There has never been a review that has caused more nerves while preparing to write it than this one. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker not only concludes the new trilogy of Star Wars films, but wraps up a saga started over 40 years ago. There is no doubting that Star Wars has become a foundation in our pop culture that will live on forever.
Especially after The Last Jedi though, where director Rian Johnson pushed the series into a totally different style. Star Wars also has become one of the most decisive franchises out there, with those – shall we say – differing opinions with each new installment.
Already days before the official release of The Rise of Skywalker, these sides have been at war with each other without even seeing the movie. Different opinions are fine, despite what Twitter seems to make everyone think, as cinema speaks to us in different ways. There is not a single other movie that comes to mind with the scale and controversy from its fanbase than The Rise of Skywalker.
It is impossible to look at this film outside of the context of which it was built. As mentioned before, 2017’s The Last Jedi pushed Star Wars into unknown territory, sticking out against every other piece of media in the franchise for better or for worse. Almost becoming a meditation on good vs. evil and the muddy area between, the movie polarized audiences.
With Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) growing stronger than ever, and Rey (Daisy Ridley) pushing her training as much as she can, the conflict between Jedi and Sith finally reaches a climax in a battle for the universe. At the beginning of The Rise of Skywalker it is clear that the people behind the scenes reacted to the direction Rian Johnson had taken the franchise.
Almost immediately the film retcons so much that The Last Jedi spent its entire runtime trying to build. From mysteries surrounding our main characters, to Kylo Ren being a neutral force trying to destroy both the good and bad. The Rise of Skywalker starts by destroying a good amount of what was already built in order to set it’s own story up.
At first, this appears legitimately infuriating. Specifically with stripping down the character of Kylo Ren (a character I found extremely interesting in The Last Jedi) of his nuance as a villain and reducing him back down to just being a bad guy on the side of the Sith. Rian Johnson had set The Rise of Skywalker up to be different and something incredibly unique compared to the rest of the franchise.
Initially, it seemed that J.J. Abrams was just trying to play it safe that perhaps did nothing new from the other films. This was also heavily felt at the beginning of the film, with the character of Rey. They set her character up as a Jedi dealing with her anger, pulling her towards the Darkside. This is a character arc we have seen multiple times in this franchise up to this point, and made the character just seem mundane at first.
This is clearly where most are stopping with their opinions of the film condemning the rest as bland garbage. From this point of destruction on though what The Rise of Skywalker builds from it’s initial destruction was not only just pure enjoyment, but was deep and intriguing, pushing the story and the world in its own subtle and unique ways.
It is hard to talk about the morals and messages this film is trying to explore without getting into spoilers. This is a huge film that explores themes of purpose and destiny in ways that have never really been seen before in the franchise. The battle between the Jedi and the Sith has always been one that never quite seemed to connect with me in the way that it has for others.
The moral idea that one side is objectively good and one side is objectively bad never gained much traction from me. But the idea that you are born on a side and even if you are born on the wrong side you eventually find your way to the other, never quite worked for me.
My favorite part of The Last Jedi was its exploration of this good vs. evil in the form of Kylo Ren. And where nothing in this film quite reaches that point of intrigue, it does continue to push this idea in a way that was thoroughly engaging. The moral takeaway from The Rise of Skywalker and it’s exploration of this is also possibly the most relevant moral a Star Wars movie has ever had.
This movie has important ideas and lessons that need to be taught, and this movie accomplishes that. This is not just a fun sci-fi movie, it is smart and has something important to say. The way The Rise of Skywalker also explores the past and it’s effect on the current and future also ties this new trilogy nicely together on a thematic level.
From Kylo Ren first drawing inspiration from the past, eventually wanting to kill it, to Rey still being haunted by her past, having been abandoned by her parents. This movie reaches a conclusion with this idea it’s been exploring since The Force Awakens, that feels satisfying and gives it an even bigger reason to exist.
Providing something that none of the other six main movies could, a look at the consequences from the past shown in those films and how that helps and hurts characters throughout these films. This is a level of perspective series rarely gets to have following a journey through three generations.
With that said though, the film absolutely is tons of fun, featuring some of the best comedy from the entire franchise. I have not laughed so hard at C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) as he nearly steals the show.
Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) also really shines here, after having missed most of The Force Awakens and being brought down by easily the most painful part of The Last Jedi. Poe finally is able to take more of a lead role, showing off not just Oscar Issac’s extreme charisma, but also his emotional ability as an actor. If he was given the right plot in these films, Poe really could have been the new Han Solo. Sadly, up until this film he was not given the opportunity to become much more than a fun side character.
If you have seen the other Star Wars movies and at least have enjoyed some of them, or simply grew up with them, this movie will at least also work with you on a basic level. There is something chilling about hearing the swell of music at the beginning of the films, as the logo appears, and the opening crawl starts to reveal itself.
One huge complaint that keeps floating around is the fan service in The Rise of Skywalker. Many have called this lazy, but I have to disagree. Not only do these callbacks help bring this movie full circle, but there is something very effective about seeing these classic characters back on screen. Neither do these moments of fan service become so significant to the plot that it feels like it takes away from story values.
The action in this film is also breathtaking. In the opening introduction to the film there is a spectacular chase scene – legitimately one of my favorites now of the Star Wars series. Every piece of action is pulsating and thrilling. Not only because of the incredible visual effects, but also the fine cinematography from Dan Mindel. Unique and impressive throughout, the handheld approach to some of these tracking shots in the action also give this movie a dynamic edge.
The weight of the conflict in this film also added something to the story – particularly on an emotional level. Perhaps more than ever this is a fight for the universe. There is no option for the Jedi to lose and live to fight another day, adding a sense of desperation that put the gravitas on every decision our heroes made.
On another positive, judging by certain elements the trailers teased, I was nervous about some of the twists and turns potentially in store. However, the narrative of this saga and the practicality of the film, each reveal works beyond what may or may not be false alarms. No spoilers here, there’ll be.
On the flip side, the story itself seems to try and juggle a lot. The film sets up three clear stories to follow, and as it attempts to reset itself to a point from The Last Jedi – while carrying some baggage from it – The Rise of Skywalker is somewhat jumbled in places. Some plot points were fabricated to follow proceedings, like randomly finding important information in unlikely places.
Although not completely meaningless, compared to the other Star Wars movies – like the Jabba the Hunt fight from Return of the Jedi for example – the fillers in this movie felt smaller and did build to service it’s narrative and moral messages. With The Rise of Skywalker‘s inclusion of General Leia (Carrie Fisher), utilizing archival footage of her, is smartly used quite sparingly. Even if the placement was a little off (you could tell she wasn’t really in the conversations), it made for a compelling respect to both the character and late actor.
Somehow, despite being traditionally on the more critical side of Star Wars, judging by early social media reactions, The Rise of Skywalker is way higher on my Star Wars ranked list than most. Structurally, this movie is one of the soundest in this entire franchise. Especially once you get past the rocky start.
The Rise of Skywalker might play it safer than its predecessor, The Last Jedi, but it so effective in its messages that it connects and provides a more a very satisfying conclusion. Not just to this trilogy, but the Skywalker saga overall. The Rise of Skywalker gives you chills, is an absolute blast overall, and I, personally, am already planning my next trip through the galaxy with it.
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