Star Wars: The ascent of Skywalker-Is there anything to save in this cat

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Disney releases Star Wars 9 to finish a record year at more than $ 10 billion

This Wednesday, the group releases “Star Wars: the ascent of Skywalker” at the cinema in France. The year 2019 will remain as history, in terms of recipes, for the Disney studio which has already signed the best annual performance at the box office of all time.

Posted on 18 Dec. 2019 at 6:30 update on 18 Dec. 2019 at 11:35 am

This Wednesday, Disney again draws its Lasers Lasers. The entertainment giant released “Star Wars 9” in France, an episode that closes the third trilogy of this iconic saga started in 1977. This launch is two sides for Disney.

The clear side: the film “Star Wars: the ascent of Skywalker” should be able to generate more than $ 1 billion in box office revenue and allow Disney to end up its record year already more than 10 billions of room income before the release of this opus. The American group has already seen six of its films crossing the symbolic CAP of the billion revenue (“The Lion King”, “Avengers: Endgame”, “Toy Story 4”, etc.) in 2019; The latest is the cartoon “the snow queen II” which crossed the billion bar last weekend. Unquivatic performances in the cinema industry.

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The dark side: the Star Wars license gives signs of weakness. After the successful return of episode 7 four years ago with more than $ 2 billion in box office revenue -a record for a franchise film -, the last two productions released in dark rooms have not reached the expected scores. Launched at the end of 2017, episode 8 generated 1.33 billion in revenues, 35 % less than the previous volume. Worse, the “spin-off” (film derived from the same universe) on Han Solo which was born a few months later made less than 400 million revenues, not covering the costs incurred by Disney. A first for a Star Wars movie.

VIDEO. Star Wars: the dark side of the business

A “Star Wars Fatigue” syndrome ?

Little spared by criticism, these last two films also seem to undergo what some in the film industry call “Star Wars Fatigue”. In question: the sustained pace of the release of the films.

What the Disney boss has also recognized several times. “” I just think that we put it a little too much on the market, a little too quickly Recently said Bob Iger. Since 2015, episode 9 has been the fifth Star Wars film launched by Disney since the group bought Lucasfilms for more than $ 4 billion in 2012.

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“” The license is a bit tired. But Disney has something to sell strong with “Star Wars 9”: this is the end of the new trilogy, Recalls Eric Marti, Managing Director of Comscore France. The second trilogy had not escaped criticism either and cEla had not prevented the last episode from doing much better than the second. The phenomenon could be repeated »».

For the time being, the first projections in the United States are around 200 million dollars in revenue during the first three days of room operations across the Atlantic. Or a level of anticipation similar to that of episode 8 which had finally generated 220 million revenues over this period of time.

Almost 25 % global market share for Disney

The fact remains that a disappointment of Star Wars 9 at the box office would be a false note, but would not spoil the year 2019 of the Disney house whose model is more efficient than ever. “” The bet ten years ago of Bob Iger to bet on fewer films but only a few blockbusters, to work by “label” on major brands, to plan the outings of each suite or prequel over several years as with Marvel bears fruit », Note Eric Marti. “” They are at the top of their art in the exploitation of their franchises »».

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To date in 2019, the Entertainment giant has located almost 25 %of the world market share, very far ahead of the number two Warner Bros (9 %), Universal (7 %) and Sony (6 %), According to Comscre calculations. Even though Disney will have released only 13 films (counting the last Star Wars), a reduced volume compared to Universal or Warner Bros which rather launch twenty films per year on large screens.

The equation which is looming for 2020 will be significantly different for Disney. “” The major project will be integration and good articulation with Fox teams and films (bought more than $ 70 billion by Disney in 2018: editor’s note). For the time being, 22 films are announced, it is another scale that the production volume released by Disney in recent years », Says Eric Marti. A year without film “Star Wars” at the cinema since the next three are scheduled for 2022, 2024 and 2026. Even Jedi need to breathe.

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Star Wars: the ascent of Skywalker-is there something to save in this cat ?

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Star Wars: Skywalker’s ascent is this evening at 9:15 p.m. on TMC.

