I began writing about a few of my favorite scenes (in no particular order) from The Rise of Skywalker long before the Blu-Ray was released but I never quite finished it. While editing, I decided to leave in my initial reactions upon seeing the film for the first time. I think it makes for great memories! I really love TROS so if this movie isn't your thing, you might want to skip this one especially if positivity surrounding it will trigger you.
KYLO & REY FACE-OFF ON PASAANA
Pasaana, as a whole makes, me really happy, much like it did Rey as she witnessed the joy from the Aki-Aki species as they danced in celebration of the Festival of the Ancestors. I've seriously considered learning the dance number and I might just make that happen one day. But my favorite scene on Pasaana is when Kylo and Rey meet in person for the first time in the film. From the moment that we see Rey preparing her self mentally to face off against Kylo Ren in his TIE Silencer (which really spoke to me since I deal with anxiety and the fear of trying new things), I found myself completely mesmerized by how beautifully the entire sequence was shot. Nothing is said during their encounter with each other but everything is felt, and to me, that is an extraordinary thing when actors are able to convey their thoughts and emotions through their facial expressions and actions alone. There's a couple of shots in particular that I absolutely adore including Rey Force jumping over the TIE and when Kylo and Rey are both using the Force to control the transport that Rey suspects Chewbacca is on (a Force move we had only previously seen in The Force Unleashed game). It's a wide shot of both of them on the desert sands of Pasaana with the transport in the air being tugged on from both the Dark Side and the Light. It's so simple but so remarkable and it really adds to the intensity of the situation. When Kylo finally pushes Rey hard enough that she shoots force lightning from her fingertips, which then explodes the transport, I was so shocked (no pun intended)! At the same time, I believed Chewbacca died, so I was completely overrun with emotions. I cried an insane amount of times while watching The Rise of Skywalker but I think that moment is when I cried the hardest. My heart broke into pieces when Rey screamed, "Chewie!!!". I think that Rey using force lightning confirmed to Kylo that not only had she become more powerful but that she was indeed a Palpatine. But of course, I didn't know she was a Palpatine yet during my first viewing. After seeing it multiple times afterwards, it's crazy the new perspectives I perceived not only during this scene but in many others throughout this film as there were several shockers!
KYLO VS. REY ON KEF BIR
I truly love every second of the interactions between Kylo and Rey on Kef Bir. I think it's fantastic that we can still see Kylo struggling with himself when he tells Rey she can't go back to his mother in the state that she's in, just like he can't. I love that he doesn't have his saber drawn upon meeting her even though Rey is clearly angry with her saber ignited (Dark Rey is just so much fun and something I wish we got to see a little more of). Not to mention that their lightsaber duel literally takes place on the remains of the Death Star with the violent waters of Kef Bir surrounding them. What could be more epic? It's honestly one of my favorite lightsaber battles that exists because the location and climate are so unique and we get to see a lot of new moves from both Kylo and Rey. And then you throw Leia into the mix which caught me completely off guard the first time I saw it. Prior to seeing the film, I secretly hoped we would somehow witness another interaction between Kylo and his mother and even though it was a short scene, it was such an impactful and pure moment. The way Kylo immediately turns without hesitation IN THE MIDDLE OF A LIGHTSABER BATTLE after he hears his mother call his name was incredibly cinematic and a huge testament to the love and respect he has for her. My understanding of this scene is that Leia knew that her son and Rey were both in trouble. I think she felt a disturbance in Rey and also felt that Kylo might have died, like she had feared before during her Jedi training with Luke. She knew that she had to intervene to prevent them both from getting hurt. Leia stops him from taking a strike at Rey but when Ben is distracted by his mother's voice, Rey takes the opportunity to strike him with Kylo's saber that he dropped out of shock of hearing his mom. As soon as she strikes him, Leia passes. Rey and Kylo feel it instantly. I WAS A WRECK. When Rey heals Kylo's wound, as well as the scar that she gave him on his face on Starkiller Base, I had the best feeling about his fate and the future of their relationship. Kylo is so focused on the fact that she healed him and they both just stare at each other. "I did want to take your hand. Ben's hand." OH. MY. HEART. It's clearly evident that the events that took place did a number on Kylo but there was one thing left to do. He needed to confront his dad again and forgive himself for what he did. I was so happy that I had no idea that Han would be in this film though I wondered about the possibility of a flashback scene. Watching Han and Kylo interact is an absolute treat because Ford and Driver are just so good at what they do. This interaction being the last step that Kylo needed to take to become Ben Solo again made so much sense, and I love that it concluded with him throwing his hilt into the waters. As much as I love the Dark Side and Kylo Ren, I couldn't be happier that he made the choice to change.
BEN & REY ON EXOGOL
Once again, another scene where almost no words are exchanged between Rey and Ben but it works so well. I was filled with such joy when Ben showed up on Exogol to help Rey. He ran with everything inside of him to get to her as soon as he could. It's still mind blowing to me how much of a changed man he was just in his mannerisms alone and I love how it is clearly evident he is his father's son. For me, one of the best moments during this scene is when Rey is about to make the sacrifice and kill the Emperor to save her friends. She feels Ben's presence through the Force. The calm yet magical music when Rey realizes Ben is there, and that's he changed, is like a dream. A dream she thought perhaps would never come true. Rey transfers the reforged Skywalker saber through their connection in the Force to Ben to fight off the Knights of Ren while she uses Leia's saber to defeat the Emperor's guards. Watching them both do their thing, both more powerful than ever, was so satisfying. I could honestly watch it on repeat. I only wish we got to see them fight alongside each other against the Emperor before Rey so bravely took him on herself. Everything happened so fast afterwards. I couldn't believe that in a matter of minutes they were both dead at different points. Before Ben sacrifices himself to bring Rey back, they have an absolute beautiful moment of smiles, tender touches and a kiss. It was almost everything I wanted. I would've liked more time with them TOGETHER. I've never liked the movie Sleepless in Seattle because as the viewer, you wait throughout the entire film for the two main characters to be together, and when it finally happens, the movie ends. It's absolutely dreadful. I had similar feelings with the situation with Ben and Rey but at the same time, I also viewed it as a bittersweet. I would have loved to see Ben Solo live but I don't know what that would've looked like unless they had ran away together which doesn't seem like a realistic option to me. Otherwise, I think he would have been stuck in a prison cell due to his actions as Kylo Ren and Supreme Leader. I try to focus on the fact that he died with a clear conscience and that he was happy. And I think Rey, although heartbroken, was also happy for him. I also like to believe that because they're a dyad in the Force, they'll truly always be together. Do I think he could come back? Possibly. I'm not the biggest fan of characters dying and coming back to life but if it makes sense and it's done well, it doesn't bother me. A perfect example of this would be Darth Maul. How he returned was explained and it was absolutely plausible. His character also brings a lot of depth to the stories in The Clone Wars, Rebels and Solo: A Star Wars Story. When it comes down to it, I accept what happened, but as a huge fan of both Ben and Rey as individuals and as a couple, I would love to see more of them.
My thoughts and opinions on these moments throughout the film are based on my personal opinions after seeing the movie numerous times. I've only read a portion of the novel (I know, I need to get on that). I'm curious to see if I will gain new insight on either of these scenes after finishing it.
Tell me, if you had to choose three favorite scenes from TROS, what would they be? Let me know in a comment below or get in touch with me on Instagram or Twitter.
Images via StarWarsScreencaps.com.
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