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Lots of stuff is still broken, but at least reviews can now be looked up and read.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Blu-ray) (2019)

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Blu-ray) (2019)

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Released 1-Apr-2020

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Details At A Glance

General Extras
Category Sci-Fi Action Featurette-Making Of-The Skywalker Legacy (2:06:11)
Featurette-Behind The Scenes-Pasaana Pursuit: Creating the Speeder Chase (14:16)
Featurette-Behind The Scenes-Aliens in the Desert (5:59)
Featurette-Behind The Scenes-D-O: Key to the Past (5:33)
Featurette-Behind The Scenes-Warwick & Son (5:37)
Featurette-Behind The Scenes-Cast of Creatures (7:46)
Rating Rated M
Year Of Production 2019
Running Time 141:53
RSDL / Flipper Dual Layered
Dual Disc Set
Cast & Crew
Start Up Language Select Then Menu
Region Coding 1,2,3,4,5,6 Directed By J.J. Abrams
Studio
Distributor

Walt Disney Studios Home Ent.
Starring Daisy Ridley
John Boyega
Oscar Isaac
Adam Driver
Carrie Fisher
Mark Hamill
Anthony Daniels
Naomi Ackie
Domhnall Gleeson
Richard E. Grant
Ian McDiarmid
Keri Russell
Joonas Suotamo
Case Standard Blu-ray
RPI $24.95 Music John Williams


Video Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame None English DTS HD Master Audio 7.1 (1509Kb/s)
French Dolby Digital 5.1 (640Kb/s)
Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 (640Kb/s)
English Descriptive Audio Dolby Digital 2.0 (320Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio 2.40:1
16x9 Enhancement
16x9 Enhanced
Video Format 1080p
Original Aspect Ratio 2.40:1 Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures No
Subtitles English for the Hearing Impaired
French
Spanish
Smoking No
Annoying Product Placement No
Action In or After Credits No

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Plot Synopsis

    Arriving 42-and-a-half years after George Lucas' Star Wars changed the face of cinema back in 1977, 2019's Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker concludes the nine-film Skywalker Saga, with J.J. Abrams (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) returning as co-writer and director. Added to the burden of concluding this culturally significant saga, The Rise of Skywalker also endures the weight of following the most polarising Star Wars film to date: Rian Johnson's Star Wars: The Last Jedi. With the recent increase and popularisation of Star Wars hatred in the shadow of The Last Jedi, objectivity is now borderline impossible. Nevertheless, for my money, The Rise of Skywalker is a spectacular, crowd-pleasing finale which complements the previous two films and successfully ties into the original trilogy. Although messy from a story perspective, Abrams' spirited direction compensates for many of the picture's shortcomings, as the filmmaker packs The Rise of Skywalker with battles, lightsabers, fan service and emotion, sending off the saga on a satisfying high. In spite of its flaws, it works.

    Picking up an unspecified amount of time after the events of The Last Jedi, Rey (Daisy Ridley) is close to completing her Jedi training under General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher), though she is unable to connect with previous generations of Jedi. Meanwhile, Finn (John Boyega) and Poe (Oscar Isaac) receive intel that Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) is still alive on the uncharted planet of Exegol, a.k.a. the Sith homeworld. Following a mysterious communication from Palpatine, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) travels to Exegol where the powerful Sith Lord has secretly amassed an immense fleet of Star Destroyers with planet-destroying canons, which constitute the Final Order. With Palpatine's plan threatening the entire galaxy, and with Kylo closing in on the waning Resistance, Rey sets out with Finn, Poe, Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) and C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) to find the Sith Wayfinder device, an ancient navigational tool which will lead them to Exegol.

    Before the release of The Force Awakens in 2015, Colin Trevorrow (Jurassic World) was given the reigns of Episode IX, which he began to co-write with Derek Connolly. However, creative differences between Trevorrow and Lucasfilm ended their collaboration, and Abrams was hired a week later to devise this concluding chapter. Abrams is a sublime visual stylist but not a great screenwriter, and The Rise of Skywalker further demonstrates this. Whereas The Force Awakens distinctly benefitted from Lawrence Kasdan's contributions, Abrams co-wrote this saga closer with Chris Terrio, late of the critically mauled Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League. (Terrio's Oscar-winning Argo screenplay seems like a fluke at this point.) Therefore, The Rise of Skywalker is undeniably messy, giving Snoke a vague backstory, never adequately clarifying Palpatine's return, leaving unanswered questions about the Knights of Ren, and never revealing the logistics behind the creation of Palpatine's immense fleet. Then again, this is a fantasy franchise which does not necessarily need to perfectly clarify everything. Plus, any unanswered questions or indistinct plot points will surely receive further attention in novelisations, TV shows and comic books within the next five years.

