Top Five The Rise of Skywalker moments
Well, aren't we glad this film was universally well received and didn't divide the fanbase even more than before...I say in my most sarcastic tone. Yes, The Rise of Skywalker was certainly a polarizing film like The Last Jedi, and while I still stand in my criticism of the film, I have to admit, after watching the film a second time recently, I appreciated and liked the film more. That doesn't mean all is forgiven, because I will never be a fan of bringing Palpatine back and making Rey his granddaughter. However, there are still a lot of moments and sequences in the film I liked or loved, and so, to wrap up my series, here are my personal, subjective, top five favorite moments and/or sequences from the film.
5) The Pasaana chase
The chase on Pasaana, as well as the interactions between the characters before and afterwards, I thought was fun and exciting. The like the trio and dynamic between Finn, Rey, and Poe, and the actual sequence itself is full of tension and fun moments, and, after watching the behind-the-scenes of the making of the film, appreciate just how far the cast and crew went to pull off this scene well.
4) The Battle of Exegol
It wasn't the giant, end all to end all battle that I wanted to see, but I had a lot of fun watching the final battle of the film, the Battle of Exegol. Highlights of the battle, for me, include Finn leading the charge on the star destroyer, Palpatine unleashing his 'ultimate power,' and of course, the giant Galaxy Fleet showing up to save the day, with Lando and Chewie leading the charge, as well as a well-deserved cameo by Wedge Antilles.
3) Luke's final appearance
Many fans were upset with Luke's character, as well as his death, in The Last Jedi, and while he obviously can't come back from the dead, unlike a certain Sheev, his sequence in the film with Rey as a force ghost was perfect to me. He is wise, calm, and ironically, full of life and hope, and his message to Rey was his final passing of the torch to her. Of course, the scene was capped off with him giving Leia's lightsaber to Rey, including a flashback to Leia's Jedi training, but also him finally lifting his X-wing from the water, accompanied by Yoda's theme. It still gives me chills watching it a second time.
2. Kylo's vision of Han
I will be honest, this was the scene in the film that surprised me the most, but in a great way. After The Force Awakens, I never expected Harrison Ford to return to Star Wars, but I'm sure glad he did. This scene was essentially a vision in Ben's mind after Leia reached out to him in the force and passed away, with Han representing the conflict inside of him, and, with them cleverly using most of the lines they used in The Force Awakens, allows Ben to drop his Kylo Ren persona, and fully embrace the light again as Ben. Plus, it's always a plus for Han to say "I know" again.
As always, here are some honorable mentions before my number one pick:
-- The opening chase with the Falcon jumping through lightspeed
-- The Rey and Kylo fight on Kijimi
-- Leia's final scene and Jedi training flashback
-- The Resistance's final march and preparation
-- John Williams' cameo
-- The final fight/sequence between Jedi and Sith
-- The ending on Tatooine (Yes, I like Rey Skywalker and I'm not afraid to admit that)
1) Rey and Kylo's final fight
I practically loved everything about this scene. Yes, the fighting is not as flashy as the fights in the prequels, or even during their first fight on Starkiller Base.
However, two things. One, I still fought the fighting was cool and had a great backdrop and atmosphere. Two, this fight, to me, was a callback to the emotional stakes of the original trilogy fights, as this fight was more than just a fight, it was a culmination of the anger, but also the connection made between Kylo and Rey, as well as the personal drama each of them were facing within themselves. That, to me, was what made this duel compelling to me. Plus, after the fight, we get the Han scene where Ben is redeemed, and Rey heads to Ach-to, and later accepts who she is as a Jedi later on. Therefore, not only was this scene compelling to me, it was also vital to the overall story and direction of the two characters.
