the rise of skywalker

[sportivetricks]

Well, that was fun! It's no secret that I'm not very, ah.. emotionally invested in Star Wars, lol. So this post will be short.

I ended up marathoning TFA and TLJ over the past two days, and I thought TROS was a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy and the franchise as a whole. In fact, blasphemous as it might be, I think this might be my favorite of the three trilogies, despite having grown up with the original as a kid in the 80s.

I watch movies and shows for the villains, and as villains go — and as Star Wars villains go, in particular — I thought Kylo Ren was surprisingly complex and sympathetic. I know he's an extremely polarizing character, but he was inarguably a dynamic character, and I enjoyed watching his journey.

I do wish Rey had been a more morally complex and dynamic character, but this is Star Wars, not Star Noir, so I'll take it for what it is.

Finn was an unexpected delight. I'd seen plenty of pics and gifs of John Boyega, but whoa, seeing him in action is a whole nother thing. And on a random side note, I have come away from the trilogy with a most desperate need to see Poe dommed out of his mind by any female character in the trilogy (although Laura Dern's character would be my first choice). Actually, I kind of ship everyone? Good news, there is a plethora of fic at my disposal!

Overall, the search for identity felt particularly relevant to our cultural moment, and I enjoyed the way Rey and Kylo represented two contrasting versions of that quest, and the way both of their arcs led us to the same place: ultimately, the choice is ours. It's not about finding yourself, it's about creating yourself.