About the film (courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures):
Lucasfilm and director J.J. Abrams join forces once again to take viewers on an epic journey to a galaxy far, far away with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the riveting conclusion of the seminal Skywalker saga, where new legends will be born and the final battle for freedom is yet to come. The film stars Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Anthony Daniels, Naomi Ackie, Domhnall Gleeson, Richard E. Grant, Lupita Nyong’o, Keri Russell, Joonas Suotamo, Kelly Marie Tran, and Billy Dee Williams.
A saga 42 years in the making has finally reached its finish line. While the idea of there being no more Skywalker stories seems a bit foreign to me personally, I am fully aware that all things must come to an end. The Rise of Skywalker is the final installment of this particular story line and it hopes to go out in grand fashion just as it entered all the way back in 1977.
This review will be a relatively quick, rather vague read that contains NO SPOILERS so you won’t have to worry about having anything ruined for you here. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker continues the story of a diminished Rebellion as they hope to stand tall against the all-powerful Empire and finally vanquish their mortal enemies. As has been the case before, this story revolves around the conflict between Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Supreme Leader Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). And lest we not forget all of the other supporting characters that assist in giving this story depth and meaning.
J.J. Abrams returns to direct the third leg of this trilogy, thus having much more control over the process than he did while serving as “only” a producer on the divisive and highly debated Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017). To his credit, Abrams is unwavering in his resolve as he takes a similar path to what he did with Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) in that the feel, tone and content is more like a tribute to the original trilogy. This is far from a negative, especially when you take into account the quality of the prequel films. Abrams brings forth a solid story and even takes a few risks in the process.
With a decently paced 141 minute runtime, The Rise of Skywalker feels like an epic story that doesn’t get bogged down by nonsensical plot points. Pretty much everything that is seen and said serves a purpose, making for a much more gripping experience. The feel of Episode IX is just as authentic as the first eight, if not more so to a certain degree. It’s actually pretty impressive that Abrams was able to cover all that he did with an extensive cast in the time allotted with provided a product that feels rushed or missing key ingredients.
There’s no reason NOT to recommend The Rise of Skywalker, especially if you’ve been along for the entire ride. There’s really nothing I can say or do to dissuade or encourage readers to take certain actions regarding this film. If you’ve put the time into seeing the past movies, why wouldn’t you see this one. And you aren’t a fan of the franchise at all, you’re probably not taking the time to read this. What I will say is that you’ll probably want to check it out sooner than later or risk being subjected to spoilers since many people can’t respect the process.
The Rise of Skywalker is not a perfect feature by any stretch of the imagination, mostly because of the fact that there were many flaws introduced into the franchise that you can’t undo in one movie. Still though, Abrams really seems to be a fan of the franchise and sends the final chapter off in an entertaining fashion that SHOULD allow fans some much needed satisfaction and even a little closure. You can judge for yourself while experiencing many different emotions when it hits theaters starting Thursday evening. May the Force be with you.
