Review: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

My wife and I have a Christmas tradition, which is we go see a new Star Wars movie together on the years one is released. We wait a week or so to avoid the craziness that comes with a new entry in the franchise, and have yet to be disappointed. That's right, we liked Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker!

I admit, I was a little leery about this one, as critics and fans have been less than enthusiastic. And the film does get off to a bumpy start, with a shaky first act and far too much exposition early on. Then things settle into the story, and the fun begins.

Sure, a lot of the humour doesn't work, and for a good chunk of the running time The Rise of Skywalker plays like any other decent Hollywood blockbuster. It's got the action, the spectacle and it's entertaining. That's all great, but it didn't feel like Star Wars.

Then something happens toward the end of the second act... something I didn't expect... and The Rise of Skywalker became a Star Wars movie again. I was caught off guard, and I was hooked. From that point on, J.J. Abrams and company had me, and the flick rocketed toward a satisfying conclusion -- not just for this movie, but for the Skywalker saga as a whole.

I don't know what the detractors were expecting, but I really enjoyed The Rise of Skywalker, and approve of how things ended up. I think people think too much about Star Wars, and what they want from a Star Wars movie. I've loved this franchise since the beginning, and I still do. But it's just a series of movies, nothing more, nothing less. And as good, and even great, as most of them are, they're just movies.

The Rise of Skywalker is a great end to one of my favourite stories, and it pays its respects to the entries that came before it. I'm giving it a Good, and look forward to watching it again.

Comments

Justin Cider welcomes a Homewrecker to the Fanily

COVID-19 has impacted pretty much everything and, although some industries have slowly been able to get rolling again, sport is one that remains in limbo. This holds true for the world of Thrash Wrestling, which we in The Basement are a proud sponsor of. But the men and woman of Thrash Wrestling continue to challenge each other, and entertain fans, in a creative way. Which is why Jason and Shawn welcome Thrash Wrestler Justin Cider into the ring... err, Basement, when From The Basements takes over the Radio NL 610 AM airwaves at 6:05 tonight! Cider will update listeners on how Thrash Wrestling continues with social distancing in place. And he'll shed some light on the future of the sport, how people can support his Fanily, and more! And stick with us, as Justin joins The Basement Boys for a review of the new horror/comedy Homewrecker starring Alex Essoe and Precious Chong. Does this female-focused comedic thriller deliver the goods? Tune in after the 6 o'clock news ...

Top 5 quotes from the Rambo franchise

It's Rambo Day, which means it's a day we celebrate all things Rambo. And no, we didn't make that up. It's a real thing, and part of the lead in to Rambo: Last Blood coming out on Friday. We were going to celebrate by doing a Top 5 favourite Rambo kills, but the fine folks at Arrow in the Head already did something like that, so I figured why not share our favourite Rambo quotes. I like quotes. Quotes are good. Anyway, here we go with our Top 5, in no particular order: 5) "They drew first blood." - John Rambo, First Blood (1982) Because it's always cool when the hero references the title of the movie in a quote. 4) "Live for nothing, or die for something. Your call." - John Rambo, Rambo (2008) Because it's 100-per-cent truth, and is the exclamation mark on a great monologue by Stallone. 3) "I could have killed 'em all. I could kill you. In town, you're the law. Out here, it's me. Don't push it, or I'l...

Grace Victoria Patterson returns

What's this? Two podcasts From The Basement in less than nine months? Has the world gone mad!?! No, but when past Basement guest Grace Victoria Patterson asked nicely if she could return to this fine podcast, Jason and Shawn -- agreeable sorts that they are -- said yes. Hence we have this new episode for your ear holes! Grace provides an update on her career, which has seen the cheerleader-turned-actress appear in no fewer than eight films plus a TV series, with more projects on the way. She and Jason talk all about this, plus some other stuff. What kind of stuff? Stick with us! And stay tuned, as The Basement Boys discuss a whole slew of movies and television, including the Netflix Jimmy Savile documentary, The Batman, the horror romp The Cellar and more! It's podcasting that's so awesome, you'll be awesomed out by its awesomeness! What are you waiting for? Push play and enjoy!

Search This Blog