    Eschewing a rehash of any previous Star Wars adventure, The Rise of Skywalker's plot involves a MacGuffin hunt across the galaxy, which represents a refreshing change of pace for the long-running series. Additionally, under Abrams' direction, this escapade really moves, evoking the pronounced breathlessness of The Force Awakens as the characters travel from one location to the next, experiencing conflicts at every turn. Narratively, this is the busiest Star Wars movie to date, working through what should have been two film's worth of plot. Consequently, this is the least confident and considered instalment in the new trilogy, and there is not enough narrative breathing room, resulting in glorified cameos for actors like Dominic Monaghan and even Billy Dee Williams, who returns as Lando. Furthermore, The Rise of Skywalker is the only Star Wars film so far to not begin with a proper scene; instead, a battle montage opens the picture, and Abrams scarcely stops to take a breath as he works through the intimidatingly large narrative while preserving a manageable runtime. As a result, Episode IX feels choppy during its opening act in particular, and it takes around half an hour to get in tune with the movie properly. With editors Maryann Brandon and Stefan Grube minimising downtime between the set-pieces, one must wonder how much material did not make the final cut. An extended edition with an Avengers: Endgame-sized runtime is an enticing prospect, though one may never materialise.

    The most effective narrative constituent of Episode IX is Rey and Kylo's relationship. Their minds remain bridged due to a dyad in the Force, and they both believe that they can turn the other to their respective side. Compelling, emotionally charged conflicts between the pair pepper the film, including the much-publicised battle atop the Death Star wreckage, while the ultimate dénouement is satisfying and, to an extent, unexpected. Kylo/Ben Solo is the most interesting character in this new trilogy, essentially embodying whiney Star Wars fanboys who yearn for a bygone era, and violently lash out when things do not go their own way. Also, since Kylo could never live up to the unfiltered badassery of Darth Vader (as much as the character tries, in a sly meta touch), his conflicted nature is more pronounced, leading to some genuinely emotional scenes. Additionally, while Abrams does dial back the humour glimpsed in The Last Jedi, there are amusing moments throughout this instalment, serving to augment the film's sense of humanity. However, several beats during the obligatory ending celebration sequence are odd, including an awkward (and somewhat creepy) moment between Lando and Jannah (Naomi Ackie), an out-of-nowhere same-sex kiss, and Maz Kanata (Lupita Nyong'o) giving Chewbacca one of the medals from the last scene of A New Hope, after he legendarily missed out back in 1977.

    Perhaps unsurprisingly, there is a sense that Abrams and Terrio desired to "fix" certain facets of The Last Jedi's outside-the-box tampering. This results in a lack of cohesiveness in some respects, reflecting the absence of concrete planning at the outset of this trilogy. But then again, the original Star Wars trilogy was equally spontaneous, leading to the controversial Luke and Leia kiss before the reveal that the pair are siblings. Hell, the twist that Darth Vader is Luke's father retcons much of the background information from A New Hope, leading Obi-Wan Kenobi to simply say that he lied. In this way, The Rise of Skywalker is true to the spirit of the sacred original trilogy. Besides, Fisher's passing would have surely negated any existing road map for Episode IX. Moreover, a thematic through-line does underpin this sequel trilogy: breaking free of the expectations of legacy. For instance, Finn refuses to be a stormtrooper, Kylo rejects being a Jedi and refuses to be a pawn who answers to a higher power, Luke flees in shame after failing to recreate the Jedi Order's legacy, and Poe joins the Resistance to escape his origins as a criminal. Such thematic material ties into this sequel trilogy's underlying meta-narrative about a new generation inheriting Star Wars: the new characters worship the old characters, the First Order tries too hard to replicate the Empire, and Kylo Ren strives to be Darth Vader.

    With such a large budget, and considering the production's significance, a level of competency is a perpetual given with each new Star Wars entry, and Episode IX does not disappoint in this respect. Despite doomsday warnings from online forums circulating rumours about substantial reshoots at the eleventh hour, The Rise of Skywalker is a visual stunner beset with exciting set-pieces. Abrams once again harkens back to the original trilogy through a traditional filmmaking approach - cinematographer Dan Mindel (The Force Awakens) shoots on 35mm film, and the movie heavily relies on make-up, animatronics and sets, while CGI augments the fantastical illusions. The use of practical models is evident, as ships like the Millennium Falcon often look tangible, creating a realistic aesthetic as opposed to the phoney digital overload of the prequels. At times, it's genuinely difficult to discern where the CGI takes over from the sets, models, miniatures, and practical effects. In terms of the creatures, the standout here is the endearing Babu Frik (voiced by Shirley Henderson), who is a practical creation. In addition, this is reportedly John Williams' final Star Wars score, and the veteran composer's contributions are invaluable. Reintroducing recognisable cues and composing original material, Williams' score is majestic and exciting.

