Top moments from TROS

-I loved the way they utilized the Leia footage and integrated her in the movie seamlessly. This was one of my biggest worries, but JJ and the editors pulled it off that gave her a major role in the movie and closure to her character that I never expected.

-I enjoyed the Luke/Rey scene on Ach-Tu as I never took it as JJ retconning TLJ Luke. I look at it more as a payoff to the ST Luke as his arc was essentially MIA in Episode 7, Hermit/Hopeless in Episode 8, and Hopeful in Episode 9.

-I ended up liking the redemption of Ben Solo despite the fact of being against it on these forums since TFA. I can't explain it but his redemption worked for me as I felt for the character in the 2nd half of the movie.

-Which leads to me to the Han/Ben scene which was one of my favorites of the movie. If you would have told me this scene as a spoiler, I would have rolled my eyes but it worked. Ford pullled it off, Driver pulled it off, definitely the turning point in me caring about Ben Solo and his redemption.

-I thought the introduction to Palpatine at the starting of the movie (where Kylo Ren meets him) was a great idea. JJ got right to the point that this was where the movie was going so I didn't have to wonder how the most evil guy was back. He was there in flesh and blood, and I could enjoy the rest of the movie.

-I liked that Rey, Finn and Poe were together most of the movie as it gave that sense of adventure that felt like the OT. Characters are the key to any movie, and if you don't care about them then what is the point of watching? I cared about those characters for 3 movies, and we finally got to see them together for a mission.

-I thought C3PO had his best role since ESB as he was essential to the plot, and not just there cause he's the iconic droid we meet in 1977.

I've only seen the movie twice so I may revisit this thread after the Blu-ray and multiple viewings where I can really delve into the whole movie and assess every scene.

 

1. Final scene with Rey on Tatooine is by far my favorite. Probably even of the entire saga because it's not only a beautiful scene aesthetically, and that the character I was with the entire ST finally found what she was looking for as the final line of dialogue is spoken. I just love the subtle expressionn of contented joy Daisy portrayed when delivering that last line. But it's also the way the scene gives added depth to the entire saga as a whole by having a character of the Palpatine family deliver the line as the first Jedi to emerge from the Final Order following the aftermath of Order 66. That the entire story has been leading to this point in time, everything having its own contained relevance leading into a relevance of the cumulative whole. Sidous gives Order 66 to purge the Jedi and bring imbalance to Anakin in the form of Vader so that Anakin could bring balance to himself overcoming Vader in order to save Luke so that Luke could guide Rey who could then bring balance to the Palpatines and emerge the First Jedi of the new order as a Skywalker. Expressing it as a quasi-mathematical formula: The Revenge of the Sith + The Return of the Jedi = The Rise of Skywalker. 3 + 6 = 9. To me, it's an astounding feat of writing. I personally had ideas on where to take the story but I'm glad they went this route. So much more, robust in theme.

2. The Kylo-Rey lightsaber duel I really liked. It's the first time I've seen a someone in a lightsaber duel on the verge of giving up. Looming defeat on every side; physically, emotionally, psychologically. Rey was just done. The duel really had its own signification in a lot of ways and made it unique. Plus I just like lightsaber duels in general, so win-win. But Leia to the rescue. Then the duel shifts and now it's Kylo who's done. Looming defeat on every side; physically, emotionally, psychologically. Han to the rescue. And then that culmination of the duel as Han reaches out to Ben in the mirror of TFA. It's just such a great scene in the ebb and flow-back and forth of a duel in so many aspects. The duel even reflects the "duel" of the movie's narrative which in turn reflects the "duel" of the Skywalker/Palpatine arc through the entire saga.

3. The final confrontation with Sidious (these all seem like the obvious) and Rey's call to the Jedi. Ian McDiarmid? Come on. That guy has just oozed mad-acting over-the-top evil through the entire saga from start to finish. Gold. And Ben shows up and Rey's not alone and she's so happy and just a subtle nod. I'm just describing the scene now but so good to me. And when Rey called out to the Jedi (I didn't recognize all of the voices, having only really watched the films) there was something deeply satisfying about hearing Qui-Gon and Mace in there with Obi-Wan, Anakin and Yoda. Ben shows up again, gives his life to the Jedi to begin anew. Oh and he smiled. Was so strange seeing his character smile, but satisyingly poignant.

Those seem obvious, don't they? It feels like I'm listing my top 3 movies as Citizen Kane, 2001, and Casablanca and then sip my tea as I shift my eyes about to make sure no one is questioning my obvious b.s. but, hey, in this case those really are the scenes.

