THE RISE OF SKYWALKER - NON-SPOILER REVIEW

PLEASE NOTE - THE FOLLOWING IS A SPOILER FREE REVIEW OF THE MOVIE. I WILL NOT REVEAL ANY MAJOR PLOT POINTS FROM THE MOVIE.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away, a young precocious filmmaker released a film that forever changed the world of cinema and fandom. 42 years later, that same franchise is in danger of imploding due to internal disputes and opinions from fans as to the direction of the newer entries to the franchise. Love it or hate it, the story told in The Last Jedi has left the door open for the franchise to go in numerous expansive directions. Meanwhile, the trailers have informed us of the return of one of cinemas greatest villains, Emperor Shiv Palpatine.

Whatever the thoughts of the individual may be regarding The Last Jedi or the state of the franchise since Disney acquired the rights from George Lucas, The Rise of Skywalker is shaping up to be the most interesting entry to date, as it brings to a close the Skywalker saga. This is not the place to vent anger or defend the choices made by Disney, taking the movie on its own merit is the least it deserves. JJ Abrams successfully soft rebooted the franchise with The Force Awakens and has proven to be a good director who knows how to make a crowd pleasing movie.

The third part of any trilogy is usually the hardest. And in this case, The Rise of Skywalker has to conclude the Skywalker trilogy while simultaneously leave the door open for a continuation of stories to be told in this franchise. With the last appearance of Carrie Fisher in film, the return of fan favourite Billy Dee Williams, as well as discovering the fate of new characters Rey, Finn, Poe and Kylo, can this new movie stick the landing and bring this new trilogy to a thrilling conclusion?

DISCLAIMER
We all know there are people who are deeply unhappy with the current state of Star Wars. In addition, we need to remember that all film is subjective; there is no right or wrong opinion. Everyone is entitled to their opinion on the newer Star Wars films. However, all the negativity surrounding the movies and the franchise has already been well documented. People have vented their anger and frustration time and time again whenever the subject of Star Wars is mentioned. So, with that in mind, I am asking everyone to be open minded about this movie. At least watch the movie before making up your mind about it. If you steadfastly refuse to watch the movie, that is your right. However, let’s not let the comments section devolve into a ball of hatred and negativity. Let’s try and keep comments focussed on this movie and not rehash old arguments about the other movies or complain about what Disney hasn’t done. I enjoy talking about movies with you guys, but I will admit it does get tiresome and depressing being faced with the same negativity time and time again. As the guy who runs Cinema Wins says: be known for what you like, not for what you hate.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and I hope you enjoy my review.
- DK

THE STORY
A year after the events of The Last Jedi, the remnants of the Resistance face the First Order once again, while reckoning with the past and their own inner turmoil. Meanwhile, the ancient conflict between the Jedi and the Sith reaches its climax, bringing the Skywalker saga to a definitive end.

OVERALL OPINION
And so, after 42 years and 9 movies, the Skywalker saga comes to an end. I know for some fans, Star Wars is and should always be about the Skywalker lineage, based on stories and characters in the old expanded universe. However, for me, and a lot of other movie going audiences, the Star Wars franchise is and will always be about the movies. Personally, I am not upset or angered by the fact the Skywalker saga has come to an end. I use the analogy of the Kennedy’s and America. Yes, the Kennedy’s are an important part of the history of America. But they are not the ONLY important part or family. They are many more stories in the history of America away from the Kennedy’s both before and after them. I view the Skywalker’s place in the Star Wars franchise the same way. A galaxy is a big place, filled with bounty hunters, smugglers, moisture farmers, droids, scoundrels, rich people, poor people, princesses, senators, pilots, Wookies, Mandalorians and much much more. There are literally hundreds of stories that can be told that do not feature the Skywalkers.

So, as an end to a saga, how well does this movie do? It does a lot of things right and a lot of things well. However, like virtually every movie every released, it is not perfect. But, the “not so good” elements do not ruin or detract from the overall good. The performances from the entire main cast is fantastic. The humour is used sparingly, but well, and there is some real emotion in a lot of key scenes. One of the biggest talking points from the trailer was the seeming return of Emperor Palpatine. It was handled well enough, with the explanation being exposited in a nice piece of dialogue. As long as you buy into the concept then you will just accept it (and if you buy into concepts of “the force”, lightsabers, Jedi and Sith, then I cannot see any reason why you wouldn’t buy into the concept).

