Star Wars: The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson praises The Rise of Skywalker in an interview. In the two months since the latter film was released, many viewers have argued The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker are seemingly at odds with each other in regard to the sequel trilogy's overall story. A number of Rise of Skywalker plot points were perceived as Last Jedi retcons, including the decision to make Rey Emperor Palpatine's granddaughter, the sidelining of Rose Tico, and Luke Skywalker's old X-wing being fully functional. The Rise of Skywalker filmmakers have offered their defenses of these aspects, but the general feeling is the film undoes some of what Johnson achieved on Last Jedi.

Johnson was quick to hype up the Rise of Skywalker teaser trailer that debuted at Celebration Chicago last April, but he's been conspicuously quiet on Star Wars following the movie's premiere. Seemingly, his only public comments to date about The Rise of Skywalker was tweeting out a picture of Kelly Marie Tran (who plays Rose) as a way of showing support amidst the discourse. This led some to wonder about Johnson's thoughts on the film, and now he's offered them.

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Speaking with MTV News at the 2020 Oscars (where he was nominated for Best Original Screenplay), Johnson was asked for his review of Rise of Skywalker. As one can expect, he had nothing but positive things to say about the Skywalker saga finale:

"I had a blast, man. Made me so proud seeing the heart and soul that J.J. put into it. And seeing my friends who were in the movie just like, bring the whole thing to a conclusion. Yeah, for me as a Star Wars fan, it was a really special experience."

Rian Johnson and Star Wars The Last Jedi

Johnson obviously wasn't going to say anything controversial in this spot, but it's possible this is a little more than just a generic statement. He previously went on record to say he didn't care if Rise of Skywalker retconned The Last Jedi, and he primarily cared about being entertained while watching the movie. So, certain elements that have been fueling debates for weeks probably didn't bother Johnson as much as some viewers might have thought. This is a fascinating juxtaposition compared to Abrams' comments about The Last Jedi (made right before Rise of Skywalker opened), where he appeared to criticize Johnson's subversive approach. At the same time, Abrams has complimented Last Jedi multiple times in the past (particularly in reference to Luke's arc), so perhaps there isn't any bad blood at all between the two directors.

It's unlikely Johnson's Rise of Skywalker review will sway viewers' opinions (in one way or another), but it's still nice to see him take the high road and offer a level-headed response to the question. It's similar to Tran's comments on Rose's diminished role, where she expressed gratitude for just being a part of such a massive, influential franchise. Moviegoers are never going to stop arguing about the ins and outs of Star Wars (which is all part of the fun, according to Johnson), but those who made the films definitely have a different perspective on things and feel it's better to just support their Star Wars family members.

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Source: MTV News