This installment, and the sequel trilogy in general, have cemented in my mind that Star Trek definitely beats out Star Wars now overall.
Rise of Skywalker just continues to throw away the rules, and with it the things that make great science fiction. SciFi != Fantasy. SciFi != Action. But somehow, studios don't get that anymore, or more likely just don't care.
Science Fiction picks a set of rules that govern the technology in the universe. Technology can then progress _in feasible ways_ from that point. These rules provide limits so that when the characters are faced with challenges, they have to develop, they have to struggle, they have to problem solve in order to succeed, and therein lies good storytelling. It is a dying art because studios have realized that they don't have to follow any of these rules to make boatloads of cash. Who is to blame? The audiences or the studios? I am sure the blame is shared. The result is cookie cutter formulas being applied to respected franchises of the past where the rules used to be followed and the result was something more thought provoking, and ultimately more satisfying. But now, all we have is fast food cinema. And it has officially happened to Star Wars.
The sequel trilogy is where this has proven out, and Rise of Skywalker put the nail in the coffin of good SciFi for the main storyline. Without specific spoilers, I'll elaborate:
- The Force has become magic, rather than science. Midichlorians were an attempt to make the Force part of the science. This trilogy never (or barely) mentions them, and the science aspect is gone. Force Lightning going far, far beyond its previous abilities, telekinesis going far beyond its previous abilities. Unexplained additional "features" are added to the force like the Rey / Kylo physical/teleportation bond. Self-resurrection. Healing others. The result is that it completely waters down the movies that come before, and makes all characters leading up to the final character set weak and inconsequential. It is now yet another plot device to deliver the formulaic fantasy/action roller coaster ride.
- The technology has become magic, rather than science. In just a few generations, the bad guys in particular have eclipsed by leaps and bounds the technology that existed just a few years before. Hyperspace rules? We go from careful calculations before entering hyperspace to "light speed skipping" in and out of atmospheres - all within Leia's lifetime. And tie fighters can follow through lightspeed without a hitch. In ep 8, tracking through lightspeed was a special new tech, now tie fighters can fly anywhere AND have this latest tech, miniaturized and universally available in almost no time. Why? Because it makes the roller coaster ride more intense. Weapons technology grew exponentially. Where in the original trilogy an entire movie would center on destroying the "big gun", by the time we get to episode IX, "big guns" are a dime a dozen, and exist everywhere you turn. Science has rules, even in sci-fi. It takes _time_ to invent new technology. In these movies, it just starts appearing all over the place.
- Productivity and manufacturing itself has now become magic. How does an immense fleet of planet killing spacecraft just "appear", fully manned (or automated) and ready to subdue the entire galaxy?
- The main character has become magic. Rey is now as "Mary Sue" (perfect character with no flaws) as they come. Her internal conflict doesn't come from her weaknesses, it only comes from being taunted and lonely. She has no real character flaws. She kicks the crap out of all those patriarchal, women oppressing snobs from the previous movies (Kathleen Kennedy you inserted your political agenda swimmingly into this series! So much for being long long ago in a galaxy far far away - you can't escape today's politics ANYWHERE). New skills? No training needed. New skills show up and amaze even Rey herself on a regular basis. Pathetic Jedi - they had to go through years of training! But since Rey has no character flaws who needs to go through all that discipline and humility anyway? She doesn't even finish the one training exercise they show her starting but still goes on to... no guessing here - dominate!
This last movie is the icing on the cake to prove that the formula _will_ be followed. Bigger, better, faster roller coaster. More intense ride. Every plot point, every aspect of the universe, they are now just knobs to turn to that end.
I can forgive Marvel Universe movies. You know they are going to do this going in. Fast and Furious? They started one-upping themselves with the first sequel. These franchises said from the get-go they would play fast and loose, that they were thrill rides, and they weren't going to play by the rules.
But after countless stories in both movies and print building a rich, detailed Star Wars universe that has rules, rules that ground the fans and connect them, force the writers to _work_ at new stories, to focus on the human struggle, to problem solve and battle on reasonable terms - the sequel trilogy comes in, stomping and loud, and breaks all the rules in an insulting and arrogant romp that culminates in not much more than making everything that came before it look small and weak. With it goes the nuance, the struggle - and the elaborate, character focused storytelling.
And with it goes my respect of the franchise. There's enough good Star Wars out there, already made, that I can enjoy the content respects the canon, and never have to revisit this movie, or Ep 7 and 8, again.
If you're looking for more Star Wars, don't look to these movies. Just go watch Ep 1-6, Rogue One, and Solo. At least then you won't be hit with a disillusionment you can't take back. Instead, if you want another formulaic romp, just go watch Transformers again, or a Marvel movie, one of the plethora of films that will come out this year using the same formulaic approach. You can get your roller coaster ride adrenaline fix without insulting the affection you had for Star Wars you knew and loved.
Star Trek isn't perfect, but even with the reboot it never went this far off the rails. In my book, it wins as the more satisfying and self-consistent franchise.
One last thing - these movies were entertaining, intense romps in their own right (apart from the universe they came from and desecrated). Good music, lots of the stuff you expect from shallow action-oriented special effects-fests. Tangy one-liners, lots of "cool" one-off scenes like light-saber vs. Spaceship, and colorful and flashy special effects. If you love those things and aren't dedicated fans of Star Wars of yesteryear - then watch the movie, indeed watch all of eps 7-9, you might just like them.
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