Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker closed out the Skywalker Saga on a pretty mixed note, with audience members left mostly divided on the capper to the series. Many die-hard fans were pleased with the fates of the characters and the nods to different elements of the saga. Meanwhile, others were disappointed with the story choices, among other things. Well now, it seems one of the people who falls into the second category is Star Wars’ own Sam Witwer.
The Clone Wars star doesn’t fault any fan for enjoying the film but, for him, it didn’t line up with the mythology established by George Lucas. He also doesn’t seem to be too fond of the ending:
It's um... look, if you like it, awesome. It's not as meaningful to me because I can't really reconcile that mythology with George's. But that's just my opinion, you know? My personal take is I think a Star Wars where the moral of the story is 'throw down your weapon, don't hurt your family, love or fear.' I think that's superior than a Star Wars where you win by melting the bad guy's face off. That's just my thing... I don't know that you can do a better ending than Return of the Jedi.
Sam Witwer didn’t mince words during his Twitch livestream, and it’s safe to assume that many fans share his sentiments. Witwer, a longtime Star Wars fan, has never been hesitant to share his thoughts on a Star Wars project. When recently discussing The Last Jedi, he said director Rian Johnson didn’t do “his homework.” In the past, the actor also broke down what he believes Solo: A Star Wars Story is really about.
In terms of The Rise of Skywalker, there seem to be several points of contention when it comes to the audience response. One of these was the return of Palpatine, which many questioned. And when the Rise of Skywalker novelization finally explained the circumstances behind his revival, fans arguably became even more frustrated.
The movie’s final scene, which had Rey take on the Skywalker name, also created some controversy. Rae Carson, who wrote the film’s novelization, reasoned that Rey’s name change means the Skywalker legacy will continue to endure. As a result, the family would earn its ultimate victory since Rey, being a Palpatine, turned to the light.
Sam Witwer brings up some interesting points, especially his beliefs on the moral of a Star Wars story. Of course, this all depends on how one views the franchise. All of us have our thoughts on what the mythos means, but none of us (aside from George Lucas) can truly say what’s right and what’s wrong.
All in all, we can only say that fans are free to like or dislike the film, albeit in a respectful manner. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is now streaming on Disney+.
