The Rise of Skywalker: It’s All Over (For Now)

As the end credits rolled on Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker I thought, “Well, that was a Star Wars movie alright!” As I’ve mentioned in my reviews of the last two installments of this saga, I am a fairly clueless Star Wars watcher. I don’t remember anything that happened in any of the movies, apart from the famous bits that have been parodied so much in pop culture that they are seared into my brain. So, as always, if you’re looking for a detailed fan review, go elsewhere. All I can tell you is what I thought of this as a standalone movie.

It was fine. It was a sensory experience as all Star Wars movies are, and I will never fail to get goosebumps when the iconic John Williams score blares on screen at critical moments. Every single set piece was gorgeously shot and the action sequences are sublime. One that takes place against the backdrop of a roiling ocean is particularly thrilling and when you’re watching it on a giant screen in 3D, you cannot help but feel completely delighted by it all. This is a big budget film that knows exactly where to deploy all that budget: special effects and fight choreography. However, if you were expecting scintillating plot and character development, move along.

I legitimately laughed towards the end of the movie during a supposedly dramatic scene. Because it was so bizarre and melodramatic, and made me feel like I was watching a bad Bollywood film. Let’s just say you should be prepared for multiple deaths and fake outs, and for absolutely everything that happens to feel portended since the very first Star Wars movie came out. The movie feels exactly like the trilogies that came before, echoing the same structure and beats that made those other films so popular. It makes sense, why mess with a winning formula? But that’s precisely why this film has been getting some lackluster reviews. It's a vastly entertaining popcorn flick that showcases what wondrous things movie magic can create, but you’re not going to get any deeper emotional resonance or satisfaction.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker does exactly what it set out to do: wrap up this trilogy with a neat little bow and confirm that our heroes are heroic, their motivations are similar to all the Jedis before them, and that the Force continues to be strong with this franchise. As a JJ Abrams fan, I most enjoyed the fact that he continues to cast actors from his TV shows - it wouldn’t be a JJ Abrams film without Greg Grunberg popping in for a cameo. This movie will make a bazillion dollars, fan reactions will be polarized (I already have one friend who liked it and another who despised it), and then in a few years’ time, yet another trilogy will be announced and we’ll do this dance all over again. I’ll remember even less plot, but as long as they have that opening crawl and that Williams score, I’ll comfortably settle in and go along for the ride to a galaxy far, far away.