I remember going on my first date, at fifteen, to see the first Star Wars movie, Star Wars IV: A New Hope. I remember hearing that this was the fourth in a series of nine films, and being confused as to why they didn’t start with number one, and then when they bounced back to number one after number six, I just checked out. I didn’t see Star Wars I, I, or III: I waited for VII to IX, because otherwise things would be out of order. When this one starts streaming I can watch I – IX all in a row, if I like.
Because I started with that first date at that first movie in 1977, it was a nice bookend to see the last one with my husband of 34 years. And that’s how I felt about the movie: it’s a completion, a tradition, it can be utter garbage as a stand-alone movie, but it isn’t a stand-alone movie, that’s the point. The critics have not been kind, but I feel Star Wars IX should get extra credit for all the good movies in its past. (Again, I skipped I – III.)
At any rate, I don’t want to spoil the plot, so instead I will give you a medical alert. I had read that the lighting effects can cause seizures in people with photo-sensitive epilepsy, and since Gary has epilepsy I wanted to know what specific scene might cause problems. All my Google searches on the subject came back with “Watch out! This movie may cause seizures!” but no further detail.
So, what people with epilepsy need to look out for are two battle scenes, one at the beginning and one at the end. There is no Strobe Gun or any real reason for the flashing that I could see, unless it’s some kind of subterranean storm lightning. It was dark and flashy, and while Gary wasn’t bothered by the beginning scene, he did have to close his eyes once during the scene near the end. You’ve been warned.
I enjoyed it, but as I say, how could I not? It’s the last Star Wars movie.