Nickel Review of “Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker”

Nickel Review: 5 Categories, 5 Words
Feature Film Review of “Star Wars: Episode IX”

Cinematography: inveterate
Score & Sound: stalwart
Art & Wardrobe: pertinent
Story: telegraphed
Acting: languid

Nickel Rating: 2/5¢

Cinematography: The inveterate camera work in Star Wars 9 comes from an established set of patterns that no DP dare shake up: whip pans, flat lighting, powerpoint transitions, and a heaping helping of blue = good and red = bad.

Score & Sound: Much like the cinematography, the stalwart score stays strong and steady. Familiar zaps and nostalgic tracks litter the piece, leaving no room for exploration or creativity in this final entry.

Art & Wardrobe: The costumes and set pieces are on point. They inject that pertinent Star Wars feel, and while much of the practical work has been displaced with CGI, there’s no doubting the interstellar consistency here.

Story: While most plot lines were wrapped up, the story was laced with glaring issues. The pacing was rapid, not a single conflict had any consequences (see Chewy and C3PO), and every plot point was heavily telegraphed. All of the characters’ motivations can be boiled down to “I have a gut feeling about this!”

Acting: The acting was a languid display of effort, pitiful yet passable. Emotional transitions of the characters had no arc. No character other than Kylo undergoes any growth, as expected.

Nickel Rating: 2/5¢: All 5 categories can be summed up as predictable. While the piece was fun to watch, especially in RPX, Star Wars 9 was another flavorless piece of Hollywood gum to chew on.

Thoughts on the first Nickel Review? Let me know what you think!

Warm Regards,
Nick Candido

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