At long last, the conclusion of the “Star Wars” Skywalker saga has arrived and while “The Last Jedi” may have been quite divisive, “The Rise of Skywalker” may just be able to unite the two films in shared disappointment.
Helmed by returning “The Force Awakens” director J.J. Abrams and much of the main cast from the previous two films reprising their roles, “The Rise of Skywalker” is the highly anticipated finale of not only the sequel trilogy, but of the entire “Star Wars” saga that began all the way back in 1977. It is highlighted by the return of few franchise icons not seen since the original films, such as Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrisian and Ian McDiarmid as Emperor Palpatine.
It tells the story of the final battle between the forces of good and evil in the “Star Wars” universe, with Palpatine returning with one final scheme to destroy the Jedi. Though the film has epic moments and imagery that carry genuine emotional weight, it is ultimately too safe and cripplingly dependent on nostalgia to be a satisfying film in its own right, let alone a climax to an iconic franchise.
As for the film’s strengths, it manages to create a few highly satisfying moments, especially for long-time fans of the franchise. The last appearance of Carrie Fisher (her presence achieved through the use of unused footage from the last two films) brings closure to her character. It gives Princess Leia a poignant sendoff, even if the moment’s impact is somewhat spoiled by another character directly telegraphing to the audience what is about to happen and the meaning behind it.
It is also a delight to see some grade A overacting courtesy of McDiarmid as the long thought dead Emperor. As for the action, the series remains in top form, with a particular note of mention being the gigantic barrage of force lightning that Palpatine creates in the film’s climax. However, the final space ship battle is a little average, but the final cavalry charge led by Lando is pure catharsis, as is watching Rey receiving spiritual help from many fan favorite Jedi from previous installments in the franchise.
Unfortunately, no amount of fanservice can compensate for the film’s many glaring flaws. The best place to start would be Palpatine. While the announcement of his return generated a lot of hype for the film and McDiarmid is as good as ever, the film is utterly lazy and vague in explaining his return, beyond a call-back line to “Revenge of the Sith.” The Emperor’s death was a major event in “Star Wars” lore, so him suddenly turning up alive in the finale of the Sequel Trilogy at least deserves an explanation.
There’s also the fact that he is even in the movie to begin with. The Emperor’s resurrection was not even vaguely hinted at in “The Force Awakens” or “The Last Jedi,” yet we are expected to believe he has been pulling strings the whole time. After all the build up and mystery behind the backstory of Snoke, it’s revealed he was a clone created by a group of sith alchemists, also just showing up for this movie. On top of all that, the audience must accept that he has spent the whole time building a vast fleet of star destroyers that each have planet destroying capabilities.
While “The Rise of Skywalker” is not the shortest “Star Wars” film (nor is it short for a movie, clocking in at 142 minutes), it feels rushed. “Star Wars” has always been an action-adventure series, but this film over-emphasizes the latter, constantly moving from fantastic setting to fantastic setting and consequently making each new world feel less meaningful than they should. Each new location brings new characters who, while interesting in concept, are in desperate need of fleshing out and their limited screen time do them no favors.
One of the film’s more dramatic moments (Rey briefly believing she killed Chewbaca), is almost immediately glossed over in favor of moving immediately to complete a new side mission. One of the most iconic characters in the franchise may have been accidentally killed by the lead character we have been following for two movies, yet the film is in such a rush that it barely touches on the consequences of such an act. That isn’t even taking into consideration that this development is completely undone minutes later, with Chewie somehow having been placed on a different transport ship offscreen.
While a serviceable film in its own right, “The Rise of Skywalker” is an abysmal conclusion to a franchise in the caliber of “Star Wars.”
It is a soulless, directionless product that exists for the sole purpose of making Disney money.
