STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER Review

The conclusion to the Skywalker saga is here. Spanning 40 years, the story that has followed the Skywalker family across the galaxy has reached its end. In Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker we wave goodbye to the name that brought hope to the galaxy. While it is indeed the rise of Skywalker, it is also goodbye.

I was lucky enough (and brave enough) to attend the midnight showing in my home town. While it meant going to work on 4 hours sleep, I don’t regret it one bit. So, I’m here to discuss my views on the film and provide a pretty simple review. Of course, I will be avoiding spoilers and I suggest you do the same. Going in blind is the way forward.

With that, I’m not actually going to provide a brief plot like I usually would. I want you to experience it as I did.

Now, Where to start. I think the best place to start are with the negatives so I can get them out of the way. I love films and I love Star Wars, but I would much rather focus on what I loved instead of the things I didn’t. Having said that, I don’t think there was that much I didn’t enjoy.

There is a lot thrown at you in this film. While I don’t see it as a bad thing per se, I believe it is something to flag up. Rise of Skywalker does throw you in the deep end with a lot of new information, new lore, new abilities, and new planets. For me, that wasn’t a bad thing. It made the experience that much more exciting because it was all so refreshing. However, there were a few moments where I really wanted a deeper explanation. Occasionally, the film would hit you with a brand new revelation, some that I didn’t see coming at all, but what I needed was an explanation. How did this happen? When did this happen? Why? This could be all expanded within future novels but I would have loved to have seen it visualized.

The gang back together again.

In addition to new information, the film also makes a few decisions which I think may split audiences. In fact, I believe, as a whole, The Rise of Skywalker will be more divisive than The Last Jedi. What I think is important to note here is that it doesn’t matter what the audience thinks. It’s about what you think. So, just bare that in mind. Having had some time to reflect and digest the movie, I have come to the conclusion that there are a few moments that I am unsure about. I’m unsure whether I liked certain aspects or whether I wanted them to play out differently.

I will also add that I think certain characters were wasted. Considering the heavy focus of the Knights of Ren and the Sith Troopers in the advertisements and merchandise, they aren’t as involved as I would have liked, They have their moments but I was expecting a lot more from them.

Now that’s out of the way. This is where the fun begins.

What I loved about this conclusion was that it felt as though I was being taken on a journey through each trilogy. There were moments from each trilogy and it was a lovely combination. When I thought about Episode IX rounding off the Skywalker Saga, I decided that that was virtually impossible. There was no way you could completely satisfy different generations because Star Wars has changed so much. However, I felt as though The Rise of Skywalker captured the essence of the Original trilogy and the Prequel trilogy. I absolutely loved that.

While I really enjoyed The Last Jedi (sue me) I will say that I think its use of comedy was misplaced and certain scenes felt a lot like filler; I actually quite liked Canto Bight but I don’t feel as though it was necessary. With The Rise of Skywalker, it felt as though no time was wasted. Once the opening crawl finished, we were plunged straight in and it didn’t really stop. That’s how I saw it, anyway. It was exciting, fast paced, and massive. In terms of scale, I would argue that this was the most ambitious Star Wars movie to date. In addition to that, I think it also got the humor spot on. Star Wars isn’t really known for its humor but there were some very funny moments.

For the prequel fans, I think The Rise of Skywalker offers one of the best lightsaber battles since The Phantom Menace. Unfortunately this battle didn’t include a double-bladed saber or Darth Maul, but as a spectacle I was simply blown away by the choreography, the display of power, and the location. Interestingly, it also led to a very touching scene that got me welling up.

Leia may not be in it for very long but she definitely leaves her mark.

For the Original trilogy fans, I think there is a lot to be loved, particularly the ending. I also believe it is safe to say that Carrie Fisher is the heart and soul of this finale. Despite her not being in it for very long, her presence is felt throughout. I also saw the return of a preferred format. One of the major criticisms for The Last Jedi was that the group was splintered and fractured. Poe and Finn didn’t spend a lot of time together and neither did Rey and Finn.

This time we stick with the group for the majority of their adventure. However, I was very surprised to see some conflicts within the group and that was very interesting to see unravel. Certain characters change to a degree, and other characters disagree with particular decisions. While these little arguments and confrontations are minor in comparison to the overarching narrative, it was very nice to see these characters grow and change.

The worst thing about writing a review is trying to sum everything up. I have a lot of thoughts regarding this movie and getting them down isn’t as easy as I thought. Let me try and sum it up as best as I can.

The Rise of Skywalker is an epic film that delivers in terms of spectacle and action. The various duels and space battles had me in absolute awe. Some of the surprises and revelations are questionable but well delivered. This conclusion had the most heartfelt moments in it and I admire and appreciate the way it dealt with certain characters.

Probably an unpopular opinion, but Kylo Ren is my favourite character from the new trilogy.

Having said that, some character based decisions have left me unsure. Overall, I really enjoyed it. There is a lot to take away from this movie and a lot to think about. Despite seeing it almost 24 hours ago, I still haven’t fully digested it. I’m not sure if that it a bad sign though. I know I loved it, I’m just not sure how much. It has action, heart, soul, comedy and an entirely new exploration of Star Wars lore. It had me hooked from the first scene all the way to the very end.

Was this the way I wanted the Skywalker Saga to end? Probably not. But I am very glad it ended this way and I’m also glad none of my predictions came true. My advice for this film is to let go of your predictions and go in with an open mind. Be prepared to be surprised, confused and conflicted. But sit back and enjoy it for what it is… a gripping journey across the stars that pays homage to everyone’s childhood, whether you grew up with A New Hope, The Phantom Menace or, for the younger fans, The Force Awakens. It has something in there for everyone and in that regard I see it as a fantastic send off to a Saga that has been very close to my heart since I was very small.

What did you think of The Rise of Skywalker? Let us know in the comments below.

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