Star Wars Episode 9 (2019) The Downfall of Logical Storytelling

George Lucas is a genius. Before the release of the first Star Wars in 1977 he had a cohesive vision for his entire 6 film saga. When Disney announced that their sequel trilogy would be made without the help of George Lucas in 2013, I had my reservations. The Rise of Skywalker failed to change my mind.

Toward the beginning of the film our heros Rey, Poe, and Finn, head to the planet Passana in their quest to find the location of a secret Sith homeland, Exegol. In their pursuit they are opposed by stormtroopers. After a few explosions, our heroes find themselves sinking in quicksand. At this moment our heroes begin preparing for their inevitable doom. Among those actions, Finn utters the line “Rey, I need to tell you something.” Finn never finishes this sentence. Poe does mention the line later in the film but we never find out what he actually says. Typically a director will insert an open ended statement at the beginning of a film to tease a new plot line at the end, such is the case with Christopher Nolan’s thought provoking ending in Inception (2010). Ultimately, this line ends up being a throwaway. Hell! I could resolve this plot point better than the creators:

POST CREDIT SEQUENCE

FADE IN:

EXT. TATOOINE- LUKE’S MOISTURE FARM

Rey walks up to that same rock that Luke Skywalker once stood in A New Hope. She looks up at the the iconic binary sunset of Tatooine. A familiar John William’s score plays in the background. Taken away she loses herself and becomes one with the force. She feels a presence. She turns around. We see Finn standing there. The two share a brief smile. Close up on Rey.

CUT TO BLACK

This ending is mysterious , thought provoking, and ties up loose ends. Fans shouldn’t have to take to Twitter to ask the cast and crew what Finn was going to say. Based on everything the two has been through, fans have speculated that Finn was poised to become either Rey’s romantic partner or padawan learner. Missed potential makes the movie as a whole less compelling. We want to see characters finish their arcs; arcs that address their respective setups in the previous films.

The character of Rose was first introduced in Episode 8 and she was completely shafted in this film. She started her journey as a security guard and ended by confessing her love for Finn. I assumed that we’d see them define their relationship in Episode 9, but instead she was barely in it. Ultimately, Rose’s arc was scrapped because fans complained about her. The final film in a trilogy should tie up loose ends no matter the circumstances. When a director concedes to anyone (in this case the fans), it is no longer his/her vision and the film fails to achieve high artistic status.

Star Wars is a series that was created out of passion and artistry. It is slowly becoming an average American commodity. Charlie Chaplin was infamous for going over budget and schedule to achieve his creative vision. George Lucas followed in Chaplin’s footsteps and because of it, he created a timeless classic. Rise of Skywalker sacrifices individuality for fan service. It focuses more on cheap thrills and less on completing character arcs.

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