Star Wars: the ascent of Skywalker Is it completely zero and missed ? We come back in detail on the reasons for loving, and above all to be disappointed.

The trilogy Star Wars Disney will have caused a lot, a lot of ink. Between The force awakens which was perceived as a barely hidden remake, The last Jedi who set fire to fans, and The ascent of Skywalker Who was welcomed as the fall of a vast joke, the galaxy trembled under the aegis Mickey.

While everyone is expected to go for decades on the worst of this chaotic trilogy, back on episode IX, Star Wars: the ascent of Skywalker : the best, the worst and the means of the blockbuster Directed by J.J. Abrams.

The best of Star Wars 9

It’s beautiful

J films.J. Abrams have often divided the spectators, but if there is something that one cannot remove from the director, it is his total investment in the narration, the maniac care with which he immerses himself in the universes that ‘he aproach. To satisfy more than skeptical fans, the director gave everything.

The attention he gives to the details of all the sequences is quite impressive, And all the more delightful than rare are the current blockbusters to give themselves so much trouble to embody a universe.

Blu-rey

He succeeds in particular thanks to His longtime collaborator, the very good manager Daniel Mindel. The latter finds a patina that evokes the great hours of 35mm, plunges us back in its warm shades, its carnations so marked, and reveals a frightening chromatic palette. The finesse of the image, especially during its darkest scenes (the introduction for example), is really striking. Each decor conceals its share of details, the bestiary is varied, the textures invade each photogram until saturating it. The universe of Star Wars comes alive and comes to life, while the special effects are almost never caught in default.

J.J. Abrams, if he is deficient as soon as the action gets carried away, does not allow himself to be killed during multiple dialogues or exhibition scenes. Multiplying the angles of view, varying its division, He shows crazy creativity to electrify your story and support your denied rhythm. The ascent of Skywalker is often very beautiful. Beautiful, and organic, as during the duel in the ruins of the death star, where the sound of the waves, the strength of the spray, occupy as much the camera as the formidable decor.

It’s beautiful, but it stings

Some striking scenes.

Just the first minutes of the film impose a striking atmosphere and artistic direction. When Kylo reindes exterminates his opponents, then arrives on exegol in a dark temple struck by lightning, the film is magnificent, and sells dreams for the future. The photo of Daniel Mindel (collaborator of J.J. Abrams on The force awakens And Star Trek) is beautiful, heals the light-obscurs, and rests on a pretty palette of colors. And this, without running after the extremes saturated and flashy, without fear black and gray.

Of Mission: Impossible 3 has Super 8, J.J. Abrams has demonstrated his know-how, and his mastery of Hollywood cinema techniques and tools. Yesterday presented as a small genius, today considered by some as a facet of the mainstream devil, it is rather between the two, and recalls it with this Star Wars. Nothing but the great scene so teased, where Rey and Kylo Ren compete on a wreck in the middle of an unleashed ocean, illustrates it: the choice of such a frame gives this duel Homeric dimensions, and the absence great dramatic music shows a desire not to do in the expected ease.

There are therefore moments intended to be striking in this episode IX. Except that.

A very beautiful scene. that does not lead to much

What is average in Star Wars 9

. But poorly exploited

Except that these scenes are rarely up to the height in terms of issues, rhythm and impact. The duel on the wreckage struck by the waves is as beautiful as they are disappointing, and is clearly not the big fighting lights expected. This is the perfect example of the limits of The ascent of Skywalker, Who never can ever pack mythical moments, striking, likely to join the cult scenes of the saga.

J.J. Abrams has the budget, skills, actors and talents around him, but everything seems constantly braked, prevented by a weak scenario, and an absolutely not clear vision and strong of this conclusion. The director can arrange and think the staging as much as he wants, he is unable to get much. Until the grand finale, surprisingly easy, calm, where the final fireworks are a wet firecracker.

And these are not the few action scenes on the right to left (such as the pursuit of the Stormtroopers in mode Mad Max: Fury Road With the desert, vehicles, aerobatics and even a color explosion) fun, but insignificant, who will arrange it all.