 

1. "I know." - Han Solo

2. Ben saves Rey

3. "We had each other." - Lando

4. Ben receives a lightsaber from Rey

5. "Never be afraid of who you are." - Leia

6. lightsaber vs flashlight

7. Rey's yellow lightsaber

8. "You were a stormtrooper? You were a scavenger? I mean we could do this all night." - Poe

9. Babu Frik

10. "Does she do that to us?" - Poe

 

You know what, I've been trying to wedge a thought into a thread somewhere but couldn't figure out how without going off topic but now I think I figured out how to do it. So I'm going to call this my "top enigmatic moment" in TROS.

Zorri Bliss. So she wears this helmet around all the time. Okay, no big deal. Many people may wonder why; I'm not one of them. That's her thing, whatever. But there's the scene with Poe in which her visor comes up for a moment and all you see are her eyes. Her sad and pleading eyes. "You could come away with me" but in her eyes you see this sadness that she already knows the answer. And that's it. That's all you'll see of Zorri Bliss's face. Sad and pleading eyes waiting to be rejected. You say "Zorri Bliss" to me and all I see are those sad eyes.

I expected at the end, when we see her at the celebration, she'd take her helmet off and we see a happy face with happy eyes. But, nope. Sad eyes are all you get. Which is weird given the contrast with her name "Bliss". So what's up with that? Why you do that JJ? Why that one scene? Why did you not give me happy eyes Zorri? Yeah she's got happy in her voice at the end, but why not the eyes? Why bother having the visior come up just that one time?

It's like, "The saga is finished. Rey's done her thing. Ben's redeemed. Rey's happy. There's smiling Luke and Leia. Rey Skywalker. Ah, catharsis. It's all wrapped up nice and bright. It's all good. It's all... good. It's... all... " and then I see those sad eyes in my thoughts. "Oh yeah. Right. I almost forgot about that." And there's like this little, nagging thread dangling there. I feel I'm going to need a Zorri Bliss TV mini-movie or limited series to rectify this.

Ah, it's just me. But still. It's like, why? Why that scene? What's up with that? I just had to get this off my mind. Thanks for understanding.

 

JJ hit is out of the park with this ending. It's seems so cliched if you read this is a spoiler before the movie, but it totally works when you see it on screen, as it REALLY hit me when she walks into the Lars Homestead. It's like everything comes full circle.

 

There were many awesome moments in the movie, but the one that has now sent chills down my spine (and yes, a little tear to my eyes) in all three viewings I've had is the arrival of the people's fleet. And I'm calling it that and not "Resistance" because what is so powerful about it, and an absolutely perfect ending to the saga right there, is the fact that Lando and Chewie have amassed a huge group of ordinary people willing to fight for their freedom. Previously, all those who we saw fighting were, depending on the trilogy, the Jedi and clones, the Rebellion and Resistance., military people essentially, but now it's everyone. This reminded me a lot of the evacuation of Dunkirk (as illustrated e.g. in Christopher Nolan's movie from a few years ago), where civilians rescued soldiers from a dire situation.

A point has been made throughout this trilogy that the galaxy at large doesn't seem to appreciate all that much what the heroes of the OT did for them by defeating the Empire and reestablishing a republic: People feel like the Jedi are just a myth, Leia has fallen from grace because she's looked at as a warmonger and alarmist regarding the FO, supporters of the dark side are still around, ex-Imperials are still trying to claim their Empire back. Even the son of Han and Leia is more attracted to the legacy of his evil Sith grandfather than the example of his heroic parents. In TLJ finally, we see maybe the most obvious expression of the nonchalance with which the people of the galaxy seem to treat these events: no one answers Leia's call for help. It's like they're so used to shifting political tides, and tyranny always reestablishing itself, that they're too afraid to rise up - or that they simply don't care.

Now this last thing was a huge disappointment for me in TLJ, so that's a further reason why this scene made me so so happy. Also props to Abrams and Terrio for confirming the fact that this is not just "the cavalry" by including the line "These are just... people."

 

I liked the whole Rey/Ben arc which came to a satisfying conclusion (even though Ben died).

Something only few people mention: Hux' betrayal. He didn't turn into a good guy. He was still a pathetic greedy bastard. Snoke held him in a top position and gave him the illusion he was important. Kylo Ren was actually the most important one and his biggest rival. When Kylo Ren takes over, he's jealous, his ambitions are crippled. So what he did in TROS was a surprising twist, yet very logical.

Palpatine: before the ST i wouldn't have favored his return. But you can turn it the way you like: there simply is no better, more terrifying villain. Sometimes I believe he would beat the villains from mostly all other franchises.

 

I liked the way Rey defeated the training sphere with the stick using the lightsaber as a decoy, and then the follow-up of BB-8 being under the tree.

