Star Wars same-sex kiss

I finally saw Star Wars IX The Rise of Skywalker. If you still haven’t seen it yet and want to perhaps you should save this post until later.

Yeah, the film opened almost two months ago. I didn’t want to be caught in the rush of fans. Then there were other things to do during my weekends. But then it disappeared from the first-run theaters and I knew I had to act. I caught it at a second-run theater at the only time they were showing it today: 1:30. There were five of us in the audience. I could have waited another month to see it at a nicer second-run theater and with a much bigger crowd, but I’ll soon be visiting people who will expect that I’ve seen it.

My impression is the whole thing is a muddle. I’m not the only one who thinks that way. Metacritic gave it a score of 53/100. Metacritic fans gave it only 4.9/10. Scores like that were a reason why I didn’t want to be trampled by the faithful. There are websites that list plot holes, such as this one that lists 16 and another that lists 20 (some are the same in the two lists). The biggest was: Didn’t we get rid of Lord Palpatine at the end of Episode VI?

However, towards the end it did make an important point that supremacists try to make us feel that we’re facing them alone. But we have allies, people who believe as we do. Alas, the success of recruiting allies is one of the plot holes (even though it is wonderful to see on screen).

The three main characters in this trilogy are Rey, Finn, and Poe. Rey is female and exhibits a strong use of the Force. Finn and Poe are male and are the ones who have her back. They aren’t nearly as much fun as Leia, Luke, and Han were in the original trilogy.

Finn and Poe are best buds. Their onscreen chemistry was so good that some fans wondered if their friendship was the start of gay love. Even Oscar Isaacs, who plays Poe, had said he wanted that to happen. There is a same-sex kiss on screen, but it isn’t Finn or Poe. It’s a lesbian kiss that is so brief it would be easily missed.

LGBTQ people are crying foul (an article I recommend). They say Disney is too timid. Even worse, rather than allowing us to imagine a romance that isn’t explicitly stated, the story gives Poe a former girlfriend and has Finn and a woman hit it off really well.