One of my main critiques with the other saga ending movie that came out this year (Avengers: End Game) was that occasionally the pacing of the story moved along really fast as there was a lot of story to get through. This was present to a lesser degree in this movie. However, the i give it some thought, this is a common troupe in pretty much all the Star Wars movies, even the original trilogy. The one thing that was missing that I think would have help was the screen wipe transitions. I understand that it is a pretty old school technique, one that is rarely used in film these days. But, it is kind of a staple of the franchise so would have been nice to see.

In terms of the story, Rey and Kylo are on their own mission, directly in conflict with one another and really building on the connection established between them in the previous movie. Finn, Poe, Chewie and the rest of the resistance have their mission, led by General Leia. Going in, I thought the posthumous appearance of Carrie Fisher would have been distracting. But, it was seamless. You would be hard pressed to realise she wasn’t actually there.

The new characters are all welcome additions to the franchise and didn’t overshadow our existing heroes, nor were they underused. One character in particular has the best costume in the franchise since Boba Fett. The culmination of Rey and Kylo’s story arc dovetailed nicely with that of the resistance vs the First Order. There’s a shot in the trailer that promises an epic space battle, which does take place. However, on first viewing, I will say that the battle in Return of the Jedi is still the best one in the franchise so far. Due to the amount of ships and amount of story going on, the movie cuts back and forth between two scenes going on at the same time (much like in Return of the Jedi, but not as well. It wasn’t bad, but just wasn’t new or as polished as we’ve previously seen. However, there was a few familiar faces that popped up which gave a nice sense of continuity.

One massively disappointing aspect of the movie was the Knights of Rey. Mentioned in passing in The Force Awakens and glimpsed briefly in Rey’s force vision and completely ignored during the previous movie, they actually get screen time. But we never get a sense of who they are, what their personalities are, why the are called the Knights of Rey, how the know Kylo or if they’re even force sensitive. I suspect their backstory will be explored and fleshed out in a comic or book title. However, I think it was a massive missed opportunity to do a deep dive on the group to make them an actual threatening presence. Maybe JJ was trying to do a Boba Fett with them (who has very few lines in Empire of RotJ and yet is one of the coolest characters ever). But that was lightning in a bottle and didn’t work here.

So, as a conclusion to the Skywalker, was it satisfying? I will say yes, without hesitation. There was no annoying side quest missions like in the previous movie, so I can definitely see myself rewatching this a number of times when it’s released on bluray. How does it compare to other releases in the franchise? I would say it’s up there with Rogue One. Not quite as good as that movie, but a really enjoyable time. We have some nice examples of new force powers that we have never seen in the movies previously (but which fans of the franchise who have read The Jedi Path will recognise). The franchise can now go in one of any number of directions now, and I would like to stay with these characters and see where they all go from here.

THE PERFORMANCES
I’m going to split this sections for legacy characters, returning characters and new characters.
Carrie Fisher as Leia Organa
So much emotion at seeing Carrie Fisher as Leia one last time. But, as I said, it was not distracting seeing her on screen. She was used seamlessly and given the reverence both the character and the actress deserved. RIP Carrie Fisher. You will always be royalty to your fans.

Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker
The Last Jedi (?) does makes an appearance which finally answers the question posed of his disappearance at the end of the previous movie. There was a nice twinkle in his eye and you could tell Mark Hamill is much happier playing this version of Luke.

Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine / Darth Sidious
He’s back! One of cinemas best villains is back and this time he’s sirious (see what I did there?). It may have been 36 years since he last played the characters, but Ian McDiarmid is every bit as evil, menacing and diabolical as he was in Return of the Jedi and the prequels.

Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian
The galaxy’s smoothest talking, cape wearing, Colt 45 drinking scoundrel is back. I think it’s impossible not to smile whenever Billy Dee Williams appears on screen. A welcome return for a great character.

Anthony Daniels as C-3PO
The only actor to have appeared in every single Star Wars movie (except for Solo) gives his usual quirky British portrayal of the gold protocol droid. And, this time he is actually given stuff to do, rather than standing around commenting on how doomed they are.

RETURNING CHARACTERS:
Daisy Ridley as Rey
It’s seems hard to believe watching Daisy Ridley now that The Force Awakens was her first ever acting job. She really embodies the character and gives a very well-rounded performance as a Jedi apprentice. Her chemistry with Adam Driver is great and there are some fantastic scenes with them together.