Mad Wars: Fury Stormtrooper

The Leia problem

If the question of the preparation and improvisation of this trilogy cannot be avoided, it is necessary to remember that the death of Carrie Fisher at the end of the shooting of Last Jedi had an impact on this conclusion. The team said Leia had to be central in episode IX, And it’s logical: Han was the heart of Forgest alarm clock and Luke, Last Jedi. In accordance with the family (notably Billie Lourd, his daughter, who has a small role in this trilogy), the team has thus picked up scenes cut in episode VII, and tinkered around so that Leia is present and important in the ‘plot.

But difficult not to be embarrassed by the result. The rigidity of these scenes is obvious, which reduces dialogues to some vague exchanges and especially silences supposed to be heavy with meaning. The disorder comes from the minor role that Carrie Fisher (she has only a few harmless scenes, and very early in the film), and The emphasis on Leia in the plot (She sacrifices herself to save Rey, and therefore Kylo Ren). J.J. Abrams used a lot of artifices to assemble all this (change the backgrounds, age a little his appearance), in particular by turning the death of the character in the darkness, so that the silhouette only is emerging.

And if the desire to do justice to the character instead of for example letting her disappeared in an ellipse, is commendable, the film has a hard time getting out of it. That a flashback explains that it was formed by Luke to be a Jedi, and thus train Rey, makes it all more frustrating and sad.

Goodbye, eternal princess

A first-last order still bland

The first order has never managed to exist. Visually assimilated to the Empire from The force awakens, There is only an echo, which lacks character, meaning, or a clean project. And if General Hux is a fairly effectively written comic role, his ridiculous impulses prohibit taking his troops seriously. And it is not the expeditious destiny of Captain Phasma in the two previous episodes that will make the opposite or that of the Supreme Balourd Snoke.

Therefore, with its unit reboot tunes, The ascent of Skywalker Build to shoot the first order, first drowned in the emperor’s troops, then assimilated to the last order. The latter being only a massive recycling of old space destroyers, It will be hard to find anything special to him. The forces of the dark side therefore suffer from confusion and darkness where the scenario throws them, preventing to distinguish their objectives or their contours.

In this context we expected a lot from the Knights of Ren. They have the merit of allowing Kylo to use the force in a funny way, to vary his combat style and to give us the only valid fighting scene in this chapter. But for the rest, It is a unnecessary scriptwriting troop (they could be replaced by conventional troopers without it changing anything), at the Finnish metal group look, with outraged styles, never justified by any mythological element, which makes them the spatial equivalent of the survivors of survivors of survivors of survivors of survivors emotional movement.

Knights of nothing

The end of Finn

To say that he was the first face revealed in the first teaser of the return of Star Wars, with The force awakens. Three films afterwards, the character of John Boyega is undoubtedly The weakest of the trio. While Rey the heroine obviously remained in the foreground, and Poe won a less silly dimension with her burned head side confronted with her pride and her destiny as a leader in this conclusion, Finn turns in circles.

His past of Stormtrooper, however, made him a unique character at first, and the hatred of Captain Phasma towards him promised a revenge of the past, and an arc which was going to bring it back to its origins and its rebellion. Except that The last Jedi evacuated all this very quickly, without any satisfaction, while offering Finn a very silly romance with Rose. In The ascent, Rose is cleared and finn meets Jannah, to live an alternative version of her little solo sentimental adventure. The blatant proof of the lack of vision on this character.

And it is not by offering him a final moment of bravery, a pseudo complicity with the heroine (but what did he mean Rey damn ?), two aftershocks on a “feeling” linked to force, and a place of co-leader with Poe, that he was able to win any dimension. Finn could almost be withdrawn from this episode IX without it changing much, like his attempt to help Rey on Endor. Before she throws him away and continues her life.

Someone thought of abandoning it in the desert otherwise ?

The (bad) (useless) hux

The ascent of Skywalker will remain like the true Marvelization of Disney. While the two previous trilogies, and even The last Jedi, did not fear a real tragic ambition, and knew that to give an impact to an ambitious story, it was necessary to allow it to put its characters in danger, the conclusion took a contrary position. While the script sells us the dead of chewie and that of a longtime friend of Poe, introduced in the eisode 9. But these two elements will prove to be stupid emotional hooks, when they would have made sense and weight to the acts of heroes.

