Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is currently the worst-reviewed film of the new trilogy. Director J.J. Abrams was asked, this weekend, about his reaction to growing criticism from the fan base, according to Complex.
He began by explaining that there is no way to please everyone, and he knew this from the beginning. "How would one even go about it? Especially, with Star Wars," he asks. "We knew going into this that any decision we made, a design decision, a musical decision, a narrative decision would please someone and infuriate someone else."
He explained, "We live in a moment where everything immediately seems to default to outrage. There’s a kind of M.O. of either it’s exactly how I see it, or you’re my enemy."
Many critics are arguing that the new film does not do enough to bring anything new or interesting to the table. "Technically slick and impressively performed, this final installment is definitely entertaining, but the considerable fan service and nostalgic call backs make it less epic than we might have hoped," writes Sandie Angulo Chen of Common Sense Media.
The Rise of Skywalker totaled $176 million at the domestic box office, falling well short of its two predecessors: 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens earned $248 million opening weekend and 2017’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi received $220 million.
