Star Wars Sequel Trilogy: 12 Missed Opportunities We'll NEVER Get Over

3. Forcing John Williams To Be A Nostalgia Machine

Outside the incredible creature designs and art department in general, John Williams might be the one takeaway element of every single main Star Wars film, that has been truly exemplary.

At least, when he's allowed to be.

Episodes IV-VI gave us the Imperial March, Luke, Han and Leia's themes, Binary Sunset and SO many lifetime-defining pieces of music. The prequels might have skimped on the script, but we still got entire movie's worth of expertly-crafted compositions, Anakin's theme, the mighty Duel of the Fates and tons of pieces that have brought endless amounts of additional media to life.

For the new movies... well, honestly I adore Rey's theme, and thankfully Williams knocks it out the park with this piece of music in Rise of Skywalker, but that's about it.

There's something so annoyingly "safe" about the directions Williams was given in these new movies. At every turn it seems he was told to recreate something from the past; to lean into what went before, and forgo meaningful new territory.

Can you think of Finn's theme, Poe's? Is there any scene in the new movies made better by a unique piece of John Williams music that ISN'T from an older film?

Williams was notably subdued across these newer flicks, and I have no idea why.