Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (4/5) – Movie Review

STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER is the last movie in the latest Star Wars trilogy and also the epic finale of an era. There is a lot of fanservice in this ending – and I love it! Read more about the movie in our spoiler-free The Rise of Skywalker review here!

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is the epic ending of an era. First, it is, of course, the final movie in the latest Star Wars trilogy featuring Rey (Daisy Ridley). But to a lot of us, it’s about wrapping up a story that has played out over decades. I was born in 1979 so I’ve never known a world without Star Wars, Jedis and the force.

With The Rise of Skywalker, we’re saying a beautiful goodbye to a beloved universe. And yes, there is a lot of fanservice in this movie. But, to me, that’s to be expected and I absolutely love it. Sure, some elements are more elegant than others but I wouldn’t have wanted to leave a single thing out. 

Continue reading our spoiler-free Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker review below.

A goodbye to Leia and Carrie Fisher

There is no doubt that Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker would probably have been a very different story if Carrie Fisher was still alive. Her tragic and untimely death during the making of this trilogy has had quite an impact on the plot. Also, you’ll probably watch scenes in this final Star Wars movie and wonder maybe it was supposed to have featured Carrie Fisher.

It does seem that some “magic” has been applied in a few scenes, but mostly, the filmmakers have worked with what they had. 

Overall, The Rise of Skywalker is a beautiful goodbye to a beloved character and actor. Leia was a princess first and then a general. Through Carrie Fisher (both her acting and story input), she became iconic. And her legacy with Leia’s storyline in this trilogy is a perfect ending. The final goodbye feels right in so many ways – and should draw tears from many viewers!

Also, without giving away spoilers, I can confirm that many beloved characters and wonderful references are part of this final movie. Sometimes it’s done perfectly and elegantly. At other points, it’s definitely mostly fanservice.

To that I say; I see your fanservice, J.J. Abrams, and I thank you!

A hero for the next generation

I was at Disneyland just over a month ago and spent quite a lot of time in the Star Wars area. Watching little girls dressed up as Rey (and a few boys for that matter) says so much about the importance of the Rey character. Sure, I grew up with Leia being a badass, but mostly she’s remembered for her hairstyle and a gold bikini. This will never be Rey’s legacy.

Instead, Rey is the best warrior (male or female) and the person fighting for all that is good. Also, yes, she struggles with the pull of the dark side. This is not new to the Star Wars universe, of course. It’s basically the main plot of every single movie in the cinematic Star Wars universe. But it is something new for a female lead character!

I can only imagine that Carrie Fisher would be immensely proud of how this final Star Wars movie turned out. And especially the story of Rey and the legacy of both Rey and Leia.

Daisy Ridley is so amazing as Rey. Both as a warrior and as a person with her inner demons and battles. Yes, we do find out where Rey comes from and who her family was. No, I will not reveal it here. You really don’t want to find out by reading it somewhere. Or rather, if you do, then you’re probably not a Star Wars fan and you can go read spoilers somewhere else!

The epic finale – with both good and bad

Also, for the record, while I love this movie as both an ending to the latest trilogy and the Star Wars cinematic universe, there are elements to the story that I am not a fan of. Especially towards the very end. Certain moments will make some cheer and others boo. Probably in a very literal sense!

However, I do also really love the very final parts of the story, so I am willing to look beyond the elements that I don’t like. And, frankly, don’t understand. Yes, I can manage to look beyond something I don’t like and still enjoy the whole thing. Something other people have been struggling with when watching the latest trilogy.

The one spoilery thing, I will give away, is that there is some LGBT representation in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. It’s not a huge thing, but it is very much front and center and it’s a very positive thing! This has already been teased/revealed so it’s not much of a spoiler. I just wanted to mention it since representation matters and this was actually pretty damn cool.

Oh yes, the force is strong with this final Star Wars movie in many ways!

Hurry up and watch Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

There is no doubt that spoilers from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will be out as quickly as the movie is released. For the record, those sharing spoilers are definitely part of the dark force and should be ignored. Do yourself a favor and go watch The Rise of Skywalker as soon as you possible can.

The whole “Darth Vader is Luke’s father” plot twist from the original trilogy has become a running spoiler-joke. However, be warned, this final Star Wars movie does also have some major twists. Obviously, there will be lots of spoilers coming out quickly, but the movie is so much better if you just learn the story as the filmmakers intended.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is out in theaters from December 18, 2019 in some countries, December 19 in the UK and December 20 in the US.

Details

Director: J.J. Abrams
Stars: Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Anthony Daniels, Naomi Ackie, Domhnall Gleeson, Richard E. Grant, Lupita Nyong’o, Keri Russell, Joonas Suotamo, Kelly Marie Tran og Billy Dee Williams