Wasted Opportunity

Rating: 4/10 (20 December 2019)

With the release of "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker", the iconic twin suns of Tatooine have set for a final time on the once amazing family saga set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.
(SPOILERS: I discuss what is NOT in the film as opposed to discussing what is in the film.)
This is a film that cleverly entertains a general audience and casual Star Wars fans, while at the same time insults George Lucas, the original living Star Wars actors, and hardcore Star Wars fans. It is this duality that makes "The Rise of Skywalker" fascinating.
To a general audience and casual Star Wars fans, including most professional film critics, this film will seem like an often benign, sometimes exciting and uneven entry in the fabled franchise with several recycled features from previous Star Wars films.
Only Mr. Lucas, the original Star Wars actors, and hardcore Star Wars fans will know they've been slapped in the face.
I will review the film as a casual Star Wars fan first, then as a hardcore fan.
From the perspective of a casual Star Wars fan, the "The Rise of Skywalker" by Executive Producer and current CEO of Lucasfilm, Ltd., Kathleen Kennedy, and writer/director J.J. Abrams is an entertaining sequel to Mr. Abrams's first Star Wars film "The Force Awakens". "The Rise of Skywalker" moves well and answers all of the lingering mysteries that Mr. Abrams introduced in his first Star Wars installment, including: (a) who are Rey's parents; (b) why is Rey so powerful with the Force; (c) what is the relationship between Kylo Ren/Ben Solo and Rey; and (d) what is the relationship between Finn and Rey.
If you are curious about what happened to "Star Wars: The Last Jedi", "The Rise of Skywalker" almost completely denies its predecessor's existence or effect, where possible. In fact, "The Rise of Skywalker" undos almost every choice "Last Jedi" writer/director Rian Johnson made and relegated to inconsequence all of the new characters Mr. Johnson introduced, including Rose. (It is no secret that Mr. Johnson wrecked "Star Wars" with lower than projected box officer returns, a Star Wars fan boycott of "Solo: A Star Wars Story", cancellation of years of Star Wars projects, and lower than projected theme-park attendance to "Galaxy's Edge". It is also no secret that Bob Iger, the CEO of Disney, almost fired Ms. Kennedy for allowing Mr. Johnson to ruin Star Wars so badly.)
From the general audience perspective, "The Rise of Skywalker" looks fine cinematically and is carried confidently by composer John Williams's iconic score and musical themes. General audiences and casual Star Wars fans will clap at the end.
From Mr. Lucas, the original Star Wars actors, and hardcore Star Wars fans' perspective, my guess is that "The Rise of Skywalker" was a waste of time and an insult.
Mr. Lucas was asked to rewrite parts of the films to fix the disaster that was Mr. Johnson's "Last Jedi" and to direct all of the scenes involving Mark Hamill's Luke Skywalker and every lightsaber duel to create an authentic Luke (not seen in "The Last Jedi") and authentic Jedi swordplay. It appears 95% of Mr. Lucas's efforts were cut by Ms. Kennedy and Mr. Abrams. Mr. Hamill was asked to get in shape, cut his hair, shave, and act in scenes that told the story of how Leia became a Jedi and how Ben Solo became Kylo Ren. It appears 95% of Mr. Hamill's scenes were cut. Hayden Christensen was lured back to reprise his role as Anakin Skywalker in several important parts of the film. It appears that 100% of Mr. Christensen's scenes were cut with the exception of one voice over sequence that was buried in the middle of other voices. Leaving almost all of Mr. Lucas's, Mr. Hamill's, and Mr. Christensen's scenes on the cutting room floor is an insult to Mr. Lucas's generosity to fix the Johnson disaster, an insult to Mr. Hamill and Mr. Christensen's importance as legacy Star Wars characters and a snub to hardcore fans who knew of these scenes existence.
From a hardcore fan's perspective, "The Rise of Skywalker" is a missed opportunity.
Personally, as a hardcore fan, I will pay to see this cut of "The Rise of Skywalker" one more time and never again. Hardcore Star Wars fans will likely not go to more than one showing and try to forget Ms. Kennedy, Mr. Abrams and Mr. Johnson's Star Wars films, chalking it up to the old phase - you really never can go home again.
If Mr. Lucas is ever allowed to release a creator's cut of the film, I will be there.