WILL MARTIN STAR WARS REVISITED SERIES

In fact, Palpatine is alive and well, and he has been manipulating the characters in secret for the past two films, a narrative cheat which is almost as irritating as it was in Spectre when it turned out that Blofeld has been responsible for everything that happened to Daniel Craig’s James Bond. Speaking of which, Abrams brings back Billy Dee Williams, as roguishly charming as ever as the roguish Lando Calrissian, and he brings back Ian McDiarmid’s Palpatine, the evil Emperor who was killed by Darth Vader – or so it seemed – at the end of Return of the Jedi. Much like 2020’s other blockbuster grand finale, Avengers: Endgame, this one isn’t about engaging with casual viewers, it’s about inviting devotees to whoop at every catchphrase every reprise of one of John Williams’ classic melodies every reappearance of a much-loved character. The Rise of Skywalker, however, marks The Return of JJ Abrams, who directed The Force Awakens, and Abrams is dead set on giving the fans everything they want and expect. It attempted something new and challenging – and fans have been complaining about it on the internet ever since. It’s an encore as awkwardly unnecessary as when you bid a tearful farewell to a friend, and then you bump into them and have to say goodbye all over again.Īnother factor is that the previous episode, Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi, wittily subverted and commented on the story so far. All The Rise of Skywalker does is wrap up everything a second time, answering the same questions and revisiting the same themes. The trouble with that is that The Return of the Jedi was a perfectly satisfying conclusion to the Star Wars saga, wrapping up everything that needed to be wrapped up. Just as the first two episodes in the third Star Wars trilogy were retreads of the first two episodes of the original trilogy from the 1970s and 80s, this final episode is a retread of 1983’s The Return of The Jedi. But you would be forgiven for being tired of the whole palaver well before it finishes. It’s actually a fast-moving, action-packed, swashbuckling swords 'n' sorcery space opera with typically high standards of production design and visual effects, and a pleasing blend of gloom and humour. “Will this agony never end,” bleats C-3PO in Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, and you can see where he is coming from. This is tragic Star Wars, and very powerful.Warning: contains spoilers about the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. It’s a shocking moment, but his choice to save her by joining Masago is the ultimate gut-punch. Who saw this coming? Filled with rage and swinging his lightsaber with abandon, Tsubaki strikes a masked Misa down. It’s clear that her powers are not to be underestimated - something Tsubaki fails to grasp. It reveals much about how the princess views the world, and Tsubaki’s respect, if not love, for her.Īnother great Visions villain! Masago, the king’s secret Sith sister, is a towering, menacing presence, dwarfing even Tsubaki. In a brief but lovely scene, we’re treated to a quiet moment between Misa and Tsubaki from their younger years. It’s all funny, making their later exhibitions of caring all the more impactful. They trade barbs with Tsubaki, delight in their cowardice, and angle for more money. But things don’t go quite as we might expect a painful vision sends the warrior to his knees and, in the end, it’s the Jedi who needs rescuing - our first sign that this will not be the typical Jedi-as-hero story.Īs the group begins a dangerous journey back to the kingdom, guides Kamahachi and Senshuu, practically plucked from Akira Kurosawa’s The Hidden Fortress, add some much-needed levity to the proceedings. “Akakiri” throws us into the action, as a nameless Jedi arrives on a planet and quickly engages bandits in combat. Science SARU’s “Akakiri” takes influence from Star Wars itself and the Samurai films that inspired it, resulting in a chilling, cautionary tale worthy of its inspirations. But as Tsubaki experiences debilitating visions of violence, his sense of himself suffers, as does his ability to see clearly. In “Akakiri,” a Jedi named Tsubaki comes to the aid of Princess Misa, his lost love, as a Sith has seized power of her world. Spoiler warning: This article discusses story details from the Star Wars: Visions episode “ Akakiri.” Whether you love anime, Star Wars, or both, we’d be honored if you would join us. In Visions Revisited, picks the greatest moments from each short.

WILL MARTIN STAR WARS REVISITED SERIES

Star Wars: Visions is here! The anthology series is now streaming on Disney+, featuring original shorts from some of the world’s best anime studios.

Will martin star wars revisited