Review - Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Spoiler Free)
by Mike Lunsford, Editor-In-Chief of the Great Geek Refuge
It’s finally here! Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is out in theaters! For some, this is a film that represents the culmination of a 42 year cinematic journey, the close of the Skywalker saga. For others, it’s a chance to show everyone how big a Star Wars fan they are by trashing all things Star Wars in their Disney-owned state. Regardless of how one feels about the film’s trajectory, this will easily be one of the biggest releases of 2019 and it’s only going to be out for 12 days in that calendar year. Needless to say, Star Wars is a big damn deal no matter what you may think about it.
The initial reviews have the movie sitting at a 58% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 6.9/10 on IMDB. This has caused many to wring their hands, gnash their teeth and wail uncontrollably for two vastly different reasons: it’s either a worry that the movie won’t live up to their expectations and they are now hesitant to go see it, or for the much more nefarious and gross-feeling response, it’s a “see? I told you so! Disney is ruining Star Wars!” After seeing this movie last night, I can confirm with 100% accuracy that people go into the new Star Wars movies with their arms crossed hoping to be disappointed. I’ve lamented this in articles past and voiced my frustration about those types of fans but I realized something last night: I don’t care about what they think anymore. I’m not going to waste any of my time or energy on trying to figure out why they hate something they claim to love, why they insist on complaining endlessly about tiny plot points or facets of the storyline that are ludicrous arguments. I don’t care why you hate it, I don’t care what issues you had, I don’t care that it’s “an abomination” or whatever other hyperbole you can come up with. I liked the damned movie and I will not waste another second of this review on feeding trolls.
As stated above, I really enjoyed this movie. It is a large serving of Star Wars lore, attempting to tie up 8 movies-worth of plot points and character arcs. There were times with this movie that it was almost too much, a bit of sensory overload. The movie moves at a breakneck speed and has our characters adventuring across the galaxy to finish the ultimate fight of good vs evil. This movie is still new, and unlike television, it’s not as accessible so I won’t do anything even resembling a spoiler for at least 2 weeks. Here’s a quick, non-spoiler synopsis:
The long-thought dead Emperor Palpatine announces his resurrection (or was never actually dead or whatever) through a galactic-wide broadcast. He intends to rule the galaxy again as the First Order transformed into the Final Order. He’s been pulling the strings all along! All the plot points from various books, comics, series, etc that alluded to the Imperial remnant going to the Unknown Regions to regroup after losing at the Battle of Endor was true and it was because the Emperor was there! It also answers where the First Order got all their tech: Uncle Sheev!
the guy had deep pockets for sure
But our stalwart Resistance heroes won’t allow that to happen! General Leia Organa and her new crew of Rey, Poe, Finn, Chewie, Rose, BB-8, R2-D2, and C-3PO lead a small group of freedom fighters as they try to put together a final assault to stop Palpatine and his evil machinations.
Along the way, the Resistance is able to gain a few more allies here and there as they try to find a way to Exegol, the secret Unknown Regions planet where Palpatine resides and is building his armada to take back control of the galaxy. All the while, there’s the constant question of the relationship of Kylo Ren and Rey. Will they remain adversaries? Was Kylo’s assessment of Rey’s parentage correct?
Will our heroes stop the reborn Emperor? Will they finally find peace? What about Kylo Ren? Will he remain a servant of evil? Is Rey on a dark path? How are they going to close this saga up in one movie?
As mentioned above, Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker is densely packed. There is a TON of story and a lot of assumed backstory. If you look away or have a conversation with someone for a brief moment, you might miss some facet or callback to films of the past. All that being said, it is not a difficult story to follow. The basic premise is still there and true to form with what Star Wars has always been about. The movie has classic characters, it has famous ships from previous films and cartoon series, there are references to concepts from video games and extended universe books, there’s even fan service to long-standing questions that go all the way back to the first Star Wars film ever, A New Hope.
Oscar Isaac is wonderful in this movie. He is charming, funny, and his arc as a character is fun. Adam Driver is given free rein to dominate the screen, which he does. His performance as the moody Kylo Ren/Ben Solo has been a treat to watch and comes to a natural culmination in this movie. Daisy Ridley fills the shoes of her predecessors and has a storyline that befits a heroic Jedi. To soothe some of the fears that I’m sure many had, the scenes with the late Carrie Fisher as General Leia Organa are natural. The use of CGI does not come off as odd or even noticeable (except in flashbacks where she looks younger…but duh, of course that’s CGI. And both her and Luke look awesome as their younger selves).
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is exactly what it should be for the final installment of a film franchise that has spanned 5 decades: epic, immense, and above all else, satisfying. Could it have been better? Sure, I suppose but that’s a subjective question, my biggest gripe is none of the lightsaber duels were anywhere on par with what we saw in the original trilogy or prequel.
Were there plot holes? Yeah, a few but what Star Wars movie doesn’t have those? I spent money to see this movie and didn’t feel cheated. I was thoroughly entertained and what else can you ask for from a film franchise that you’ve loved since you were in kindergarten?
I dreamed of the future exploits of Luke, Han, Leia, Chewie, Lando and the droids as a kid. We didn’t get a trilogy with those adventures, but we did see them pass the baton to a capable new generation of heroes who will make their own way in this galaxy far, far away.
