Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019 Film) Review
A year following the events of "The Last Jedi," the final battle between the Resistance survivors and the First Order commences, with Rey, Finn, and Poe leading the charge against the sinister Kylo Ren.
Daisy Ridley's Rey, John Boyega's Finn, Oscar Issac's Poe, and Adam Driver's Ben Solo/Kylo Ren return, in addition to Kelly Marie Tran's Rose Tico and Domhnall Gleeson's General Hux. Mark Hamill's Luke Skywalker, Anthony Daniels' C-3PO, Joonas Suotamo's Chewbacca, and the late Carrie Fisher's Leia Organa also return. Finally, Billy Dee Williams, who has not played the character in film since 1983's "Return of the Jedi," at long last reprises his role as Lando Calrissian. Another surprising return is Ian McDiarmid as the former emperor, Palpatine/Darth Sidious, who was thought dead at the end of "Return of the Jedi."
"The Force Awakens" director J.J. Abrams returned to complete the story he began by directing "The Rise of Skywalker." Abrams also co-wrote the script with Chris Terrio, and co-produced the film with Kathleen Kennedy and Michelle Rejwan. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures distributed "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" through Lucasfilm Ltd.
Overall Thoughts
At its best, "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" is a visually impressive and superbly acted conclusion to the beloved science-fiction series. At its worst, the film is a disjointed and broken narrative that attempts to win fans back via fan service, instead of fixing the damage done by its predecessor through natural storytelling.
As you may recall, "The Last Jedi" muddled the questions built up in "The Force Awakens," providing answers that were unfulfilling, to say the least. While certain events and developments made in that film are acknowledged here, "The Rise of Skywalker" acts as if "The Last Jedi" never happened, as the film goes back on many decisions made by its predecessor. In doing so, it falls back into familiar "Star Wars" territory. It's particularly noticeable here because the story lacks energy and motivation. The characters keep stressing how important it is that they not give up, that they soldier on, and yet, I don't feel that urgency. It feels like the writers gave up on trying to do something fresh, so they settled for something formulaic. As a result, we have a story that's thin, rushed, derivative, and one that relies heavily on nostalgia and fan service to win over the audience.
Under certain circumstances, a franchise finisher like this could make fan service work in its favor. Where "The Rise of Skywalker" goes wrong, sadly, is that it lets this element dictate the story. It doesn't feel earned and screams desperation from J.J. Abrams and company, who, I sense, were so afraid of another backlash that they threw in random reveals and developments, pretending like that's what they were building up to the whole time when evidence suggests otherwise. In a year where satisfying finales such as "Avengers: Endgame" were released, this film's use of fan service is petty. One film earns it; the other doesn't. Speaking of "Endgame," some of the third-act choices here are reminiscent of that film. It's like the Lucasfilm execs were looking to fellow in-house Marvel Studios for ideas on how to make their own finale. I wanted to cheer many times here, but it all felt so hollow to me.
The sets, action, effects, and atmosphere are all present. One quality Disney has maintained throughout its "Star Wars" films is having grand production designs. The care taken to make each room and costume is on display, and I noticed the effort here more so than previous installments. I know this is typical for most blockbusters, but the film takes time to immerse you into its environment, even when the story is not the most captivating. For a finale, John Williams reuses many pieces, both old and recent, from his past "Star Wars" scores to bring the musical story, for lack of a better term, full circle. What it lacks in new inclusions of its own, it makes up for with an added sense of grandeur.
On its own, "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" is good, but as a "Star Wars" movie, it's among the lesser installments. I wished the story were more original and bold, something filled with greater emotion and substance. Including fan service is perfectly fine, but I found this film's use of it to be gratuitous. If you're seeking an entertaining science-fiction experience, this'll certainly do the trick. As the conclusion of a story that began forty-two years ago, though, I desired a narrative with more creativity and cohesion.
On its own, "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" is good, but as a "Star Wars" movie, it's among the lesser installments. I wished the story were more original and bold, something filled with greater emotion and substance. Including fan service is perfectly fine, but I found this film's use of it to be gratuitous. If you're seeking an entertaining science-fiction experience, this'll certainly do the trick. As the conclusion of a story that began forty-two years ago, though, I desired a narrative with more creativity and cohesion.
Rating: ★★½
Conclusion
This has been my review of “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker." I hope you enjoyed it. Please remember that this is my opinion. You're welcome to share yours in the comments below. I welcome them, in fact, regardless of whether you agree with me or not. Just remember to be constructive. Should you feel inclined, recommend a film for me to review next. I'm always open to suggestions. Thank you for reading, I'm Dallin, your resident film fanatic, and I'll return soon with another review.
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