I liked when Ben said, "Ow" and feel like that may have been improvised. I think that Adam Driver did an absolutely fantastic job presenting a freed-up, looser side of his character. Based on TROS, Ben Solo is now one of my favorite characters of the whole saga and I really hope we get more time with him somewhow, someday.

I agree with Kevin Smith about Anthony Daniels- he was fantastic in this film.

 

I've only seen it once so far, and there were a ton of great scenes so I'm going to forget many, but here are a few things that stand out, in no particular order:

1. Exogol. This place is unlike anything we've seen in a SW movie, and yet it felt exactly right for Palpatine.
2. The duel on the Death Star wreckage. While it wasn't my favorite SW duel, it was great, and I loved the fact that the soundtrack consisted only of the sabers and waves. Something about that just made it all the more raw and brutal. Fantastic setting for a duel, too.
3. Ben Solo. It was great to see a redeemed Ben in action, rather than having him die right after his turn to the light. And I thought Adam Driver did a great job changing his mannerisms, even adding a few hints of Han Solo to his performance. And speaking of which...
4. Han Solo. It was a great surprise to see him one more time, and Harrison knocked it out of the park. That whole section of the film was quite the emotional juggernaut, with Leia dying, Han appearing, Ben turning, Rey giving up, etc.
5. Rey seeing Finn and Poe after the final battle. The expression on her face was perfect, and really captured the camaraderie among them.
6. Lando. I didn't know if BDW could recapture Lando, especially after seeing him in several recent interviews, but he absolutely did.

I'm sure when I see it again, different parts will stand out.

 

Some of my favorites that I recall:

- Quest of Kylo for the wayfinder and Exegol;
- Rey levitating rocks;
- All the scenes of Babu Frik;
- All scenes with C3P0;
- All Leia scenes;
- That festival in Pasaana;
- Chewie is dead moment;
- Rey healing the serpent;
- Wreckage of DS II;
- Rey x Ben on the sea;
- Ben Solo and Han Solo moment;
- Apparition of Jakku, Bespin and the ewoks on Endor;
- Last 3 minutes...Rey sliding, saying that she is a Skywalker, forceghosts Luke and Leia, yellow saber and last shot with the 2 suns.

 

It will be a top moment when I get the blu-ray home!

 

Exactly. It looks like the battle in ROTJ but it's different in that aspect of the fleet being "just people" - it adds a larger poignant dimension to that situational parallel. It doesn't just "rhyme" but that rhyme adds another level of meaning to the continuation of the narrative rhythm. And if you look at the fulcrum of motion it's Anakin Skywalker overcoming Darth Vader in ROTJ (bringing balance to the force within his own self) that sets in motion this ripple effect moving outward from a personal to a galactic level through the culmination of the saga in the ST. To even the Palpatine family being balanced in its own self along with the rest of the galaxy! That still blows my mind.

 

I forgot to put Rey sliding down the hill on my list. That definitely made me smile.

 

1. Any and all moments with Babu Frik
2. Rey sliding down the hill
3. Han Solo showing up as a "sorta ghost" who doesn't comb his hair

 

-Kylo Exegol Quest
-Dejarik game
-Lightspeed chase
-Rey reading old Jedi books
-Rey's lightning (top top, the effort, the position of hands, the surprise of the force power, her reaction)
-the old C3PO
-Babu Frik
-Death Star lightsaber fight
-Han Solo
-Insane Millennium Falcon fly shot over the cockpit
-Taking out the X-wing with the same music from Dagobah
-Rey "all the Jedi" moment with the 2 lightsabers (top top, the power of the scene, the music, Rey)
-Finn's natural sad/happy reaction hugging Poe and Rey in Ajan Kloss. You can see the end on his eyes.
-Rey final scenes (top top, Tatooine, Lars moisture farm, Yellow lightsaber, the two suns with Rey and BB8). Tears of joy.

 

Just came back from my 4th viewing. Which is odd, because after my first viewing I wasn't sure what to make of it - it felt so frenetic. Second viewing was much better, and tiday, well, I loved every damn second of it.

But each time there have been two stand out moments for me:

- Han & Ben. I'm so glad that Han touching his son's face in TFA meant something. It saved the Galaxy! Ben choking up "Dad...", Han "I know". Sublime, perfection, Sequel Trilogy pay off moment for me.

- The arrival of Lando, Cheque and the People's Fleet (Thank you @Matsemitsu ). Utter spine-tingling, goosebump inducing stuff. Surely the whole point of cinema. The music was fist-pumpingly good. Loved it.

However, a slightly overlooked moment that I really enjoyed this time round is when Ben received the lightsaber, looked at the KOR and gave such a Han-style shrug as if to say "Let's dance".

Loved it all.

 

"Do it!"- Palpatine