A Reel Review - STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER

THE RISE OF SKYWALKER is a film with a lot to do. As a trilogy finale, it has to wrap up storylines which began in THE FORCE AWAKENS (2015), and THE LAST JEDI (2017), along with the heavy burden of ending the Skywalker Saga, which began with the original STAR WARS in 1977. There are literally several generations spanned out over decades to take care of, both in the film and in audiences…a behemoth task for any filmmaker. 

The dead speak! The galaxy is receiving transmissions from the long-thought-dead Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), who has been building an army in secret for decades. Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), the new Supreme Leader of the First Order, seeks out the source of the transmission to preserve his power. Meanwhile, Rey (Daisy Ridley), continues her training in the ways of the Force under the guidance of General Leia (Carrie Fisher), before heading out on a mission with her friends Poe (Oscar Isaac), and Finn (John Boyega), to end the new threat and the war. 

 Similar to the Original Trilogy of STAR WARS, the first film in this Sequel Trilogy, THE FORCE AWAKENS, was a hot-rod of a movie that zipped from place to place. The second film, THE LAST JEDI, slowed things down and dug into its characters. Director J.J. Abrams, returning to the director’s chair for the first time since AWAKENS, embraces the style of that first film…as SKYWALKER opens with a blistering pace. The early goings of the film have Rey, Finn, and Poe…along with loyal comrades Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo), C-3P0 (Anthony Daniels), and the never-to-be-underestimated droid BB-8 on a mission to find clues to the location of the planet Exogol, the assumed location of Palpatine and the home to an ancient Sith temple. During the first hour or so, the film blasts along from planet to planet, while our characters are chased down by the First Order and go from one chase scene to a fight to another at light-speed pace. It’s almost too fast, as we can barely register what just happened before the film moves on to another. 

Eventually things settle down and SKYWALKER finds time to dig in. Long-awaited revelations of secrets and mysteries arrive through the course of the film, including Rey’s birthright, the origin of Kylo’s dead master Snoke, along with a few more surprises. There are twists and turns and a few shocks, with established characters saying goodbye and others switching allegiances. There’s a lot going on, but Abrams finds balance through it all and lets the main characters have their moments. 

The main characters of Rey, Finn, and Poe spend most of the film together, and the chemistry and banter between the trio drives the film. There is a lot of spectacle going on, but it becomes character-driven which is welcome. The spectacle of space battles, lightsaber duels, desert chases, and rescue attempts is breathtakingly fun, and the film embraces a lot of what made STAR WARS so endearing in the first place. The visual effects are stunning, and John Williams’ score once again excellent. 

Acting is superb. Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver get the most heavy-lifting and both are a joy to watch. Carrie Fisher, who passed away before filming began, is brought back through un-used FORCE AWAKENS footage, and her scenes are flawless as we get a proper goodbye to her character. Billy Dee Williams returns as the beloved Lando, and he takes on a mentor role that anchors many of the characters. Ian McDiarmid is creepy as ever. 

The final battle is done on a massive scale, with fights in the air and on the ground as Rey faces final temptation from the ultimate evil. By the time the final explosion happens our heads are certainly swimming, but Abrams then goes for a quiet ending by bringing things back to where it all began for an emotional wrap…a wrap that effectively ends this new trilogy and the Skywalker Saga in a satisfying way. There are a lot of themes at work here; loyalty and lineage for starters, but the most powerful element is that of love. Years ago, it was Darth Vader’s love for his children that brought him back from the Dark Side, and here it is Rey’s love for her friends that helps her to resist. Fitting, because there is a lot to love in SKYWALKER. 

BOTTOM LINE: See it