The 7 things I liked about Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker

Rating: 3/10 (28 December 2019)

I watched this film opening weekend without any preconceived notions, and I watched it a week later to determine if it was really as bad as I thought it was. I would express all of the problems I had with the movie, but that would take too long. Instead, let me tell you the seven parts of the movie that I did actually enjoy:
1. John Williams
As always, Williams executed the score masterfully. Even while the plot (or rather lack thereof) moves at breakneck speed, Williams' score found a way to adhere to character motifs and integrate musical themes that provided some semblance cohesion to an otherwise choppy film.
2. Costumes
There were little things throughout the film that the costume designers did that made me appreciate the work they did. I like that they added more splashes of red to the Final Order uniforms. I like that when Palpetine regenerated his clothes became a little bit fancier. I like that they made the Knights of Ren look like a deathcore band that I for sure wouldn't listen to. I'm not sure if these little things make up for the red power ranger, but it's a start.
3. Jet pack Troopers
The fetch-quest nature of this movie made it feel like a video game in a bad way, but the jet pack troopers made it feel like a video game in a good way! It was just cool to see this played out in live action, and not just in Battlefront.
4. Force Jumps
It felt like the only thing JJ Abrams could do to slow this movie down was put some of the action sequences in slow motion. And while it was a relatively unnecessary feature for the opening of the film, each time Rey did one of her mega-backflips the audience finally had a chance to breathe.
5. C3PO
Anthony Hopkins is a gem, and whoever wrote his lines really made him feel true to his original character. He was sassy and fearful, and only once did he turn directly into the camera to deliver an overdramatic soap-opera-esque line.
6. New Small Friends
I am of course talking about D-O and Babu Frick. These small little merchandising opportunities were utterly delightful. What's not to love about a one wheeled anxiety droid and the shady five-inch mechanic.
7. Jedi Leia
I know this was fan service, but it felt like it was the one bit of fan service that wasn't caused by e-boi cucks complaining on the internet. We knew she was force sensitive, but now we know she was for sure a legit Jedi. We saw her with a lightsaber and it was totally awesome! And I'm sure there's some comic or book that showcases it more, so maybe I just need to search for that because that's the content i really wanted.
Ultimately, I am a lifelong Star Wars fan, and this movie didn't change that. I wanted nothing more than to enjoy it, but despite my efforts there I could only find these seven things. I'm not saying that people shouldn't go see this movie, I just want to encourage lifelong fans like myself to view it through a more critical lens.