Movie – Star Wars 9

Movie – Star Wars 9 - The Rise of Skywalker 
Score : 9.5/10 
Year : 2019
Director:  J.J. Abrams 
Cinematography: Dan Mindel
Music: John Williams 
Country: USA 
Language: English (+invented sci-fi alien languages) 
Duration: 2h22 

Writers: 
Chris Terrio &  J.J. Abrams (screenplay & story)
Derek Connolly &  Colin Trevorrow (story)

(based on George Lucas's characters)

Full cast & team (IMDB - link to be added later, to avoid spoilers, I suggest you don't look it up if you want to be surprised)

Star Wars 9 is a multi-layered movie, much like an onion which can be peeled and peeled to reveal more aspects in its depths and philosophical messages. 
It continues the adventures of chapters 8, and 7 before that, with the new crew of rebels- the remainder of the Resistance, trying to overthrow the mighty, evil First Order. 



I know that many fans were divided about this modern trilogy, but I personally loved each of them immensly, with growing inclusion of more women on-screen, more women both in the rebellion and in the First Order, more coordinating and ordering around (albeit we're still far from an equal dialogue-time), and more racial diversity, both for the humanoid and for the creatures met along the travels of the protagonists. 

There are new developpements in the plot, closing gaps and loose ends from the 2 previous chapters, ending the Skywalker saga (or does it?). My wife and I had expectations anbd assumption about the plot, which were met partially, in a satifactory way for the parts we predicted, but we still had shocking, surprising revelations and visits from old friends and foes alike - thus coming full circule in many ways. 

In the conclusion of the story, and those shocking revevalations, cetain interesting philosophical ideas are shared about nature vs nurture, about blood ties and the meaning of true family bonds. Very nicely put! 

Characters were mostly great as chapters 7 and 8, but, sadly, one important character had been reduced too much in our opinion, and that of many other fans. 
Their dialogues had a lot of humour, the action was quite well balanced and in parts, simply epic. Fight choreographies were well made, several of them being just amazing!!

There is a build up in certain abilities over the past few movies, that culminate in this chapter, with poetic twists that we really appreciated - the production team seems to have done them on purpose, well done! (you'll know when you see and juxtapose them). 

The movie, again much like that onion, came with teary, emotional scenes - several really powerfully so. 

Cinematograpy and the 3D were stunning, beautiful and epic in proportions just like the story here unfolding to a climax that ends a whole era in Star Wars. Objects, people, ships, sometimes felt right in the room - some projectiles even felt coming straight at me! 

John Williams' score was again gorgeous, conserving elements from the franchise and adding new notes to the new characters ; there were just a couple scenes where the sound was too shril (say, when certain ships were taking off). 

Speaking of John Wiliams, he voiced one character, whilst JJ Abrams and Chris Terio did other voices. Cool that this musician, and the director/ writers get to cameo via their voices like that. 

Star Wars 9 is a stunning, poetic, gorgeous and moving movie. The emotions are still affloat, hours after we came back home. It offered us surprises, shocks even, but also satisfying resolutions, all the whilst remaining open.. it may be announced as a final chapter, but nothing stops from having a continuation, it is scifi and fantasy blended beautifully.