This storyline leads to revelations that continue to have reverberations throughout the Star Wars universe.įrom the investigation of the clone plant on Kamino comes the Clone Wars, the jumping point for the beloved animated series of the same name. Where Jedi have often been reduced to swordsmen who speak in wise riddles and can do magic tricks, Episode II immerses Obi-Wan Kenobi in a conspiracy plot, forcing him to use his wits instead of the force. More importantly, Dex advances the espionage plot that makes for the most interesting moments of Attack of the Clones.

Dex and his diner bring flavoring to the sometimes-esoteric Prequels, giving us something familiar but made lovably strange. But that type of thinking forgets how many beloved elements of Star Wars come from Lucas’ childhood obsessions, including the X-wing battles modeled on dogfights from films such as The Dam Busters and the familiar tropes about a small-town kid with big dreams. For some, the four-armed Besalisk represents a gross miscalculation, claiming that the diner he operates belongs in 1950s LA, not on Coruscant. We come not to bury Dexter Jettster, but to praise him. Rey’s duel with Kylo Ren is one of the most exciting clashes in the saga. This is a film without an identity or really any purpose except to reclaim a past that had already been reclaimed in four other Disney movies before it.Īll that said, the film deserves some kudos for its visuals - this may be the best looking Star Wars movie ever made - as well as the fight choreography. Somehow, Palpatine returned (in a Fortnite event) Rey is now the Emperor’s granddaughter there’s no new Death Star but there are planet-destroying Imperial Star Destroyers (and the ruins of the old Death Star) and basically everyone says or does a thing at some point in the movie that amounts to little but shallow fan service. This easter-egg-filled Return of the Jedi redux leans so heavily on nostalgia and recreating 1983 that it never manages to say anything original of its own. Abrams’ final love letter to George Lucas’ Original Trilogy of space fantasy films is exactly what some fans wanted after Rian Johnson tried to set the franchise on a new course with The Last Jedi.īut for the rest of us, the final chapter of the Skywalker Saga feels creatively bankrupt. It’s all a matter of what you want from the galaxy far, far away, and J.J. We’re not going to call The Rise of Skywalkerthe worst Star Wars movie ever made.

Palpatine professional pod racer