    Working around Fisher's premature death, Abrams dusts off unused footage from the previous two films to integrate General Leia into this concluding instalment, paying tribute to our beloved Princess and saying a poignant goodbye. Fisher appears to interact with her co-stars so naturally, with measured expressions and line delivery. The seams are invisible, resulting in the most successful and cohesive post-mortem performance in film history (which is admittedly a low bar to clear). Additionally, The Rise of Skywalker brings back the always-charismatic Billy Dee Williams for the first time since Return of the Jedi in 1983, while McDiarmid effortlessly slips back into the role of Emperor Palpatine. Abrams minimises Kelly Marie Tran's presence here, which is a benefit since her role of Rose is the least interesting character of this sequel trilogy. Enough characters are competing for screen-time already, with the main quest even involving C-3PO and Chewbacca; therefore, Rose is better-served as a minor part of the ensemble. The main cast again brings their 'A' game to the material, with Ridley and Driver ably handling complex emotional material, while Isaac oozes movie-star charisma in every frame. Richard E. Grant also makes a positive impression as a First Order General, a role which demands exaggerated villainy through a British accent. Another newcomer is Keri Russell (late of Abrams' Felicity), who's a fine addition as a feisty former criminal companion of Poe's. Abrams also brings back several recognisable actors through vocal cameos, in a superb fan service moment. There are other effective cameos to boot, including the return of Denis Lawson as Wedge Antilles (in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it shot), while Abrams himself voices a new droid, as well.

    Even though The Rise of Skywalker is more coherent than anticipated (considering the rumours of reshoots and studio meddling), it nevertheless feels as if a chorus line of internet forum users contributed to the screenplay, with Abrams and Terrio trying to tick as many boxes as possible - and more than likely did at least take a cursory glance at online chatter. In comparison, The Last Jedi is undoubtedly a more consistent vision, but the incendiary reaction to that instalment ruined any possibility for a more daring, unexpected finale for the Skywalker Saga. Whereas Johnson favoured a more dramatic tone, The Rise of Skywalker is pure escapism for the fans, delivering a surface-level sugar rush with the benefit of an immense budget, and it hits its mark. It's an imperfect assembly of puzzle pieces, and Abrams deserves credit for keeping the story involving and the energy levels high, creating a highly successful blockbuster under unenviable circumstances. Armchair critics can continue to nitpick, but if the same level of scrutinous analysis was applied to the original Star Wars trilogy, it would also fall apart.

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Transfer Quality

Video

    The finale of the Skywalker saga comes to Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray courtesy of Walt Disney Home Entertainment. This is the first Star Wars movie to not receive a local 3D Blu-ray release (Solo: A Star Wars Story was the last Star Wars movie to be released on 3D Blu-ray, back in 2018), though you can import the 3D edition from the United Kingdom if you choose. On Blu-ray, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is presented in AVC-encoded 1080p, framed at its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1. This is a two-disc set, and the movie has an entire BD-50 to itself, as the extras are all placed on the bonus disc. In addition, there aren't a thousand language options competing for disc space, and the good folks at Disney take full advantage of the 50GB disc, resulting in an extremely good average video bitrate of 33.5 Mbps, which staves off compression artefacts. In short, The Rise of Skywalker looks excellent on standard Blu-ray; it's one of the best new release encodes in recent memory, and it handily beats the hit-and-miss Solo Blu-ray.

    Like The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, The Rise of Skywalker was captured on celluloid, with a combination of 35mm and 65mm film stock, before reportedly being completed with a 4K digital intermediate. The movie is covered in a fine, organic layer of film grain, and it translates to Blu-ray with satisfying results. The grain is frequently apparent, and it's always finely-resolved as opposed to distracting or blocky. Indeed, I was thankfully unable to detect any evidence of macroblocking. The level of fine detail is eye-popping, as Disney's encode effortlessly brings out every nook and cranny of the intricate production design, while close-ups in particular reveal gorgeous textures on skin and costumes. Just see the extreme close-ups of Rey's face as she reaches out to the Jedi during the climax; the shot is so insanely detailed that you could mistake it for 4K. This is a sharp transfer, to boot, showing excellent object delineation, especially in well-lit scenes. At times, however, the transfer struggles to resolve more complex environments, especially if smoke and/or darkness is involved - see exterior scenes on Kijimi, or any of the scenes on Exegol. Again, the transfer does extremely well all things considered, but there are limits to 1080p, and this is reflected in some mediocre shadow detail and some slightly soft-looking shots.

