The STAR WARS trilogy was financially successful in a big way but reactions to all three films were all over the map. STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS thrived on fan nostalgia and was a hit with critics and fans, scoring a 93% Rotten Tomatoes score from critics and an 86% audience score on the site. STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI was also on the level with critics, securing a 92% score but cracks began to show when the audience was not pleased with director Rian Johnson's creative choices and the film scored a dismal 43% audience score. The polarizing reaction to THE LAST JEDI had lasting consequences that carried over to the final installment of the SKYWALKER trilogy. STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER backtracked with critics and fell to a rotten score of 52% but the audience appeared to like that film more than THE LAST JEDI at 86%. STAR WARS is no stranger to polarizing fan reaction but Daisy Ridley, who plays Rey in the latest trilogy, has responded to the conflicting feelings she had when THE RISE OF SKYWALKER didn't receive a warm welcome from critics.
While speaking with the "DragCast podcast", Ridley shared her feelings about how she felt when critics, and some fans, dragged THE RISE OF SKYWALKER after its release on December 18:
"It's changed film by film honestly, like 98% it's so amazing, this last film was really tricky. January was not that nice. It was weird, I felt like all of this love that we'd sort been shown the first time around, I was like, Where's the love gone?"
Ridley admitted to sort of being a bubble with the project because when she was in the middle of it, the film was made with so much love that it feels different when you're a part of something and then it has to be judged by the masses when it's over:
"I watched the documentary, the making-of The Skywalker Legacy, this week and it's so filled with love, and I think it's that tricky thing of when you're [art of something that is so filled with love and the people don't like it. You know, everyone's entitled to not like something, but it feels like it's changed slightly. But I think in general that's because social media and what have you."
Social media has certainly made things a bit harder for films. Everyone has an opinion and the platform has turned just about everyone into their own personal film critic. It's very easy for a film to get dragged on Twitter before it's even halfway through its opening day and that's the power of the social media realm. Ridley commented a bit on that aspect and she noted that if she didn't like a film, she wouldn't tweet about it online. She also expressed that, despite any criticism, she's extremely proud of being part of the whole experience:
"I guess now conversations are just more public, so there's stuff I wouldn't have seen, but honestly trying to scroll through my newsfeed in January and trying to not see Star Wars stuff, I'd see headlines and by like Oh my god this is so upsetting. So it's been tricky, but then it's having that thing of I feel really proud of it, and I'm so thrilled to be a part of it."
Ridley should be proud of being part of the experience. She headlined a STAR WARS trilogy with each film clearing $1 billion worldwide and no matter what anyone says, they have been successful. I have gripes about THE LAST JEDI and THE RISE OF SKYWALKER but my criticism didn't reach the visceral level of that of most of the fans. Everyone is going to have an opinion of a brand this huge and that's never going to change but it's just a matter of how much weight should the performers involved should give that criticism?
Did YOU like THE RISE OF SKYWALKER? Should Daisy Ridley be proud of what they accomplished?