Star
Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker 4K
(2019/LucasFilm/Disney 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray w/Blu-ray)
4K
Ultra HD Picture: A 1080p
HD Picture: B+ Sound: A- Extras: B Film: B+
The
ninth chapter in the Star
Wars Saga
has finally come to a close with Director J.J. Abrams' Star
Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
(aka Episode
9,
2019). While the film ticks off many of the boxes and questions that
fans had after the last two installments of the sequel trilogy, The
Last Jedi
and The
Force Awakens,
there still feels like there are many questions that need answering
after viewing this 'final' installment.
It
is clear upon watching this that the overall story arc of the trilogy
was (in the words of Han Solo) 'made up as they went along',
especially in the wake of some of the controversial choices that
Director Rian Johnson made with The
Last Jedi,
a film that infuriated many diehard fans of the series. In
hindsight, they probably should have just (ahem) forced J.J. Abrams
to write/direct all three movies as they likely would have come
together a bit more coherent.
However.
it seems that Abrams struggled a bit with this final Star Wars
installment with some behind the scenes drama rumored and some big
plot holes left in his cut. There is, much like Zach Snyder's
Justice
League,
a longer Director's Cut of the film that supposedly exists with a
half hour or more added to it. Hopefully us fans will get to see
that cut down the line, but for now all we have is this theatrical
version, which is still the appropriate length for a Star
Wars
film and feels 'mostly' complete.
The
creator of the First Order and the rise of the evil Snoke, it is
revealed was simply a puppet all along by the once thought dead
Emperor Palpatine (who has survived by way of Sith rituals and
cloning and played by the original actor Ian McDiarmid).
Rey
(Daisy Ridley) continues her training to become a Jedi Master and is
well on her way, when she and her Resistance comrades Poe (Oscar
Issac), Finn (John Boyega), Chewbacca (played by the actor Joonas
Suotamo who inherited the role from the late Peter Mayhew), and
droids C3PO (once again played by Anthony Daniels), BB-8, D-0, and
R2-D2 get whisked away on another adventure.
The
sinister Supreme Leader of the First Order, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver)
seeks out Rey to inform her of her true heritage and makes a final
attempt at getting her to change sides, while the galaxy is
threatened by the newly resurrected Emperor. Han and Luke are now
deceased, which just leaves General Leia (the last performance by
Carrie Fisher, created using old footage) who is barely holding on
herself remaining from the original trilogy. At this critical time
will Rey be able to channel the past Jedi to help overcome the
never-ending threat of the First Order? Or will she succumb and join
the Emperor and face her ultimate destiny?
Along
with the main cast mentioned above, the film also brings back Billy
Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian, Keri Russell as a new mysterious
character named Zorii Bliss, Kelly Marie Tran (as Rose Tico),
Domhnall Gleeson, Richard E. Grant, Billie Lourd, Naomi Ackie, and
other familiar faces (and voices) from the Star Wars franchise. The
film was produced by Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy, who was a
veteran producer of many Spielberg/Lucas films of the past.
Star
Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
is presented in HEVC/H.265, HDR (10; Ultra HD Premium)-enhanced Ultra
High Definition image on 4K UHD disc in 2160p Ultra High Definition
with HDR (High Dynamic Range, though it was in theaters in 12-bit
Dolby Vision, held back from this release for some reason; all shot
on Kodak Vision 3 35mm color camera negative) and its original aspect
ratio of 2.39:1 with several great audio options in English Dolby
Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit) for older systems) and other
mixes. This is a great series of films to finally get the 4K UHD
treatment as they are all so detailed in terms of special effects and
atmosphere. The film looks simply stunning on disc in 2160p, with
texture and detail throughout in an image that translates well from
theater to home.
Also
included is a lesser quality 1080p Blu-ray version of the film with
similar sound specs with a less detailed image. A digital HD copy is
included as well with an additional supplement listed below. This is
the first time that this film has been made available on the 4K UHD
format with an ultimate edition with all 9 films in 4K UHD also being
released simultaneously for those lucky enough to find/afford it.
Special
Features (per the press release) include:
The
Skywalker Legacy
- The story lives forever in this feature-length documentary that
charts the making of Star
Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Pasaana
Pursuit: Creating the Speeder Chase
- Dive into the making of the movie's epic landspeeder chase and
discover how this spectacular sequence was brought to the screen.
Aliens
in the Desert
- See what it took to create the Pasaana desert scenes, from the
sheer scale and complexity of the shoot to its colorful details.
D-O:
Key to the Past
- Explore the ship that connects Rey to the mystery of her missing
parents and get to know the galaxy's newest, irresistible droid.
Warwick
& Son
- Warwick Davis, who played Wicket in Star
Wars: Return of the Jedi,
dons the Ewok costume once more; this time joined by his son
Harrison.
Cast
of Creatures
- The team behind the film's memorable creatures reveal the puppetry,
makeup, prosthetics and digital magic that bring them to life!
and
Digital Exclusive:
The
Maestro's Finale - Composer John Williams reflects on his body of
work for the Star Wars saga and shares insights on scoring Star
Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Noticeably
missing from this release is a Commentary by J.J. Abrams and other
cast/crew members and extended/deleted scenes? Score only track?
Lucasfilm is holding out on us!
Speaking
of the score, nobody can argue that John Williams has done an
incredible job yet again with this trilogy of Star Wars soundtracks,
with this being his (supposed) last score for the franchise. The
Oscar-nominated score comes across beautifully here on 4K UHD disc
and I recommend that it be listened to on its own independent of the
film. (I've listened to it plenty of times!) You can even catch a
quick cameo in the film by the maestro himself as an extra!
The
future of Star Wars at this time is mainly going to be focused on
programs on the Disney+ streaming format with more feature films
planned a few years down the line. At least now Lucasfilm has the
weight of the Skywalker Saga off their shoulders now to focus on
other storylines (like the superb series The
Mandalorian
which will hopefully see a 4K UHD release in the near future) that
help expand the brand in new and interesting ways.
It's
just a shame that J.J. wasn't able to deliver the 'home run' film
that could have been after years of fan speculation and waiting. At
the end of the day, however, I guess all of us have our own thoughts
on this film should have been executed and J.J. simply brought us his
interpretation, which mostly works. That being said from the
perspective here from a diehard Star
Wars
fan, I think this film is pretty good.
-
James
Lockhart
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/