RISE OF SKYWALKER: KMOX's "night owls" weigh in on the new Star Wars flick

ST. LOUIS (KMOX) – Recently in a movie theatre not far away, KMOX’s Tom Franklix and Ben "Stitch" James visited a Galaxy Far, Far Away for the conclusion of the last trilogy in the Star Wars Saga.  What follows below is how the duo felt about the latest film and how it intersects with the rest of the universe.  It goes without saying but there may be spoilers ahead.

1. Alright gentlemen, what are your first impressions?

Stitch – Star Wars fans, we have our Endgame.

Tom – Visually striking and executed fine, but pacing and over-stuffing drag it down a little for me.

2. After seeing all nine films of the Star Wars franchise, what is your take away from this one?

Stitch - I want more.  No, seriously. I feel this film wraps up the third trilogy perfectly, and closes out the Skywalker saga nicely.  J.J. Abrams is a masterful storyteller and he took us there when needed.

Tom – This trilogy lack subtleness.  Not that the other two trilogies were deep psychological thrillers or anything, but Rise of the Skywalker gives me too much déjà vu, as if I have seen this before.

Stitch – I totally get what you are saying with that.  It seems like we’ve seen this story before in the original trilogy and because of that, these 3 films blend together more easily without much difference between them.

3. Many are looking forward to seeing how the diverse cast of characters will be utilized in this film.  In particular, Finn, Poe, and Rose?

Tom – I feel like Finn finally got an actual purpose other than bumbling sidekick!  Poe was given some much-needed character development. As far as Rose...it felt like she got shoved in a corner to make way for other extra characters...some old, some new.

Stitch – I’m with Tom on this one.  I know that Finn previously filled the comedic role to bring a lightheartedness to the series; I’m glad to see him take a more dramatic turn in this film.  I really didn’t give Poe a ton of thought as to him being much different. Although I did have a sense of déjà vu to my personal life when he asked “How do I know what to do?”  I almost forgot about Rose and her impact of the last film because it appears, she was all but written out in this one.   

4. With J.J. Abrams at the helm of this film, how do you think he did?

Tom – This movie felt like JJ was cleaning up Rian Johnson’s mess in the first half of this film. That said, I thought this was better executed than Last Jedi. Even though the story lacks nuance, the presentation is better.

Stitch – I knew there was a reason I liked how visually stunning this film is.  JJ is great at the visual aesthetic and cues that give you a sense of what is happening even if you miss a line of dialogue or two.

5. In the last film we saw this arc of Kylo trying to team up with Rey and bring her to the Dark Side, did that play out as you expected in Rise?

Tom – In a movie about copying the past, they literally gave Kylo Ren the Darth Vader arc. He gets turned to the good side and sacrifices himself for the good guy/gal that he has deep feelings for. I liked it, as well as the Rey/Kylo dynamic in general, but I saw no problem in letting him live. Instead, they kill him off and that left me a bit bitter.

Stitch – I expected there to be a twist, but what actually happens might disappoint fans who wanted a sad ending.  As far as the arc between them? Yes, it played out in a way that many would predict despite the plot point that was surprising and sort of came out of left field for many.

6. What if anything was a surprise to you in this film?

Tom – I had not strongly considered that Rey could be a Palpatine. My initial hunch was that she was a Kenobi, as it seemed more plausible that Obi-Wan could have had kids on Tattooine than Senator/Emperor Palpatine having a son, which was NEVER implied anywhere until this movie. That said, the fact that Rey IS a Palpatine added a new dynamic to how I viewed her character in the third act that I liked...while also blowing my mind that, when you put all nine movies together, this is a Palpatine story arc, not a Skywalker arc!

Stitch – Gosh, that’s a tough one.  I would have to say how they handled the passing of Carrie Fisher.  I was tearing up during that part.

7. Overall, how would you sum up your final thoughts on this film?

Tom – Well worth your time and, while not perfect nor particularly “deep”, it’s emotional and thrilling at the same time. I don't think it's as bad as other reviewers make it out to be...you can still enjoy it despite its flaws.

Stitch – This film is definitely going to need a couple rewatches to process everything in it and I am hoping that it can change my mind that there was weak writing for this film despite the blow-you-away visuals.