** This is a Spoiler-Free Review.**
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is the final installment in the Skywalker saga. Beginning in 1977 as Star Wars (later retitled A New Hope), the saga has lasted 40 years and is now at its end. The question that’s on everyone’s mind is: Does The Rise of Skywalker succeed in finishing the story in a way that’ll make everyone happy?
The short answer is no. It’s a movie that takes risks and isn’t afraid to do things differently than before. It’s a movie that some will incessantly complain about while also exclaiming they don’t want a movie that plays it safe. Meanwhile, others will adore what’s before them.
The long answer, however, is much more complicated. The Rise of Skywalker features spectacular sequences, terrific twists and magical moments. It’s a fast-paced action spectacle that refuses to slow down. Eventually, when it takes a breather, there is a foreboding warning: the end is coming. There is a force that makes you not want to look away for the 2 hours 22-minute runtime.
After The Force Awakens being labeled “too safe” and The Last Jedi “too risk-taking” J.J. Abrams had a task ahead of himself to make a movie that somehow manages to sit right in the middle. There is nothing safe about The Rise of Skywalker, whether it’s in its plot, its characters or whatever is lurking around the corner.
Character moments are vital to a plot that you must pay attention to or lose what’s happening. Secrets are finally revealed and the fate of the Star Wars universe will never be the same again. To compare it to another Disney franchise that recently ended, Avengers: Endgame is a fool’s errand. They are entirely different movies, and yet both will leave you longing for a semblance of normalcy. They’ll also make you reach for the tissues.
With The Rise of Skywalker, Star Wars has come a long way since the introduction of Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa and Han Solo. Its very fabric evolves with the Prequels and the Sequels aren’t any different.
At its heart, The Rise of Skywalker is a story about love, about family and about never losing hope. It’s these three ideals that, in my opinion, makes Star Wars a timeless tale. Taking away the over-the-top weapons and the space fights, Star Wars truly is about the most basic of principles: love and hope conquers all.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker releases in the US on the 20th of December 2019. It’s currently playing in other parts of the world already. It’s the end of an era but remember: no-one’s ever really gone.
May the Force be with you.
