Why Some People Hate Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Introduction to Why Some Audiences Disliked Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Plot and Pacing Issues

Many viewers felt that the film rushed through its narrative, attempting to wrap up multiple plotlines quickly. This led to a perception that character development and narrative depth were sacrificed for the sake of pacing. The film often felt like it was trying to cover too much ground in too little time, leaving some characters and storylines incomplete or superficially addressed.

Character Arcs

Some fans were dissatisfied with the conclusions of character arcs, particularly with Kylo Ren and Rey's lineage. The handling of these aspects was controversial, with many feeling that the choices did not align with the development seen in previous films. This inconsistency frustrated audiences who had grown to care for these characters and their stories.

Retconning

The film was criticized for retconning elements established in earlier Star Wars media. Retconning, which involves changing elements of a story to fit a new narrative, can often feel jarring and inconsistent for long-time fans who have invested in the established lore. This practice led to many viewers feeling a sense of betrayal and disappointment.

Fan Expectations

Given the long history and passionate fanbase of Star Wars, expectations were incredibly high. Many fans had theories and hopes for how the saga would conclude, and the film did not align with those expectations for a significant portion of the audience. This mismatch between fan predictions and the film's narrative choices was a major source of dissatisfaction.

Tone and Humor

Some viewers found the film's tone inconsistent, citing moments of humor that felt out of place in serious scenes. This tonal imbalance contributed to their overall dissatisfaction. The film seemed to struggle to maintain a cohesive and immersive atmosphere, especially during transitions between action sequences and quieter, more dramatic moments.

Visual Effects and Action

Though some praised the film's visuals and action sequences, others felt that these elements overshadowed character development and storytelling. The focus on grand visuals and action, while impressive, often came at the expense of character depth and narrative coherence.

Comparisons and Analysis

In previous discussions of the 2010 Green Lantern movie, I described it as a mediocre Hollywood film with a few standout moments that only received attention due to Ryan Reynolds' continuous criticism. The same can be said for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which is a standard subpar Hollywood movie that doesn't even reach the level of being merely mediocre.

The issues with Rise of Skywalker align closely with the typical problems seen in bad Hollywood movies:

Plot and Pacing: The production began without a solid script or coherent plot solely because they had the rights to the characters. Excessive Continuity: Too much time was wasted on expanding lore and maintaining continuity rather than focusing on storytelling. Visuals and Action: While impressive, the visuals and action sequences overshadowed character development and storytelling.

While it is possible to create a viable film using this approach (e.g., Borat II), the difference lies in the fact that Borat II was not attempting to be a grand event or the conclusion of a major series. It was a comedy with a different goal, and achieving that goal did not require the same level of narrative complexity.

Positive Aspects

However, both Green Lantern and Rise of Skywalker do possess their strengths. Green Lantern had great chemistry between Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively, along with commendable character development and thematic connections between the hero and villain. Similarly, Rise of Skywalker benefits from LucasArts' exceptional visual effects and well-shot individual scenes.

Flaws and Criticism

Despite these positives, both films also suffer from flaws. Green Lantern suffered from excessive and poorly executed visual effects, as well as approximately 20 minutes wasted on setting up another storyline. Rise of Skywalker, on the other hand, consistently undermined scenes that built tension, such as revealing Chewbacca's survival or C-3PO's return from the dead, and failed to deliver compelling character arcs, particularly with Finn aimlessly chasing after Rey.

Conclusion

These flaws are typical of standard Hollywood movies that fall short of greatness, a common occurrence in nearly every franchise except for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). I believe that Green Lantern is a superior film compared to Rise of Skywalker. However, neither movie deserves the level of criticism they receive. The most significant critique I can offer about Rise of Skywalker is that both its strengths and weaknesses fail to evoke much interest among audiences.