After decades of iconic Star Wars films, The Rise of Skywalker puts the beloved Skywalker Saga to rest. Starring Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, and more, director J.J. Abrams picks up the script where Rian Johnson left it with The Last Jedi. By the time you’ve read this, then chances are you have probably seen other reviews telling you this is a bad movie. Let me be the first to tell you, that if you love Star Wars like me, then you will like The Rise of Skywalker because at its core it is still a Star Wars film. The film certainly isn’t perfect, which I will further explain in this post, but the film is by no means terrible.
By the end of this film, I was left contemplating how different this movie might have been if Abrams had directed The Last Jedi, as I noticed some things I liked about Abram’s methods of storytelling. I apologize in advance for sounding vague, as I don’t want to spoil anything for you guys, however, Abrams made some very smart decisions with this film. I liked how he further developed the main characters, specifically Poe and Rey by telling us more about them through the lore of the film and their actions. For the most part, Abrams did a great job of answering a lot of the questions that Johnson left for fans in the last movie. The more I compare The Last Jedi to The Rise of Skywalker, the more I like TRoS and the less I like TLJ respectively. After watching episode nine, I wished that we could have seen the whole trilogy through the eyes of the same director, whether that had been Rian’s vision or Abrams’. I think Abrams’ storytelling methods are unique, and Johnson’s choice of shots and actions were what made TLJ enjoyable for me.
I can confidently tell you that every Star Wars film in the newest trilogy has had great action sequences and immersive worlds. TRoS introduces a few new settings that add to the lore of the film and set the tone of what it would feel like to visit these different planets. As for the action, there are a few high stakes situations that made me feel excited about what would happen next. I like that Rey has shown a clear improvement in her ability as a force user, and Poe and Finn’s gunslinging in the film is Western-Esque at times just like the older Star Wars films. There are certain showdowns between characters that will be memorable to people who watch this film, that I personally enjoyed.
Having only seen it a couple of days before writing this, I can’t say I have fully digested what Abrams created, but I can say I did enjoy it. The story, while bearing a few unanswered questions, felt very conclusive to me. The music was incredible once again, thanks to John Williams. All of the main characters went through some significant character development. And the lightsabers, blasters, and fighter craft really brought the action sequences together for me like they always have. Some of the things you will hear about this movie are probably true except for the people mercilessly bashing it because it didn’t end the way that they specifically wanted it to. My advice is to go see the movie with a few friends or family and delegate amongst yourselves and make your own opinion of it. All in all, there are a few areas where The Rise of Skywalker could have improved for me personally, but it still maintains solidity as a Star Wars movie nonetheless that fans should see.
May The Force Be With You
JJ King
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