles from August 2018 - February 2019. The box office performance is followed with some trepidation, following the first real flop of a Star Wars movie with the preceding Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018), though not part of the saga. Rise of Skywalker shows poor reception in China and a smaller North-American initial reception than Force Awakens and Last Jedi. It has two announced markets left to open in: Vietnam and the Philippines in January. Abrams does not have an announced next directing gig. Ridley returns in Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway (2020); Driver in Annette (2020); and McDiarmid does not have an announced next gig. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is rotten at 58 % with a 6.22/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker?

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William Friedkin has died

Born in Chicago, Friedkin accrued TV credits prior to his advance to the big screen as the director of Good TImes (1967), The Birthday Party (1968), The Night They Raided Minsky's (1968) and The Boys in the Band (1970) before his major breakthrough, The French Connection (1971), for which he won his only Oscar. He followed it up with the even bigger smash, The Exorcist (1973), arguably the best horror film of all time, for which he was Oscar-nominated. Later credits include Sorcerer (1977), Cruising (1980), To Live and Die in L.A. (1985), Rampage (1987), Rules of Engagement (2000), Killer Joe (2011) and The Devil and Father Amorth (2017, documentary). Friedkin passed away at age 87. R.I.P.

Louise Fletcher has passed away

Born in Alabama to deaf parents, Fletcher got her first credits in late-1950s TV-series.She took a 10 year-long sabbatical to devote her time to motherhood after the release of A Gathering of Eagles, but then came back and soon saw her career's most important part, as Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), for which she won her sole Oscar. Later credits include Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977), The Lucky Star (1980), Brainstorm (1983), Two Moon Junction (1988), Cruel Intentions (1999), A Perfect Man (2013) and many more. Fletcher passed away at age 88. R.I.P.

Jean-Luc Godard has passed away

Born in Paris, France, Godard lived much of his life in Switzerland. He wrote for French film criticism magazine Cahiers du Cinema and became foundational for the New French Wave that inspired new waves in scores of other countries across the world with his Breathless (1960). Later credits include A Woman Is A Woman (1961), Vivre Sa Vie (1962), Le Petit Soldat (1962), Contempt (1963), Alphaville (1965), Pierrot le Fou (1965), 2 or 3 Things I Know About Her (1967), Weekend (1967), Every Man for Himself (1980), King Lear (1987), Century of Cinema (1995, documentary), Goodbye to Language (2014) and many more. Godard died of assisted suicide at age 91. R.I.P.

Wolfgang Petersen has died

James Caan has died

Caan was born the son of Jewish immigrants from Germany in New York. He got his start on TV in the early 1960s. His credits include El Dorado (1966), The Rain People (1969), Brian's Song (1971, TV movie), The Godfather (1972), - for which he earned his only Oscar nomination, - Slither (1973), The Gambler (1974), Funny Lady (1975), Rollerball (1975), Silent Movie (1976), Hide in Plain Sight (1980), - the only film he also directed, - Thief (1981), Misery (1990), Honeymoon in Vegas (1992), Bottle Rocket (1996), Eraser (1996), Dogville (2003), Elf (2003), Las Vegas (2003-07), Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009) and many more. Caan passed away at age 82. R.I.P.

Jean-Louis Trintignant has died

Born in Vaucluse, France, Trintignant's theatrical debut as an actor was in If All the Guys in the World... (1955). Later credits include ...And God Created Woman (1956), The Seven Deadly Sins (1961), Inferno (1964), A Man and A Woman (1966), My Love, My Love (1967), A Man to Kill (1967), The Great Silence (1968), Z (1969), The Assassination (1972), Three Colors: Red (1994), Amour (2012), Happy End (2017) and many more. He also wrote and directed two films in the 1970s. Trintignant passed away at age 91. R.I.P.

Ray Liotta has died

Adopted from an orphenage at a young age, Liotta got hooked on acting in high school. He had various TV credits in the late 1970s and early 80s, with his film debut in The Lonely Lady (1983). Later credits include Something Wild (1986), Field of Dreams (1989), Goodfellas (1990), Cop Land (1997), Hannibal (2001), Blow (2001), Narc (2002), John Q (2002), Identity (2003), Observe and Report (2009), Youth in Revolt (2009), The Details (2011), Killing THem Softly (2012), The Place Beyond the Pines (2012), Shades of Blue (2016-18), The Simpsons (2018, TV-series), Marriage Story (2019), The Many Saints of Newark (2021), Black Bird (2022, TV-series) and many more. Liotta passed away at age 67 in his sleep while on production in the Dominican Republic. R.I.P.

Philip Baker Hall has died

Born in Ohio, Hall didn't start acting until he was 30. His long list of credits include Zabriskie Point (1970), Miami Vice (1987, TV-series), Midnight Run (1988), Ghostbusters II (1989), Cheers (1993, TV-series), Hard Eight (1996), The Rock (1996), Air Force One (1997), Boogie Nights (1997), Seinfeld (1991-98), Rush Hour (1998), The Insider (1999), Magnolia (1999), The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), Bruce Almighty (2003), Dogville (2003), The Zodiac (2005), Zodiac (2007), Curb Your Enthusiasm (2004-09), Mr. Popper's Penguins (2011), Modern Family (2011-12) and many more. Hall passed away at age 90. R.I.P.

William Hurt has passed away

Born in Washington D.C., Hurt's first film role was the lead in Altered States (1980). Later credits include Body Heat (1981), The Big Chill (1983), Gorky Park (1983), Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985), for which he earned his only Oscar as Best Actor; Chilrdren of a Lesser God (1986), for which he was also Oscar-nominated; Broadcast News (1987), for which he was again Oscar-nominated; Smoke (1995), A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001), A History of Violence (2005), for which he was again Oscar-nominated; The Good Shepherd (2006), Into the Wild (2007), Robin Hood (2010) and many more. Hurt passed away at age 71. R.I.P.

Ivan Reitman has passed away

Born in Chechoslovakia, now Slovakia, Reitman's family fled the Soviet regime to Austria, then Toronto, when he was 4 years old. Reitman broke into movies as a director with Foxy Lady (1971). Later credits include Cannibal Girls (1973), Meatballs (1979), Stripes (1981), Ghostbusters (1984), Twins (1988), Ghostbusters II (1989), Kindergarten Cop (1990), Junior (1994), Father's Day (1997), Evolution (1998), No Strings Attached (2011), Draft Day (2014) and more. Reitman's son Jason Reitman is also a great filmmaker. Reitman passed away at age 75. R.I.P.

Film Excess - Free Ukraine - Stop Putin - End the war NOW!!

Eagerly anticipating this week ... (6-24)

12/21/2019

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker/Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019) - A solid saga ending

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