    Meanwhile, colours look true to how the movie was exhibited in cinemas, with accurate flesh tones and nicely saturated primaries. Greenery surrounding the Resistance Base on Ajan Kloss looks lush, while lightsaber colours are strong and impactful, particularly Kylo's red blade. However, there are limits to the colours, especially in terms of contrast. For instance, during the opening crawl as well as virtually any other scene set in space, blacks are on the milky side, and never appear deep or inky enough. This brings back memories of The Last Jedi, which showed milky blacks on Blu-ray and 4K, but, thankfully, the HDR-enhanced 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray of The Rise of Skywalker fixes the black levels. In addition to this, some of the brightly-lit exterior scenes on Pasaana look extremely flat, and the transfer occasionally struggles with specular detail when it comes to lightsabers or explosions. Also see a close-up of Oscar Isaac at 114:00; the harsh light on his face obliterates the highlights. Still, this is a minor knock against the transfer, and there's only so much that a 1080p presentation is capable of. This is a sharp, nicely-detailed Blu-ray transfer, and I was unable to detect any unsightly video artefacts - no aliasing, banding, ringing, crush, or anything else to spoil the superb presentation. The 4K Blu-ray is superior, but if you're not 4K-compatible, this disc is good enough.

    There are subtitles available in English, French and Spanish. I sampled the English track; it's well-formatted and free of errors.

Video Ratings Summary
Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

    In keeping with Disney's usual modus operandi, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker comes to Blu-ray with a lossless DTS-HD MA 7.1 soundtrack, while the disc also contains lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks in French and Spanish. As usual, you'll need to raise your volume above regular listening levels to get the full experience of the track, but other than that, there's little else to complain about. Throughout the opening sequence, there's sufficient low-frequency effects and bass to the action, while Palpatine's voice is effectively deep and rumbling. During the subsequent space battle, there's ample impact to the Millennium Falcon, while excellent panning effects are used as a group of TIE fighters appear. The speeder chase on Pasaana shows off excellent subwoofer and surround sound activity - no laser blast, explosion or engine sounds lacking or underwhelming. When Rey and Kylo battle for control of the transport ship, the LFE is enough to make your walls shake. These qualities continue throughout The Rise of Skywalker; just see Rey and Kylo's lightsaber battle on Kijimi, which shows amazing LFE. During the climactic battle sequence on Exegol, laser blasts and ships zip around the immersive soundscape, and the audio never sounds overly front-centred. Even in more minor moments, various sound effects are isolated to certain speakers. You don't need to worry about the dynamics or the LFE of this track, as it delivers at every step.

    Luckily, I had no issues with prioritisation, as dialogue is clean and pristine, remaining flawlessly comprehensible amid the frenetic action scenes and loud sound effects. When the voices of the Jedi speak to Rey during the climax, various voices are isolated to certain surround speakers. John Williams' score is also perfectly prioritised, coming through all available surround channels with immaculate clarity and impact. The track is crystal clear thanks to the lossless encoding, and the bitrate remains perfectly adequate throughout. As a result, the 7.1 mix never sounds compromised, tinny or compressed, as it's constantly impactful and dynamic, which is a miracle for a Disney disc, and hopefully a sign of things to come. In addition, I could not detect any pops, clicks, hissing, sync issues or drop-outs. I have nothing to complain about; it's just a shame that it's not an Atmos or a DTS:X track.

Audio Ratings Summary
Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Extras

    This is a two-disc set. The first disc has no extras, but the second disc contains over two-and-a-half hours of comprehensive, high-quality behind-the-scenes extras. However, there are no deleted scenes, which is a huge shame given that many scenes are known to exist. The lack of a J.J. Abrams commentary track is likewise disappointing, though if rumours about the studio meddling are true, perhaps he didn't want to do one. Maybe the forthcoming Disney+ release will come with additional extras, and maybe there'll be a collector's edition double dip just like The Force Awakens. It's also worth pointing out that the iTunes version comes with an exclusive additional featurette, "The Maestro's Finale," which is 11 minutes long and is all about John Williams' contributions.

Disc 2 - Bonus Disc:

The Skywalker Legacy (HD; 126:11)

    In keeping with the previous sequel trilogy instalments, The Rise of Skywalker receives a comprehensive, feature-length "making-of" documentary, which is the centrepiece of the extras. It's also the longest documentary of the trilogy, covering not just the production itself, but also the legacy and significance of the Star Wars saga. Indeed, the extra includes on-set footage from the production of the original trilogy (including some amusing outtakes and rehearsals), and it opens with fans trying to get a glimpse of the Return of the Jedi set in 1982.

