Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Review)
A Spoiler-Free Review of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
After Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the bar for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was set low (not prequels low, but low enough). Rest easy though, while Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker definitely has its fair share of problems, but they pale in comparison to the issues of the last film. This time around, the movie is focused on being a lighthearted adventure like the originals that sends our heroes on one last quest with the fate of the galaxy in the balance. A lot of questions are answered, some more satisfactorily than others, and everything manages to come together by the end. It is far from a perfect film, but it’s a damn fun one. I’m sure there will be a lot of toxic fans out there that will take issue with every minute detail. Overall, I found it to be a fun time at the movies, as long as I didn’t take the time to think too hard about what was going on.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is the final chapter in the Star Wars Skywalker saga that started with Anikan and ends with, well, you’ll just have to see the movie to find out. All our favorites from the recent films are back, including Poe (Oscar Isaac), Finn (John Boyega), and Rey (Daisy Ridley), as well as a few familiar faces from the past. The film picks up after The Last Jedi as the rebellion continues to defy The First Order and tries to save the galaxy from the space-aged fascists, now led by Vader fanboy, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). Of course, a new threat has now arisen, and if you’ve seen the trailers you can guess that it has something to do with OG Star Wars baddie, Emperor Palpatine AKA Darth Sidious. It’s up to our three heroes to go on one last adventure as they endeavor to save the galaxy once and for all from this ultimate evil.
I’m going to get the bad out of the way first with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. The film feels incredibly rushed during the first two acts. You barely have time to process what’s happening in one scene before you’re whisked off across the galaxy to another. Director J.J. Abrams isn’t exactly known for “glacial pacing” in his films, but it appears he’s in a mad dash to get through this one. There’s so much that needs to happen in order for the climax to occur that a lot of scenes and new characters (including a badass former Storm Trooper played by Naomi Ackie) don’t get the focus that they need or deserve. The worst shortcoming is that The Rise of Skywalker feels like it’s swinging wild when it comes to the emotional beats. What should be scenes that bring tears to fans’ eyes or let them shout for joy are just glazed over. By the end, Abrams is even throwing in a few “oh, by the way” reveals in order to make sure all the pieces fit. Still, the pieces do come together.
If I had to choose one word to describe Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker it would be epic. The film fully embraces science fantasy as the three champions head off on a Lord of the Rings-esque adventure to find the last hope for their scrappy team of Rebels to take out Kylo Ren and his First Order. This means a lot of new worlds, new characters, and new creatures for them to encounter. While I mentioned that a number of scenes feel rushed, the action sequences this time around are top-notch. Much of the film is spent following the three heroes as they try to escape from pursuers rather than engage so that they can focus on their mission. This leads to a lot of incredible chase sequences and rapid-fire blaster battles. Given that it’s almost two and a half hours long, there’s also time for a few lightsaber duels as well. The effects used to create all these new worlds and extraordinary sequences are top-notch.There is also the fact that the film contains a posthumous performance by Carrie Fisher as Leia Organa that is jaw-droppingly convincing. It was a fitting final goodbye to Fisher that will hopefully allow closure for the bigger fans out there.
Although a lot of the more emotional scenes are rushed in The Rise of Skywalker, the film still has a lot of heart. This is mostly thanks to the chemistry between the actors, especially Isaac and Boyega. The two have taken over the Millenium Falcon and together make a fitting Han Solo substitute alongside Chewbacca. Ridley’s Rey is just as tortured this time around as emo sith Kylo Ren, especially since a lot of answers about her character’s past are finally revealed. I won’t spoil them, but I’ll admit I didn’t see this one coming. The relationship between these two becomes much deeper as they circle each other, both metaphorically and literally, throughout the film. This is probably because they’ve always been a mirror for one another and now the line that divides them is starting to fade even more. What really makes The Rise of Skywalker better than The Last Jedi is that it is much more humorous. Some of the jokes are a bit lame, but good old C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) really saves the day in a lot of scenes. He is absolutely hilarious in this film, and that lightheartedness gives this movie a swashbuckling tone that enhances the overall adventurous themes in it.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is not the best Star Wars film. It’s also far from the worst. It is a fitting final chapter in the Skywalker epic, managing to sew up a lot of loose ends left hanging throughout the series. I’m not just talking about the plot holes in The Last Jedi, but I mean, EVERYTHING. As in a lot of the problems fans even had with old Star Wars movies. It’s a lot to process and it does feel more than a little frantic and chaotic, but I honestly felt goosebumps on more than one occasion. Cinematically, the movie is probably just above average (and I mean average in the most literal sense). However, when it comes to the entertainment value, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker brings it in spades. Incredible effects, characters audiences have history with, and a few cute new aliens and droids make this a worthwhile film. If you plan to see it, definitely pay to see it on the biggest and best screen you can. The spectacle is the backbone and that’s worth a few extra bucks.