Hux is, so to speak, the only member of the adventure to know a fatal destiny. Veule traitor at the Empire, he is of course toast and execute immediately, by the general devotee Pryde. The scene, both comical and quite surprising, offers an imperfect character, sometimes not very credible, one of the rare surprising destinies and above all up to the issues, where everyone plays to ensure their survival.

He owes a lot to his interpreter, who often transcends a fairly mediocre score. Domhnall Gleeson distills in his game a mixture of veultery, baseness and detestation of himself who makes him a paradoxical opponent, and surprisingly touching, despite the readily caricatured writing of his personality.

General Starsky and Hux

New unnecessary characters

Keri Russell is an excellent actress, and Zorii Bliss has a certain style, Mandalorian trend. Naomi Ackie is unknown, but defends herself well to exist in the blockbuster, and Jannah also looks great on her alien mount. But Star Wars he had need to create new characters, in a last movement supposed to conclude, do justice and bring together ?

A priori, no. Especially given what Zorii and Jannah have to do here. The first is at the center of a parenthesis in the plot, and especially a lever to dig the character of Poe, in order to give him an emotional dimension, a past, in short the illusion of any depth. That she passes in a few minutes from the desire to burst his brain to a sacrifice to offer her her precious exit ticket, testifies to the absurd speed to which everything is treated here. It is all the more blatant since the pace of this zorii was very (too) neat, that she has everything with an outstanding fighter, and that her eyes are only shown once, by doing a very intriguing character.

Hello Goodbye

Jannah, she is content to follow the heroes, like a rose-bis stuck in Finn. Again, it can be removed from the film without any real consequences. Except the little embarrassment in the face of his exchange with Lando, which looks like a strange post-victory flirt, or the launch of a spin-off that nobody wants to see where the old man takes the young person in the footsteps of his past.

Beyond these two characters, the small repairer Babu Frik is another example of a digital babiole not essential. While Maz Kanata (with Lupita Nyong’o in Capture performance, it’s not nothing) is shown from the start and has nothing to do, the film brings another alien, which will have three lines of dialogue and an appearance in the final fight to extract a laughter.

The class is not enough

The worst of Star Wars 9

The plotting of the plot

If the real questions at the center of this trilogy (Rey’s parents, Kylo Ren’s trajectory, the Skywalker value of the title) are treated, it is after the film has opened and closed quantity of small doors to occupy the space. Palpatine The return of the clone-machine-machine, exegol the planet QG des Siths, and the gadget to find its location are at the center of the film, and look like jokers out of the scriptwriters’ rounds.

Nothing had prepared all this, and the introductory text is also found to reintroduce the emperor, to give the impression that it was not out of nowhere and that yes, of course, everything was There from the start in this trilogy. Even Luke and Leia knew, the proof they say here.

The end that (pal) patina

Instead of kissing the challenges already in place, Star Wars: the ascent of Skywalker prefers to launch new axes, leaving artificially filling, slowing down, relaunching and dressing the universe. Also even if it means retropedalizing on some elements.

Snoke may have been killed, giving way to the confrontation between Rey and Kylo Ren, Palpatine arrives to use the role of man in the shadows, likely to combine or divide the two characters.

“I assure you, I know where we are going”

Defeat the last Jedi ?

A large part of the hazardous or aberrant choices made in L‘Ascension of Skywalker does not meet any other requirement than heartbreaking specifications: defeat everything that was put in place The last Jedi. From the romance of Finn via force again thought as an almost aristocratic line, Everything went to the reel to be redesigned, untied, obliterated, crushed.

This sterile orientation is embodied in a sequence thought as a big kiss to the brand’s toxic fans, and a finger of honor at the work of Rian Johnson. This is of course the scene in which Luke deny himself, and defines the writing of his character in the previous film as “disrespectful”. This purely meta moment, thought as a submission to the public, rather than a proposal, is emblematic of everything that is disturbed in this conclusion. Or when Hollywood confuses to do and undo.

