Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is a 2019 sci-fi film that is the final installment in the overall Skywalker saga.
It’s still hard to believe that the Skywalker saga has officially come to an end. Without a doubt, Star Wars is known to be one of the most popular yet divisive franchises of all time. It’s been going on for many decades, and it’s still highly influential among many moviegoers and filmmakers these days. When The Force Awakens was announced to be the start of a new trilogy from Disney, it got a lot of fans excited to see what will happen next with our new heroes in a galaxy far far away. And now we finally have The Rise of Skywalker, which is the concluding chapter to the current Star Wars trilogy and the overall Skywalker saga. Written and directed by J. J. Abrams, who has also made The Force Awakens, he is back to hopefully finish what he has started with his installment, while also continuing the story after the events of Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi. Without giving away anything, Rey (Daisy Ridley) is continuing her Jedi training in order to face off against Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and the First Order. As the First Order grows stronger, our heroes have to unite and save the galaxy for the last time, once and for all.
Once again, the main cast does a great job, and you just love seeing these characters when they’re on screen. However, the ones that you will remember the most are Rey and Kylo Ren, because the actors provide them with a lot of depth. Everyone gives an incredible performance, but it’s just that some of them are sidelined and not given enough development, especially Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) who doesn’t have a lot of screen time. The movie also introduces some new supporting characters along the way, yet you don’t care about them at all. Billy Dee Williams returns as the charming Lando Calrissian, sadly his role in the film feels like an unnecessary cameo. You’re glad that he’s back, but you then realize that he’s just there for the sake of being there.
Whether you love or hate Star Wars, you still have to praise the mesmerizing visual effects and thrilling action sequences. Abrams knows how to bring some fun moments on screen, and it shows that he’s a great visionary director. However, the storytelling from his script that he has co-written with Chris Terrio is a mess sometimes. The first half of The Rise of Skywalker is very choppy and rushed, while the second half is actually quite entertaining. Admittedly, it is incredibly predictable and relies too much on nostalgia. Abrams utilizes fan service as a tool to hopefully satisfy fans who have not liked some of the changes made in The Last Jedi, and it’s really apparent when you’re watching the film. Some decisions made will either please or irritate you, so it’s no surprise that this is yet again another polarizing installment of the series.
The Rise of Skywalker is a decent conclusion to the overall Skywalker saga. It’s easily the worst of the current Star Wars trilogy, but it’s nevertheless still an entertaining time at the movie theater. While the first half heavily compromises the narrative flow of the film, the second half will be sure to provide some form of closure to many Star Wars fans out there. Even if it’s a flawed finale, The Rise of Skywalker truly showcases why this particular and inspiring franchise has been going on for many years.