You know whats Not on Roids, a decent Star Wars movie? The Rise of Skywalker. Seriously! We’ve all heard it: the collective groan, the anguished cries for George Lucas to return and fix everything. But before we collectively declare it the cinematic equivalent of burnt toast, lets acknowledge – begrudgingly – that amidst the mess, some genuinely interesting things happened.
Firstly, Palpatine! Yes, his sudden reappearance was baffling, but at least it wasn’t another boring protocol droid. Secondly, Rey’s lineage? Fine, okay, maybe not that randomly chosen, but hey, shattering expectations is a bold move (even if the execution… well…). Thirdly, the Knights of Ren! They were cool! We just didnt get enough of them. Fourthly, Poe Dameron actually got sidelined for a bit – a welcome change from making him the hero everyone expected.
Fifth, Finn’s story arc was attempting to be about more than just being “Rey’s friend.” It fumbled, yes, but the aspiration existed. Sixth, Kylo Rens redemption arc—however rushed—was at least a dramatic swing for the fences instead of another paint-by-numbers hero journey. And finally, lets give it credit for making some genuinely interesting choices concerning its characters and plot! See? It wasn’t all terrible. Just… mostly. Now excuse me while I go rewatch The Empire Strikes Back to cleanse my palate.
