Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker | Review
The conclusion of the nine movie saga is coming to an end. The forces of good and evil, light and dark, are having one final showdown to determine the fate of the galaxy. The last Jedi, Rey, and a rag-tag team of rebels are all that stand in the way of the Emperor and the forces of darkness.
Let me just say, I love Star Wars. Growing up, I watched Star Wars all the time. The films, the animated series, and even the Christmas Special. I’ve always been a fan and seeing that this beloved saga is coming to its final conclusion, I had a mixed bag on feelings towards it, both good and bad. But overall, I had a good time with this film.
Here’s all the things I touch on:
- Director and Cast
- Carrie Fisher
- Locations
- Special Effects
- Nostalgia
- Final Thoughts
Director J.J. Abrams is back, wrapping up the saga in a fan pleasing way and bringing back nostalgia big time! The cast is back, as well as some new additions along the way. Rey and Kylo Ren/Ben Solo for me have been the best things to come out of this new trilogy and they were phenomenal. Their story arcs came together with a grand finale that was well deserved and fitting. Both Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver brought their all to these characters and it come through in their performances.
The rest of cast for me felt very under-used and never really had the amount of growth that I think was needed as this film is wrapping up their stories. Finn, the ex-stormtrooper played by John Boyega and Poe, the rebel pilot played by Oscar Issac both seemed very underused and you can easily see that their is so much more to say about the both of them. Even the new characters, Zorii Bliss, played by Keri Russel and Jannah, played by Naomi Ackie also feel like very under developed characters that had a lot of potential that leave you with a lot of unanswered questions and are inevitably going end up in some Disney+ show that will answer those questions. Even the beloved characters like Chewbacca, C-3PO, and R2D2 felt very shoved to the side and were only important to bring exposition to the story or to further the plot.
Another thing I want to touch on is Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia. Due to her unexpected passing in late 2016, they used never before seen footage with CGI enhancements to wrap up Leia’s story in the Skywalker Saga. Personally, as great as it was to see her on screen again for one last time, I didn’t like how they used her in this film. I expected a funeral scene within the first 10 minuets of the film and it certainly wasn’t that. It felt that they stretched out the very few scenes they had of her and forced her into the story. But, due to the circumstances and her unexpected passing, I do think they did the best they could with Princess Leia. She will be forever missed.
With every Star Wars movie come various planets and locations, and this one has heaps. This film spans across more places than I care to count and each made it feel like a video campaign. Go here and get this thing, now go here and figure out how to use it, now go here to actually use it. I think you get my point. As simple as this story really is, it overcomplicates itself with so many locations and Mcguffins that it’s “filler material” instead of being something that is actually beneficial to the story and feels coherent.
With every Star Wars comes its awesome special effects, space battles, and all that jazz. This film looked great from that front. The final battle in the film was a grand finale that was so jam-packed and it look great! LucasFilm never ceases to amaze and always brings the best of the best when it comes to these movies with their special effects!
Something that this film leans on heavily is its nostalgia factor. People love Star Wars because it’s something they’ve grown up on and makes you feel like a little kid again. It brings back that wonder and all the emotions that come with it. For me, I think this film leans on it far too much. The parts of this film I enjoyed the most, with the exception of Rey and Kylo Ren/Ben Solo, was all the “old” or nostalgic stuff. Seeing Lando Calrissian again, the Emperor returning, the crashed Death Star, the Millennium Falcon racing through the sky, and even some other surprises that I won’t spoil. All of those moments were the ones that made me excited and in both showings I attended. The rest of the audience both times had that same response. I wanted to bee excited over seeing Poe Dameron flying his X-Wing, but I wasn’t. But again, I love the nostalgia, but this film overused it.
In closing, I want to say that I enjoyed The Rise of Skywalker. I have issued with it and some that lean into spoiler territory, but I liked it. The final scene in this film was a real tear-jerker for me and brought me back to those first moments of experiencing Star Wars when I was a kid. I’d absolutely say go give this a watch and enjoy it. It’s Star Wars for goodness sake!
I’ll give Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker a 3/5.
