Not since Ford versus Chevy in the 60s, and Coke versus Pepsi forever has their been such a cultural divide. It is as if the Earth has shifted on its axis, leaving a gaping chasm. It’s “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” and an apparent lack of greatness! At least that’s the word from folks who reside on one side of the divide. But, legions see every millisecond of its 142 minute running time, and gush over its awesomeness! As we at Gildshire watched the two sides of the question square off, we realized we had to find out more. Does this film deserve venom? If, so why, and if not, why is there so much against it?
Two Sides of the Question
How can one movie be both “A franchise that has defined my life, and this {film} did it justice in a way I didn’t imagine it could.” (That from JB on Twitter) and “A bot would be able to pull off a more surprising movie.” (That from film reviewer Stephanie Zacharek.) Tweeter C puts it this way:
“My feelings on the new Star Wars movie are about as conflicted and messy as the movie itself. I hated half of it, loved the other half, and, while so many things about it suck, I think overall I like it? I don’t know.”
Have you ever heard such unsure angst in your life? It sounds like someone who had a less-than-satisfying first-time at…well, almost anything from driving a stick shift to lovemaking.
Does this movie deserve venom? Praise? A little of both? The angst is almost palpable.
For further clarification on the subject, Gildshire went to our own circle of social media friends and acquaintances. Maybe that will provide some answers amongst those who are pre-dispositioned to like movies. What did they have to say?
Real People Have This to Say
Guy Sturgis: “Not Rotten at all. I found it concise and without a single dull moment. It seemed to wrap up everything in the story. People have been spoiled by not getting an ending which begs for a sequel.”
Gary Chambers: “I’ll hit you with a few screenshots below that will best illustrate my point. I think I know where Disney is going, and they’re laughing while on the way.”
Mr. Sturgis makes a good point. There are those (and Gildshire knows a couple) who are sorry to see any good story come to an end. For them, it doesn’t matter whether it is a good book, a series of books, or epic movie series. Gildshire prefers a movie with a good beginning, a compelling middle, and a satisfactory ending. But that’s just us.
Mr. Chambers made a different point with the screenshots he included. They showed box office numbers for other films rated lower-than-average by Rotten Tomatoes, and all made hundreds of millions at the box office. Mr. Chambers’ hypothesis was that Disney probably wanted Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker to get good reviews, but that ticket receipts trump reviews all day.
And, he is right, as well. At the end of the day, the latest Star Wars movie will make a billion dollars worldwide. Whether it ever achieves the kind of adulation film-o-philes render unto Citizen Kane gets washed away under a flood of dollar bills that can reach to the moon.
Our Bottom Line
Probably, the takeaway from all of this is something else entirely. People care deeply about this series of movies. If it ends satisfactorily, let the hats in the theater fly high! If not, consternation abundant! But “cares” is the point. George Lucas created a series that caused people to care. For that, he deserves a standing ovation, whether you were crazy about #9 or not.
Does this film deserve venom? No, but the fact that it receives it says so much about the series and its cultural impact. Well done, Mr. Lucas.
