STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER (2019) Special Look Reaction

The internet is once again abuzz with speculation about The Rise of Skywalker thanks to controversial footage in the new Sizzle Reel Trailer. It merges all of the upcoming finale's previous eight episodes with beautiful fluidity before revealing brand-new, awe-inspiring footage. Abrams guarantees a satisfying ending that concludes the entire Skywalker saga.

Disney seems to have perfected a lucrative marketing strategy of Star Wars possibilities, and fans eat it up every time. One would think we learned our lesson by now. Provocative footage will entice regardless of whether or not the final product delivers. Yet, here we are, and I grow tired of repeating myself. Instead, let the legendary reviewer MatPat explain here.

On that happy note, let's examine what we know so far: trailers, posters, and interviews as logically as possible. Four observations stick out to me in light of this new footage:

1. At least four different environments appear on the screen.

• A jungle terrain:
  This is most likely the secret location of the Resistance base. Not only do we see Rey train here, but it is also the only place that Leia appears in any footage. Given her extreme limitations, we may see Leia take the side bench in any important battle scenes. It is after all her turn to relinquish her role to the young people like Han and Luke before her. Poe Dameron will most likely be the one to take her place.
• A city, possibly Cloud City:
  This will be where Lando joins the fight. The Resistance will seek him out where we last saw him residing and working in Cloud City. Eager to sit at the Falcon's controls again, he will gladly join the fight.
• A desert planet:
  A good amount of the trailer footage revolves around this terrain. This will probably be a parallel to the battle of Endor in the Return of the Jedi. After Finn recruits a large tribe of disgruntled desert dwellers to join the cause, a battle against the Resistance commences. Meanwhile, Rey is off on her own to confront Kylo Ren for either the first and final time. It would appear that the galaxy is finally getting fed up with lifetimes of tyranny.
• A water planet (harboring the ruins of Death Star 2):
  What brings the group of heroes to this cold, haunted relic? One can only guess. War hardly provides the time for the new Jedi to brush up on her scavenging skills. Whatever they hope to find there must be crucial for their victory. Unfortunately, Kylo arrives and interrupts Rey's mission.

2. Kylo Ren and Rey confront each other more than once.
This is the first Star Wars film where the villain and the hero face off more than once. The predecessors of Episode IX always provide one epic final battle, which usually ends in tragedy. Like everything else in the franchise, Kylo and Rey love to brush off the rules of their masters and do what they want.

The opening shot of the teaser trailer shows Rey disrupting Kylo's early morning test run of his new silencer. She aims to disarm the ship jumping on top of it and jamming her newly repaired lightsaber into it. Thus, he makes an emergency landing and exits the vehicle, quite unhappily. The new trailer now teases a second battle on the remnants of the Death Star 2. This time, Kylo has no intention of holding back. They both swing at each other as if their lives depends on it, or perhaps each other's lives depend on it.

I can only hope Kylo would stop fighting and tell her that he loves her before something awful happens.

3. The image of Dark Rey appears.
It is unlikely that this is nothing more than a vision, because every other shot reveals her in her signature Jedi white. There is little chance that Rey would turn to the Dark Side with enough time to acquire new clothes and construct a new double-bladed lightsaber. Also, her surroundings in the shot appear dark and metallic, like the inside of the Death Star 2. Somehow, Kylo enters the ruins and has a vision of Rey's downfall. This is the most likely explanation. Unless...

This really happens to Rey, which leads me to my final and most shocking point.

4. Palpatine returns.
There can be little doubt that Palatine will have a pivotal role in this film. With Snoke dead and Kylo Ren remaining conflicted between the light and dark, the story needs an unrepentant villain. The downside is that he's dead. If his spirit remains attached to the ruins, he would be looking for a host. Who better than the beautiful, young, and powerful Rey? She would be a perfect opportunity for him to start over and rebuild the Empire after the fall of the First Order.

Simply put, three minutes of trailer footage does not provide enough information to determine the story-line of a massive feature film, one that will no doubt have a 2-3 hour run-time. In fact, the new trailer has me more confused than ever. There appears to be so much planet hopping and so many battles, it is difficult to decide where the events fall on the timeline. One can only speculate. Boy oh boy, are we speculating.

Let me say this. I sincerely doubt Rey will turn to the Dark Side. Instead, Kylo Ren has a vision of her uncertain future should she enter the Death Star. This will lead him to finally decide between the Dark Side and the Light Side. Will he chose the dark and allow Palpatine to possess her. Or will he chose the light and save her?

That is the ultimate question.

THE STAR WARS CHRONICLES