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Imagine for a moment, if you will, Peter Jackson being given the momentous task of not only directing "Return of the King," but also writing it so that the Lord of the Rings faithful would all be satisfied. Such was the task placed squarely on the shoulders of action franchise wunderkind JJ Abrams. Stepping in for Colin Trevorrow (one of six writers), Abrams anchors the ninth and presumably final installment of the iconic, 42 year old universe that has endeared literally generations of movie-going fans. On a combined budget of $1.3 billion, and a collective gross of $9.3 billion and counting (12 films total), the universe has revolutionized how Hollywood looks at extended universes (Marvel - I'm looking at you).
The film begins with Kylo Ren, the new Supreme Leader of the First Order, using a mysterious Sith wayfinder to discover that the Emperor isn't dead at all. In fact, he lives on the hidden planet of Exicle, and he's building an unstoppable army. He offers Kylo the throne with one small quid pro quo; Kill the girl. Of course he means our newly anointed heroine, Rey. The gang gets into shenanigans, they search for a wayfinder of their own that they can use to attack the Sith Lord, and Rey discovers the truth about her origin story. Along the way we make some new friends, get glimpses of creatures and characters from over the years, and get one last stand with some twists and turns.
The ending was somewhat unexpected, and despite loud objections by members of the audience who took to shouting at the screen (they must have been disappointed), the last chapter has now been written and the Skywalker saga has been closed. Is this the last we'll see of our friends? Probably not. $10,000,000,000 says there is more story to be told. In fact, Disney+ is seeing success with "The Mandalorian" and Ewan McGregor just announced that he is reprising his Obi-Wan Kenobi role in a new series coming in 2021. Rian Johnson is rumored to be working on a separate trilogy of his own, and George Lucas still has his fingers in the pie even after exiting with the $4 billion he received for the rights to his baby. Half of it was Disney stock, valued at $46 a share. Today, the stock is worth $130 a share, so his $2 billion is worth approximately $5.7 billion now. Not a bad haul for a crazy idea about an ancient space magic and the battle of good versus evil.
Abrams, who successfully revived the franchise with 2015's "The Force Awakens" introduced us to the new generation of heroes and villains to mixed reviews. The complaints numerous, it was unavoidable and predestined to be criticized endlessly due to the fanaticism of the core followers. I personally liked it after the prequels were special effects overkill.
Fast forward to Christmas of 2019. Forty-two years of story-telling has built to one epic finale. Imagine the pressure on the team of writers. Deliver a satisfying conclusion to a cherished childhood experience for millions, or forever face the scorn of audiences. It's a true Kobayashi Maru (Star Trek reference).
The reason I mention this is that as a film critic, there are sometimes that emotions cloud judgment when watching a movie. Often it enhances the experience and ends in a positive review, but sometimes I find myself walking into the theatre with expectations so unrealistic that no matter how strong the story, direction, acting, special effects, or execution are, there is something missing. I admit, I have grown apart from my love of Star Wars. As a seven year old, watching Return of the Jedi, I wanted to be Han Solo (most of my friends wanted to be Luke). But now, I am more of an observer, and try as I might, I have simply outgrown the unabashed love of the franchise.
That said, Episode IX (that's 9 for the young ones who don't know Roman numerals or cursive or spelling), upon some reflection, was better than I was expecting. It was a truly satisfying conclusion with callbacks to elements of all eight previous films. The somber, existential tone of "The Last Jedi" gives way to a much more popcorn-friendly, explosion and special-effects driven vehicle that doesn't slow down too much to lose the audience interest. Most questions are answered and aside from an eye-rolling "Avengers: Endgame" ploy, it followed the spirit of the franchise from start to finish.
Take it with a grain of cheese and don't overthink your expectations. Enjoy the ride, remember why you loved Star Wars in the first place, and know that this isn't truly the end of the line, because as we know about Jedi, nobody is really ever gone. 8/10.
