Part 1 of 43 Individual Scenes from ‘Rise of Skywalker’
Absolutely impeccable way to open this or any film. Straight in, no messing around, Big Sheev himself going full ham and chewing his way through the classic Lucas line “The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural” as Kylo Ren stalks his way through a set that might belong better in some forgotten Alien sequel, were it not for the giant jar of Snokes – an economy in storytelling that will be needed, given it’s the most in-depth explanation we ultimately get for this place and the horde of hooded underlings who run it.
Palpatine really lays out the entire plot here, which again is fantastic to be arriving at first thing. I couldn’t have asked for a better opening scene, and as well it even looks great: murky and uneasy with a proper jump scare as we see Palpatine’s face for the first time, before Kylo Ren swings his crossbar lightsaber up to strike the old man down. Alas he cannot, for Sheev’s whispered entreaties have snared his pride and (we think) he has truly become a second Vader, kneeling before the dark master.
What clicks at this point, and it’s something I think holds true through the rest of the film, is that this isn’t really a sequel to The Last Jedi. It’s not a film that continues that story in any way, shape or form. This is, firstly and solely, a sequel to the Palpatine Fortnite event. We aren’t expected to be surprised that Palpatine is back in action. We are expected to be surprised that he looks like a corpse as flashes of lightning (turn off that strobe, underling!) repeatedly highlight the deep lines in his rotten old face. The narrative is grown entirely out of the “message to the universe” of Palpatine’s return, and the question of (just to pick one) who or what Snoke was trying to do in those previous films isn’t getting any more attention from hereon in.
Palpatine throws up his hands and from the very earth a giant fleet bursts forth in a wildly out-of-scale take on the classic living dead moment. This is not a film that is made to make sense. We’re in the world of dreams and images, and Sheev’s blind cataract eyes glimmer as his offers Kylo Ren the force of his “Final Order”, a pun delivered with no ceremony at all. I only hope the film stays this good.
We’re going to need one hell of a Skywalker to sort this mess out.