Unfortunately, not all kisses are good kisses. In movies, you’ve got the kisses of Jack and Rose in “Titanic,” Rick and Ilsa in “Casablanca,” and Kevin and Chiron in “Moonlight.” All those are good kisses you’d want to watch them repeatedly. But, there’s a kiss that you might want to skip, and that’s Rey and Kylo Ren’s kiss in “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” Fans are dismayed. Here’s why.
‘Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker’
A 2019 “Star Wars” movie – yes, a few moments before the COVID-19 pandemic struck – “The Rise of Skywalker,” officially known as “Star Wars: Episode IX,” is the third installment of the sequel trilogy of the epic space opera film, following “The Force Awakens” and “The Last Jedi.” It is also the last episode of the “Skywalker saga,” which consists of nine parts.
Directed, co-written, and produced by J. J. Abrams, this movie follows Rey, Finn, and Poe Dameron as they take on a quest to lead the remnants of the Resistance in the last stand against Kylo Ren, the Supreme Leader and the First Order, which the resurrected Sith Lord, Emperor Palpatine, allied with.
The movie features a stellar ensemble cast that includes Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, John Boyega, Naomi Ackie, Anthony Daniels, Richard E. Grant, Domhnall Gleeson, Keri Russell, Lupita Nyong’o, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, Billy Dee Williams, and Ian McDiarmid.
Who Is Rey Skywalker?
At first, a scavenger from Jakku, Rey emerged as a pivotal figure in the Resistance during the First Order-Resistance War. Born in 15 ABY – ABY is the dating system equivalent to BC in the real world – she was Dathan’s daughter. Dathan is a cloned descendant of Emperor Palpatine. Now, here’s a dramatic story. His wife, Miramar, hid Rey to shield her from her dark lineage.
Following the death of her parents, she survived on her own on Jakku, developing and honing exceptional mechanics, piloting, and combat skills. Eventually, she found her destiny shifting when she came across BB-8, a droid, leading her to sign up for the Resistance. This also prompted her to train as a Jedi under the tutelage of Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, as well as face her Face sensitivity and connection to Kylo Ren.
In 35 ABY, Rey found herself confronting her heritage as Palpatine’s granddaughter, resisting his plan and motive to turn her to the dark side. With the help of Ben Solo, she defeated Palpatine, then died, but was revived by the sacrifice of Solo. She then embraced the legacy of a Skywalker and, spoilers ahead, claimed the title of Jedi Master.
How About Kylo Ren?
Born Ben Solo, Kylo Ren is the son of Leia Organa and Han Solo. He was a powerful Force-sensitive introduced in the Skywalker legacy in 5 ABY. Darth Sidious groomed him from such a young age as Sidious used Supreme Leader Snoke to lure him, causing Kylo Ren to get manipulated to ally with the dark side in spite of his training as a Jedi under his uncle, Luke Skywalker.
Fast-forward to 28 ABY, an intense confrontation with Luke led Kylo Ren to turn completely to the dark side, officially being called Kylo Ren. Kylo Ren now is the Knights of Ren leader and ultimately, the Supreme Leader of the First Order. He badly wanted to rule the galaxy as a Sith, but a deep conflict was like a seed growing into a plant within him, exacerbated by his Force-bond with Rey, who still saw the goodness in him. In 35 ABY, at the last bout with Rey, his mom’s final act of love redeemed him, and he sacrificed his own life to save Rey, dying in peace as a true Jedi.
The Rey And Kylo Ren Kiss
As Dua Lipa would sing it, “One kiss is all it takes… possibilities…” But apparently, it’s not possibilities from the kiss between Rey and Kylo Ren.
It all started smoothly, however. Kylo Ren turned back to the light side to help Rey win, but even with this move of his and the new Force powers introduced in the movie’s story, it took everything out of her, leading to Rey’s death. However, Kylo Ren managed to revive her using his own life force, and then the two kissed before he united with the Force.
Why Fans Are Dismayed
It’s not the kiss that fans would gush over it. In fact, they want to crush it. Game Rant said this kiss “ruined both their character arcs.”
On Quora, Sam Marchiony, who claims to hold a Master’s Degree in Theatre Studies, said the kiss did not give justice to the story.
“There wasn’t enough grounding for a believable romance, and it didn’t make sense from a story perspective either,” Marchiony said.
Surprisingly, even Daisy Ridley, the actress who played Rey in “The Rise of Skywalker,” has her take on the kiss. She said that it wasn’t a romantic kiss, but just a goodbye kiss between the two.
Scott Mendelson, a Forbes correspondent who covers the film industry, said “The Rise of Skywalker” is the worst “Star Wars” movie ever.
“The Rise of Skywalker is a bad movie and a miserable finale that serves no purpose other than to reassure adult fans of the original Star Wars that they are still the ‘chosen ones’ of the pop culture galaxy,” Mendelson wrote.
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