Adam Driver as Kylo Ren
He’s big. He’s evil. He likes wearing black and is incredibly powerful. Gone is the mopey, sulking, petulant character we met in The Force Awakens. In his place we have a much more focussed and driven character. As I just mentioned, the scenes he has with Daisy Ridley are really great.

Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron
A fantastic addition to the franchise, Oscar Isaac is definitely fun to watch in the role of Poe. He has definitely learned how to be a leader since the previous movie, and Oscar Isaac can always be relied on to give a fantastic and committed performance.

John Boyega as Finn
His character wasn’t really given a lot to do in the last movie (and what he did do ultimately didn’t help the story). However this time his character is used much much better. Finn has finally developed a sense of self, knows who he is and why he is fighting with the resistance. John Boyega has definitely grown into the role and bounced off Poe really well in some funny back and forth dialogue exchanges.

Kelly Marie Tran as Rose Tico
She was massively unfairly targeted for a lot of hate by misogynists and so-called “fans” of the franchise because of her character in the last movie. While the character could have been written better, that is hardly Kelly’s fault. Unfortunately, this time round she doesn’t have a lot to do because of the story being told.

Domhnall Gleeson as General Hux
Domhnall really leaned heavily into the 3rd Reich-ness of the First Order in the previous instalments. He skirted the line of ridiculous with a side of ham. He isn’t given a lot to do in this movie, but what he does is kind of integral to some segments of the movie (even if I saw one part concerning him come from a mile away). But, Domhnall still gives a good performance with the little he has to do.

Lupita Nyong'o as Maz Kanata
Like Boba Fest before her, the character of Maz Kanata has left a lasting impression despite very little screen time. She has a few scenes, but is a little underused.

NEW CHARACTERS:
Keri Russell as Zorii Bliss
Most actors like their faces to be seen. However, occasionally a role comes along that requires the actor to constantly wear a mask (Judge Dredd and V for Vendetta, for instance). As Zorii Bliss to that list. Keri Russel is a very good actor and manages to make this character one of the best additions to the franchise in a long time. The costume is one of the best in the franchise and I would gladly watch her in a spin-off movie.

Naomi Ackie as Jannah
There were a couple of fears online that Jannah would turn out to be either Lando’s daughter or related to Finn. I suppose this could be considered a spoiler, but she is neither. She is great character though that does have a connection to Finn’s past and I enjoyed watching Naomi bring this new character to life.

Richard E. Grant as Allegiant General Pryde
Another General (how many Generals does the First Order have or need). Richard E Grant is cold and calculating and thoroughly enjoyable to watch.

OTHER STUFF
The Score
This is the last Star Wars score we will ever get from John Williams. It is also rumoured that he will be retiring from making film scores entirely very soon. Anyone who appreciates his work knows how big a hole he will leave in cinema. He has given us so many iconic film scores over the decades. If this is to be his last ever film score then he will be going out on a high note. It’s takes a really special score in a movie for me to notice and notice I did. Thank you John Williams.

The Action
Space battles and lightsaber duels. A staple of the franchise. The lightsaber duels were good, although a little unimaginative. The space battles were good, but not outstanding. We’ve seen better in previous movies.

The CGI
If there is one thing that has been consistent with the Star Wars movies over the past four decades is that the CGI has always been engaging and groundbreaking. While in this current era of filmmaking being amazed by CGI is becoming increasing harder,. However, there is something almost magical about seeing it in a Star Wars movie. Another top notch effort from ILM.

The Pacing
Due to it being the end of a sage, and much like Avengers: End Game, it felt a little rushed in places, particularly at the beginning. But it soon settles down.

Other stuff
There are some nice (and unexpected cameos).
A new cute alien that beats the hell out of the porgs in the cuteness stakes.

FINAL VERDICT
The Skywalker saga is over and I already know that the people who did not like the previous movie will probably not like this one. Taken on it’s own merit, it is an enjoyable movie. As a culmination of a saga 42 years in the making, it doesn’t quite fully stick the landing, but is in no way an awful movie.

Run time - 2h 35m
Rotten Tomatoes critics score (at time of writing) - 59%
My Score: 7.2/10

MY MOVIE RATING SYSTEM
10- Citizen F*%king Kane (A+)
9- Bloody Great (A)
8- Really rather good (A-)
7- Pretty decent (B+)
6- Definitely above average (B)
5- Middle of the road average (C)
4- Mediocre (D)
3- Meh (E)
2- Crap (F)
1- Why the hell did I waste my time and money on this abomination (Unrated)