Star Wars: 5 Ways Rise of Skywalker Is A Better Trilogy Closer Than Revenge of the Sith (& 5 Ways It's Worse)
With the dust having settled on the new Star Wars trilogy, it is time to look upon the final film, The Rise of Skywalker, through a more critical lens. While it is a fun adventure, let's see how it stacks up against Revenge of the Sith from 2005.
The following list will lay out five reasons why the recent release is a better way to close-out a trilogy than the prequels' final installment, and five reasons why George Lucas' last directorial effort in the franchise was a better conclusion. Both films have their weaknesses and strengths, though most would probably agree on The Rise of Skywalker being a stronger contender.
10 Better: Pacing
Say what you will about J.J. Abrams, but the man really knows how to craft a fun thrill ride. The Force Awakens moves along at a mile a minute, and the new film glides just as briskly to its conclusion. Revenge of the Sith, on the other hand, takes its sweet time building up the tension before the tragic end to the Jedi Order. The movie almost moves too fast for its own good, not letting the audience dwell on certain emotional beats. Still, it is better than pointlessly beating around the bush.
9 Worse: Introduction Of Palpatine
With the introduction of Palpatine in the movie's opening, the Sith lord was established as the main villain of the entire Skywalker saga. As cool as it is to see Ian McDiarmid back in his deliciously evil role, his entrance comes out of left field and isn't foreshadowed in the prior films one bit.
Kylo Ren is built up to finally be the antagonist without a master, and then he follows someone else's orders once again, just like in the last two entries.
8 Better: Aesthetic
The prequels were clean and shiny, perhaps done to reflect a sort of golden age for the galaxy. By the time the original trilogy rolls around, everything is old, used up, and grimy. The sequels followed the latter's example, where most of the technology appears secondhand and in need of cleaning. Because it conforms more to the original trilogy's look, it tickles viewers' nostalgia more than the prequels, leading to a more pleasant viewing experience. The original designs for the costumes and planets also deserve mention.
7 Worse: Ignores The Last Jedi
As one of the most polarizing films in the saga, The Last Jedi almost doesn't exist according to The Rise of Skywalker. As previously mentioned, Snoke is dead and Kylo is free from any master, but immediately starts following Palpatine's orders up until right before the final battle.
Additionally, several characters introduced in the eighth episode are missing entirely, like DJ played by Benicio del Toro. There's nothing wrong with films in a series feeling independent of each other, but The Last Jedi was building up to something wholly ignored by the finale.
6 Better: Performances
The prequels cast some fine talent. Despite this, the performances were mostly maligned due to the legendarily bad dialogue. This new series cast mostly relative newcomers to the industry, though they all proved their mettle throughout the three movies. Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac, and John Boyega all have bright cinematic futures ahead of them if they can keep the good roles coming. Returning stars like Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher cannot be forgotten, either. Ford basically stars in The Force Awakens and Hamill puts in one of the best performances of his career in The Last Jedi. Though their parts are significantly smaller in The Rise of Skywalker, they add so much to the sense of finality present.
5 Worse: Too Many Abrupt Twists And Plot Revelations
Because it ignores and changes so much of The Last Jedi, the conclusion forced itself to setup and resolve many plot points. Rey turns out to be a Palpatine, and said emperor comes back and dies in the same movie, and Kylo's special connection with Rey is revealed. Chewbacca also seemingly dies only to later come out alright within the span of five minutes. The twists are right at home on a J.J. Abrams television show like Lost or Alias, but are obnoxious in a two hour movie.
4 Better: Dialogue
The acting in Revenge of the Sith is bogged down terribly by the dialogue. George Lucas can tell a great story and has great ideas, but never had a knack for characters' lines. While The Rise of Skywalker hardly rivals Shakespeare, the conversations are more than serviceable.
They also take themselves less seriously and know when to have fun. Characters crack jokes at the right moments to bring some levity to the action, unlike Revenge of the Sith, which makes itself out to be a classically written tragedy.
3 Worse: Wastes Many Of Its Characters
The Rise of Skywalker is almost exclusively about Rey and her battle against the Sith. Finn and Poe are along for the ride, but they rarely have anything to do. When they are engaged in something, it is superficial and doesn't effect their character. Revenge of the Sith at least has all the characters going through their own arcs. Maybe they are not well executed, but at least they are there. When compared with the changes all the characters undergo in the seventh and eighth movie, this flaw becomes more apparent.
2 Better: Special Effects
If there's one thing naysayers cannot fault the new movies for, it is their look and effects. All the locations look stunning, and the dogfights feel as if the audience is sitting in the middle of the action. The dedication to using practical effects whenever possible lends a sense of weight to the environment. Revenge of the Sith, on the other hand, looks on par with a modern micro budget movie.
Episode III was cutting edge back in its day, and it is sad to see how poor many of the effects have aged. Time will only tell if The Rise of Skywalker suffers a similar fate.
1 Worse: Plays It Too Safe
The Rise of Skywalker plays it way too safe as a closer. Since it is the last episode, audiences expected loved ones to fall, heroes to turn evil, and twists that change the very fabric of Star Wars. Instead, mostly everybody lives and the villain turns to the light just in time to help Rey defeat Palpatine. It's too sappy, and is made even more so when one remembers all the people felled by Order 66 in Revenge of the Sith. Lucas' film ends tragically, with almost no hope left for the galaxy save for the knowledge that Luke Skywalker will grow up to help take down the evil Empire in the future.
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