Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1196490
8 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 29 DECEMBER 2019 FILM FILM IN a cinematic universe where richly mushrooming franchises and their countless remakes and reboots have become the norm, and where the increasing popu- larity of serialised entertain- ment is once again becoming a bona fide cultural touchstone, the idea of any popular film se- ries truly 'ending' has become about as rare a commodity as the precious supernatural ob- jects that animate most of their plots into action. Nevertheless, the good people at Disney and Lucasfilm – the latter gobbled up by the former some years back in what is argu- ably the most significant corpo- rate merger for this generation's entertainment industry – have decided to sell us on the idea that Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalk- er, or 'Episode Nine' of the space- pulp behemoth that George Lu- cas built back in 1977, will be the final installment in the 'official' series that have thrilled and dis- appointed various factions of fans in equal measure, and over a record span of time. As such, what we end up get- ting this time around, as The Force Awakens (2015) helmer J.J. Abrams returns to the fold after genre wunderkind Rian Johnson was allowed to introduce a lit- tle bit of iconoclastic anarchy in 'The Last Jedi' (2017), angering a sadly vocal and woefully mis- guided element of the 'fanbase', is a perfectly fine finish that is sadly bereft of any real surprises despite being packed with twists and revelations. Still, it hits the ground running with gusto, as Abrams, joined by veteran scribe Chris Ter- rio, is quick to remind us that for all its cultural longevity, its unforgettable characters and era-defining lines and tropes, the Star Wars universe remains a rambunctious space-pulp ad- venture whose target audience is your inner child (and your kids, of course). The trademark opening crawl for 'The Rise of Skywalker' cer- tainly does not shy away from this stylistic tendency, declaring with lurid aplomb that 'The dead speak!' Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDarmind) was apparently not killed for good by his Sith Lord apprentice Darth Vader/ Anakin Skywalker back in Re- turn of the Jedi (1983) - he was merely biding his time and us- ing Lord Snoke (Andy Serkis) as a puppet to train up Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) into being the lynchpin foot-soldier for the true rise of the Sith as well as, crucially, an unbeatable flotilla of super-powered Star Destroy- ers known as The Final Order. Should Palpatine prove success- ful, the ramshackle rebellion that hangs by a thin thread expertly held together by Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) will be snuffed out in one fell swoop. The Re- sistance's erstwhile champions – Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), Finn (John Boyega), Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) and the trusty droids R2-D2 (Hassan Taj/Lee Towersey) and C-3PO (An- thokny Daniels) – are willing to give it their all. But a big part of their effort hinges on Rey (Daisy Ridley), the budding Jedi still be- ing dangerously pulled into Kylo Ren's orbit. But Rey wastes no time in play- ing the victim here, which is one of the more satisfying strands in J.J. Abrams's final victory leap for the saga. Keeping that edge of hesitant brittleness that makes her character all the more hu- man, Abrams crucially takes some steps towards making her a more decisive fighter, giv- ing her one cool set piece after another but more importantly, some challenging home truths to bang her head against before she's forced to get back to the business of keeping the Resist- ance afloat. Or doing her bit for it all, at the very least, while her buddies see to the comparatively mundane duties of sneaking, shooting and sabotage as they set about weak- ening the Kylo Ren-managed First Order in whatever way they can. That's all well and good, and fully in line with the Star Wars mission statement as the plot sprints to the finish line in zippy Expert blockbuster wrangler J.J. Abrams f lies back to a galaxy far, far away to finish what he started with The Force Awakens, in a final chapter for the Stars Wars saga that's replete with fun but thin on genuine thrills Teodor Reljic The Rote Revenge of the Imperial Menace