Reviews of The Rise of Skywalker are decidedly mixed, but as a lifelong Star Wars fan I'm satisfied. I've been through many ups and downs with these movies, and for me this one is a fitting finale to the series.
Sitting at a midafternoon press screener in a mall, I was flooded with feelings that took me back through key moments of my life.
The Star Wars universe, it's fair to say, has been one of the few constants in my 43 years, besides my family. Even in Iran's Evin prison, where I spent 18 months of my life, I was reminded that the Force was with me.
As I sat one lonely afternoon in my cell, staring at the small television that was my only link to the outside world, a familiar yellow font filled the screen. The state broadcaster was playing Episode IV--A New Hope. Tears welled up in my eyes as I watched a dubbed version of the first story that inspired me to look beyond my own horizons.
A few weeks later, the same channel aired Episode I--The Phantom Menace. I can assure you, from hard-earned experience, that it's as bad in Persian as it is in English.
I'm grateful for The Rise of Skywalker. At a minimum, it has ended this saga without doing any irreparable damage. Because, like a blanket or a teddy bear, Star Wars was always there for me, and now it's time to let it go.
Since I grew up in Marin County, Calif., the image of Lucas always loomed. The Skywalker Ranch, the massive piece of land where the Star Wars creator lived and worked, was just a couple of exits up the road.
When the first film of the final trilogy was about to premiere in 2015, I was still in prison, miserably unaware of its existence. My wife and mom hadn't told me about The Force Awakens. They didn't want me to miss freedom more than I already did.
But then there was a disturbance in the Force.
Iran's television at that time broadcast all of President Barack Obama's speeches live. It was December 2015, and the nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers was about to go into effect.
That's how I saw Obama's year-end news conference in which he recounted the highs and lows of the previous 12 months. I was hoping he would be asked a question about me and other Americans held hostage in Iran.
No such luck. Obama abruptly ended his Q&A by saying: "OK everybody, I gotta get to Star Wars."
It was a great reminder that Star Wars doesn't belong to just me and it never had.
All of that is in the past now. And so, for me, is Star Wars.
Editorial on 12/20/2019