Can a film do without satisfying its audience ? No, of course, But if he wants to mark him, surprise him he must agree to take risks, To understand the fact that its reception will evolve in time (many spectators have already reassessed the film by Rian Johnson) in order to reserve the possibility of surprising and creating.

Because to confuse the expression of fans, their desire, and the lifespan of the latter, is to condemn to Transform your story into a list of complaints devoid of the slightest life. Not to mention that the first gesture of crushing (the return of Palpatine and the arrival of his super-armada) is also the one who condemns this episode to inconsistency and ridiculous. How to explain to us now that everyone agitated for months following a Starkiller base, then hit the face in the whole galaxy, while in parallel Palpatine was taking a nap, sitting on A bunch of super-cannons that no one had the idea of ​​using ?

Good well we will put the mask back huh

Palpatine joke

Cruel fate than that of Palpatine. Terrifying evil figure in the original trilogy, which has become a politician about as subtle as François Hollande in the prelogy, he is here transformed into diabolical placenta jelly, Hung on a mechanical arm, and laughing immediately as he states his diabolical plan all farted.

The film would like to treat it as an ultimate monster, a horrific creature, but its Arrival is so absurd, contrary to everything that preceded, that it loses a lot of impact. And the only possible dimension to give it a semblance of reality would have been to embody a little this mysterious concept of “clones”, mentioned by a replica and a single plan.

Somehow. Palpatine Returned

But no, we will barely see this antagonist supposed to conclude the greatest contemporary saga. We will never understand the nature of his plan, nor why he reveals it so late, as we do not understand why he does not try to secure his link with Kylo by informing him of his plan. And finally, why bring this tired old villain back, if he is not even entitled to a final fight worthy of the name. A juice and then leaves, either The most deceptive climax of the whole franchise, and undoubtedly the most expeditious confrontation.

As we understand, Palpatine has no other justification than a pitiful thematic excuse, aimed at creating artificial coherence between 3 trilogies designed for radically different audiences. The process is rude, its success nonexistent. We would have liked to discover a little more about his big jar in Snokes. Understand who are the fans in pajamas who crowd around him. Or even bother something to his plan, know where he draws this power so phenomenal that he never considered it good to use it. In short, Palpatine claims to be still with us, but there is only one ghost more a dreary silhouette, haunting a film about to collapse.

“I’ll be back !””

Intouchable heroes

The idea of ​​seeing Chewbacca accidentally killed by Rey, who discovers the extent of his powers, is as interesting as it is strong at many levels. Except that Chewie is not dead. The idea of ​​seeing Rey Kylo Ren, more or less thanks to Leia and before the climax, is interesting. Except that she saves him with the strength just after. The idea that resistance takes severe quench before the final assault against destroyers, is interesting. Except that no really identified character goes by.

The adventure therefore looks like A health walk for all these little people, which escapes the huge dangers too many times not to look like Superhero protected by the strength of the Holy Spirit of Flemmardic writers. That Poe has the scratched arm after the shots of two dozen myopic stormtopers, and that Kylo Ren has a paw after falling into a ravine of hell, are the most extreme signs of the risk.

No one dies in this image

The final too simple

The heavy writing and the forced issues on the obviously programmed presence of Palpatine could have passed if they had been digested to give rise to a grand, powerful and epic climax. And on paper, everything is together : In the air, the resistance faces dozens of destroyers and tries to stop them with a dangerous plan, while Rey is on the ground against Palpatine, soon supported by Kylo Ren who proves that he joined the good side of the force. Poe leads resistance while waiting for support which seems less and less possible, Rey and Kylo Ren unite in front of the Bionic Emperor, then the heroine confronts him alone to destroy him as a worthy representative of all the Jedi.

But apart from a few plans, like those of these mysterious siths carpets in the shadows, or the vision of an apocalyptic sky when Rey seems defeated, the great final is very easy. The expected program of a Hollywood climax is respected, without genius flash, and especially without being up to the stakes, namely to conclude three trilogies, and mark a big blow in mythology.

