After four years, the latest Star Wars trilogy is finally coming to an end. While the death of major characters were expected, some were still shocking and others were difficult to accept. However, the real-life passing of original franchise star Carrie Fisher hit everyone hard as it meant she would never see the end of the series to which she was such an important contributor. Yet, General Leia Organa would still play a major role in the final chapter as the latest Skywalker saga comes to an end in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Having regrouped after the devastating attack on their fleet, the Resistance is relying on information from an Imperial spy to determine their next move. However, obtaining the intelligence requires Chewie (Joonas Suotamo), Finn (John Boyega) and Poe (Oscar Isaac) to fly dangerous missions throughout the galaxy, barely evading the First Order’s army. In the meantime, Rey (Daisy Ridley) is continuing her Jedi training with Leia (Fisher), though she’s often distracted by the mysteries of her past and Kylo Ren’s (Adam Driver) intrusions. Kylo is on his own dark quest to become the universe’s ultimate ruler by eliminating any threats to his leadership, which includes convincing Rey to sit next to him on the Supreme Leader’s throne.
With Disney announcing Star Wars will be taking a theatrical break, this film has the added duty of definitively wrapping up the Skywalker saga for the foreseeable future. Consequently, it needs to give audiences closure, and give each of the characters viewers have come to know and love over the past few years a fitting send-off. While everyone may not be happy about some of the trajectories, it all makes sense and fulfills its mandate of allowing audiences to leave the theatre without unanswered questions.
The film opens by catching up with each of the main characters, including two major action sequences as they try to complete some aspect of their mission. From a hyper-speed chase through the galaxy to a brutal ground battle that leaves the forest floor littered with casualties, the movie gets viewers’ hearts racing early on. With the final push by the First Order at hand, there are many more confrontations in this picture as everyone is on high alert and Resistance movement of any kind triggers a cavalry.
Several new personalities are also introduced throughout the picture, including a tiny, adorable alien mechanic named Babu Frik and a new, talking droid friend for BB-8 called D-O. While romance has been a low priority when compared to winning the war, there’s certainly some sparks flying between certain characters, especially in this episode as friendships are deepened, relationships are rekindled and flirtations are realized — though they’ve never really gone in for traditional fairy tale endings. New characters, however, continue to expand the universe, viewers’ understanding of it and the key personalities as they grow with each encounter.
While the plotlines aren’t really surprising, they’re not entirely predictable either. Some time before a major reveal, they begin dropping hints of what’s to come, which is a great way to engage discerning audiences while still delivering jaw-dropping reveals. There’s never going to be a way to make everyone happy — particularly when it comes to some character arcs and the marginalization of others — but this film does a pretty good job of giving the people what they want.
Nothing can prepare you for the end. See #StarWars: #TheRiseOfSkywalker now playing in theaters! Get tickets: pic.twitter.com/1PJaGOAnze
— Star Wars (@starwars) December 27, 2019
Director: J.J. Abrams
Starring: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Adam Driver