    Rather than going through the stages of the production process in order, The Skywalker Legacy goes through the movie chronologically, shifting from scene to scene and concentrating on various aspects (set design, music, special effects, sound, etc.). It does not shy away from Carrie Fisher, as the documentary openly shows how her scenes were posthumously constructed and shot. Other cameos are covered (which I will not spoil here), and it leaves virtually no stone unturned. The behind-the-scenes footage is fascinating, as there are amusing bloopers and bantering, while Daisy Ridley even shows up to operate a clapperboard in a scene not involving Rey. It's fun to see Mark Hamill prowling around the production on a constant basis, too. We also get to see the extensive puppetry and practical effects throughout the movie, including the miniatures. There's even on-set footage of John Williams' cameo; the Easter Eggs in this scene are insane, as each item represents each of the veteran composer's previous Oscar-nominated scores. In addition, the production design for Kijimi is revealed to be a tribute to the late great Akira Kurosawa.

    The interviews are comprehensive, with archival interviews featuring the likes of Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford and George Lucas, while new interview material with ample cast and crew members illuminate the production in an insightful way. Even the most minor cast members, such as a VFX trainee, are given the chance to speak. Naturally, the documentary does not delve into any troubles, nor does it illuminate on the rumoured reshoots or Disney's behind-the-scenes meddling. I also found myself wanting better insight into the digital effects, especially the CGI used during Fisher's scenes, but this aspect has never received much attention for the sequel trilogy. However, this is a great documentary on the whole, and it's wonderful to see so many fun moments from the production (in one instance, the stunt coordinator yells to the behind-the-scenes cameraman to never show this footage). Fans really need to set the time aside to watch this one.

Pasaana Pursuit: Creating the Speeder Chase (HD; 14:16)

    An extension of the main documentary, this is an in-depth look at the making of the speeder chase on Pasaana. This extra delves into the design process, the building of the speeder, storyboarding, shooting on location in Jordan, the stunt-work, and more. This is a terrific, comprehensive featurette, and it never feels fluffy or EPK in nature.

Aliens in the Desert (HD; 5:59)

   This piece is all about shooting in Jordan. It takes a valuable and rare look at the logistics of shooting in the Jordanian desert, with up to 1,500 personnel who all need access to food and other amenities. Comprehensive footage shows equipment being packed up in the U.K. for shipping to Jordan, and the location managers even discuss creating roads to the set. If you've ever wondered what it takes for a major production to shoot in remote locations, this featurette provides the answer.

D-O: Key to the Past (HD; 5:33)

    Next up, we have a behind-the-scenes featurette about Ochi's ship and the new droid, D-O, which was voiced by director J.J. Abrams himself. There's some fun on-set footage here.

Warwick & Son (HD; 5:37)

    British actor Warwick Davis played the Ewok Wicket in Return of the Jedi back in the early 1980s. This featurette takes a behind-the-scenes look at his work on Return of the Jedi, and the actor discusses how he was hired. We then get to see Wicket being recreated for Episode IX, and Warwick's son, Harrison Davis, playing an Ewok alongside him.

Cast of Creatures (HD; 7:46)

    And finally, a featurette about the creature design and effects. This concentrates on the practical effects and puppetry, as well as ILM's visual effects work in post-production. Some of the practical effects look amazing, with Maz Kanata now a puppet after spending the last two films as a CGI creation.

R4 vs R1

NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.

    All standard editions feature the same supplementary material, however there's a Target exclusive in the U.S. with an additional featurette: A Final Alliance (25:32). Until further notice, that's the winner.

Summary

    It's impossible to please Star Wars fans at this point, and everyone will have a strong opinion about The Rise of Skywalker. For my money, though, this is a robust finale and an entertaining Star Wars picture that deserves to be witnessed on the biggest possible screen.

    Thankfully, The Rise of Skywalker is a winner on Blu-ray. The technical presentation is excellent and close to perfection, and there are hours of extras on the second disc which satisfyingly delve into the production. This set comes highly recommended.

Ratings (out of 5)

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

© Callum Knox (I studied biology)
Monday, March 30, 2020
Review Equipment
DVDSony UBP-X700 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Player, using HDMI output
DisplayLG OLED65E6T. This display device is 16x9 capable. This display device has a maximum native resolution of 2160p.
Audio DecoderBuilt in to amplifier/receiver. This audio decoder/receiver has not been calibrated.
AmplificationSamsung Series 7 HT-J7750W
SpeakersSamsung Tall Boy speakers, 7.1 set-up

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