Again, everything seems treated too quickly, enhanced by a few artificial shots (the moment of bravery of Finn to create the illusion of a sacrifice, the disappearance of Kylo Ren in a ravine, the distant voices of the known Jedi. )). The arrival of all these vessels to help the resistance is perhaps the strongest moment of this final, but it is not new or surprising.

The director meets the Boss of Disney and Lucasfilm

Lack of emotion

The original trilogy completed each of its chapters on an emotional tidal wave. The prelogy had trouble repeating the feat, but part of the spectators was well turned by the confrontation between Obi-Wan and Anakin. In the matter, The ascent of Skywalker is more than chick. Simply because the film has chosen to almost reboot its trilogy, throwing in the toilet the achievements of the two previous segments, is therefore obliged to narrate his story on an infernal rhythm, which completely prohibits emotion.

“It makes them tears of fans”

Our heroes learn that Chewie was grilled alive then crushed under tons of melted metal by the anger of Rey ? The camera does not even linger on their reaction. Chewie, resurrected by Disney magic, learns that Princess Leïa swallowed her birth slip ? It will be relegated to the background, and it is barely if you can see your eyes.

And this is the case with all events possibly carrying emotion. Worse : During his climax, J.J. Abrams wants to tear us from tears with shovels, When he transforms Kylo into a prince charming and rey into a sleeping padawan. But the process is far too mechanical, and its dramatic dimension so thick (forget Marion Cotillard and his death gurgling in The Dark Knight Rises)). In short, the only tears awaiting you are tears of frustration.

The kiss of death

Rose and Jannah

That Rose, character oh so criticized by Last Jedi, be relegated to the third plan and quasi-figurant in this episode, is not a problem. Her role in the previous opus was not a frank success, since she was motor with a weak sub-container on Canto Bight and a slightly ridiculous scene in the climax. That his forced romance with Finn is forgotten, why not. But that the film brings A new female character to almost take up this role, almost looks like a joke.

How do I serve nothing and I can go earlier ?

Embodied by Naomi Ackie, Jannah lives on Endor, where she helps the heroes to find the carcass of the Death Star. And she quickly establishes an intimate link with Finn, especially when they share their common experience of Stormtrooper enrolled by the first order, before rebel. Like Rose, she shares a connection with Finn. Like Rose, she helps her in a risky mission and goes to death of death in the climax. Like Rose, she finally seems to find a place among the resistance fighters. And as pink, it has too much characterization on the surface, to really interest.

In a film that introduces new characters, brings old characters brings back, tries to close many intrigue and give meaning to all of this, Create a new character instead of digging a preexisting, has everything a bad decision. Or a somewhat sterile desire to crush The last Jedi (Kelly Marie Tran is so useless that she has a place close to Billie Heavy here), and make her own version of “Finn has an independent life and emotions”.

Forgotable character number 12

Luke, Han, Lando

The force awakens And The last Jedi had organized the handover between the generations, the two films announcing that the temple guards should disappear or sacrifice themselves to allow the new generations to seize their destiny and to re-enchant an old world embedded in exhausted myths. Gap, The ascent of Skywalker abandoned this positioning and preferably prefers to statify his heroes of yesterday, recalling the greatest number at the helm.

Obviously, the scenario can not much against the death of Carrie Fisher, granting Leïa a well-deserved rest. Luke cannot say as much, he who comes back to us as an old gastric reflux, pimpé in blue gloss, With a brand new brushing and a bright smile totally contradictory with the previous film. It is less pathetic than Han Solo, whose interpreter seems to have trouble enduring the weight of his own wig, the time of a scene which can only replay the confrontation between Driver and Ford, in slow motion.

No, it’s not a tribute to Shining

But the palm of embarrassment undoubtedly returns to this unfortunate Lando Calrissian, summoned to play the smart pépe of space, Standard mustache and satyr eye as a bonus. The poor is not only content to waste time with the general intrigue, he must also fade an abstract conclusion with Jannah, who has False tunes to serial Teaser Disney+.

To see these old old people hang on to univers who no longer needs them and which we feel that they are waiting to be rid of (Ford seems to be throwing themselves on the fleet to ensure that We never use him again), has something infinitely depressing. Almost as much as the film itself, when the end credits arrive.