As part of a headline that many people have likely been hoping to see for a while now, Disney Plus just made some subtle changes toStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalkeron its streaming service. Interestingly enough, they also seem to not be particularly keen on drawing attention to it, as several Twitter posts detailing the changes have been quickly deleted. Whether that’s the work of the post writers themselves or Disney cracking down is up for debate, but who doesn’t love some potentially spicy Hollywood drama?
Unfortunately for those who have been crossing their fingers, the changes aren’t exactly world-shaking and don’t offer any adjustments that contradictthe original release ofThe Rise of Skywalker. But some may find them to be a worthwhile improvement. The most noticeable from the start is a small color shift of the whole movie, switching out that blue-green filter that confused many viewers for something a little more standard. Aside from that, the new materials also include some updated subtitles, which some might see as a long time coming, especially in one particular scene.
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Unlike more radical changes like those between theshow and book versions ofShadow and Bone, the most drastic difference seen inStar Wars: Episode 9after the Disney Plus update is simply the color grading. The original release of the film saw everything covered in a rather unconventional filter, giving each shot a distinctly teal-ish hue, as seen in the image below from The Direct. Similar to the green tint seen inFallout 3or the divisive yellow one inDeus Ex: Human Revolution, some fans simply didn’t notice it while others had a difficult time ignoring it. Whether or not that affected Disney’s decision to make the change is up for debate.
Another, arguably more substantial update comes from the subtitles in the film’s final act. When Rey is at her lowest point, the voices of past Jedi all speak to her and give her strength. The scene featured surprise voice cameos likeAshley Eckstein as Ahsoka Tano, Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn, and even deeper cuts like Jennifer Hale as Aayla Secura. The thing is the subtitles in the original release listed many of them as simply “Male Jedi” or “Female Jedi 2,” leaving some fans to look up the names themselves. This is one change that is likely to be more universally welcomed.
TheRise of Skywalkerhas been famously poorly received, even from fans of theStar Warssequel trilogy. This was largely due to the film’s perceived attempt at catering to the loudest critics of its predecessor,The Last Jedi, to the point where fully set up plot details were dropped entirely in the interest of fan service. This included massively reducing Kelly Marie Tran’s role as Rose Tico after the actress suffered a deluge of hate and toxicity from the less palatable sectors of theStar Warsfandom, as well as a number of plot decisions largely seen as uninspired at best. While the blue-green tint of the film wasn’t exactly on many fans' list of most egregious offenses, some will still surely see its removal as a positive.
WhileThe Rise of Skywalkerhas certainly inspired some much-needed discussions, such as on the topic ofracism as spearheaded by star John Boyega, many still see the film as a net negative in theStar Warsseries. Disney is unlikely to offer any more substantial changes than this, which is frankly a good thing since changing a finished product to cater to backlash can be a slippery slope. But hopefully, it becomes an experience they can learn from.
TheStar Warssaga is now available on Disney Plus.
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