While all three entries of the original Star Wars trilogy were rife with production troubles, that for the prequels went far more smoothly, only for them to reemerge when Disney purchased Lucasfilm and the franchise, the spinoff films Rogue One and Solo bearing the brunt of said woes. After the wrap-up of The Last Jedi, actress Carrie Fisher suddenly died of heart problems that threw the production of Episode IX amiss, with Princess Leia's performer then set to have had a much bigger role in the Skywalker Saga's conclusion, coupled with writing and directing issues that would ultimately land J.J. Abrams, who handled The Force Awakens, back into the seat of the eventually-titled Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Starting with the opening crawl, Episode IX is rife with twists, beginning with the narrative of the sequel trilogy being Hijacked by Ganon in an announcement to the series' nameless galaxy that was initially only available to players of Fortnite, but would luckily and eventually become viewable on YouTube. Many critics and fans would say that such a proclamation was unlike said character, but I disagree, given prior events in the series. Debate would also arise as to how said adversary would return, but those familiar with the franchise's mythos will likely be aware of how it was possible, which most mainstream moviegoers admittedly won't fully comprehend, and is perhaps one of the main issues with the film.
The movie proper opens with Kylo Ren finding a Sith wayfinder leading to the planet Exegol, where he finds said chessmaster of the sequel trilogy, plotting to take over the galaxy in a command termed the Final Order and ordering the leader of the Knights of Ren to kill Rey, currently training under Resistance leader Leia Organa. Poe Dameron and Finn reveal this intel from a First Order spy, with their next destination being the desert planet Pasaana to find another wayfinder that can lead to Exegol. Kylo reconnects with Rey to track her location, with a dagger inscribed with Sith text discovered that C-3PO can't decode due to certain programming protocols.
The Sith text is soon extracted on the planet Kijimi at the expense of Threepio's memory, with his reset providing some comic relief as the film progresses, along with other witty banter, similar to previous entries of the sequel trilogy. Revelations about Rey's lineage and the First Order spy abound, following which is a trip to the Endor system and a final showdown between Rey and Kylo Ren. A few surprises come afterward, involving Kylo's tear between the light and dark sides of the Force, and the ultimate villain himself confronted, the episode title explained at the very end.
Overall, I found The Rise of Skywalker to be a nice conclusion to the Skywalker Saga, which, despite Carrie Fisher's death prior to the film, hardly seemed to be a case of Real Life Writes the Plot aside from the chronological gap between the original and sequel trilogies. The narrative is cohesive and rife with twists, the visual effects and soundtrack are up to the franchise's high standards, the acting is superb, and the dialogue is intelligent and witty. However, those unfamiliar with the franchise likely won't understand certain plot points key to the said narrative hijacking, but as a longtime observer of the series, I enjoyed the film and will continue to give attention to the legendary saga for the foreseeable future.
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| The Bottom Line | |
| A superb conclusion to the Skywalker Saga. | |
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