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The Star Wars film-makers’ well-crafted workaround, following the actor’s death in 2016, keeps Leia where she belongs in the ranks of the saga’s greatest heroes
Spoiler alert: this article reveals major plot details
If Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is to be remembered for anything other than its mediocre reviews (the poorest for a live-action Star Wars film since the abominable Phantom Menace), it will probably be as an exercise in corporate box-ticking and fan service. Round off the latest trilogy in the long-running space saga with a satisfying final instalment: check. Reintroduce one of the original trilogy’s most liked faces in Billy Dee Williams’ Lando Calrissian: check. Establish a credible character arc for the new movies’ key antagonists: Daisy Ridley’s Rey and Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren/Ben Solo: check (just about).
Director JJ Abrams must be given credit for pulling off such a storytelling endeavour, even if the result feels clunky and a little lifeless at times. But the film-maker’s toughest task – and the one that may ultimately have damaged The Rise of Skywalker’s chances of standing with the saga’s greatest instalments – was to ensure that Carrie Fisher’s Leia retained her position at the heart of the movie, despite the actor having died in 2016 before filming began. Continue reading...