‘Star Wars Rise of Skywalker’ ends an era, will divide fans

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker has been billed as the closure of the Skywalker Saga and fans this weekend will finally get the bookend to close out a story which began in theaters in 1977.

The booming music sets up the notorious Star Wars scroll which essentially sets up the big plot point: Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) lives. Now Supreme Leader Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) seeks out the murder Palpatine to cement his power, but a massive fleet of Star Destroyers are revealed, giving Kylo a chance to rule the galaxy if…the BIG if, he can kill Rey (Daisy Ridley).

While Rey trains, Finn (John Boyega), Poe (Oscar Isaac) and Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) seek out an artifact believed to map out a path to find Palpatine and could set up a chance to stop the evil plot.

Director J.J. Abrams returns after directing Force Awakens before turning over the lead to Rian Johnson for Last Jedi. With that comes all of Abrams’  strengths and weaknesses.

The resulting Rise of Skywalker attempts to clean up some canon concerns created in Last Jedi, feed the insatiable fandom with several cameos and nods, as well as, an action-packed ride with a pretty weak and cheesy ending.

There will be NO MAJOR SPOILERS here, but some context must be added to discuss the film, respond accordingly.

Overall Rise of Skywalker is entertaining, will please most fans and kids.

Some fans, like those outraged and turned off by Last Jedi, will again find a ton of contrived moments that offer no payoff. For example, the emotional “sign off” from C-3PO as seen in the trailer/footage, is centered around a particular plot point, but the dramatic impact of the move is quickly sabotaged. The move, in hindsight, seems more like a created moment to introduce a “cute” character and help the Mouse House sell some toys/dolls.

The action sequence across the first act and into the second act feel like National Treasure, with the “artifact” switching and changing hands as a new robot (D-O) is added, audiences meet a love interest for Poe (Keri Russell’s Zorii Bliss), a shocking Chewbacca moment is undone and fans keep their “I-Spy” antenna up for the next nod to the uber-fan.

If Rise of Skywalker bombs, which is unlikely, I would join the call for Kathleen Kennedy to step aside. The new trilogy is weaker than expected, serving up big box office cash for Disney to overhaul their theme parks…but not much else.

Driver’s Kylo becomes a more tormented soul, but it’s never moving like Vader saving Luke. Rey reveals her fear (and her parentage), but never really “melts down” as a human would (remember Luke’s “NO!!!!”). Finn and Rose are still irrelevant and there is a ton of creative license with the force, what characters can NOW DO…way worse than Last Jedi, in my opinion.

Poe was enjoyable and grew as a character, but Keri Russell was wasted behind a mask. Maybe fans will get an “Adventures of Poe and Zorii Disney+ show) and Abrams pulled up short time and time again, toying with emotions over important moments.

Overall, Rise is fun, fast-paced, has some great lightsabers scenes, amazing CGI and DOES wrap up the Skywalker family tree…or so we are to believe today.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker earns 7 out of 10 stars

Being an uber-fan, it would be fair to say that is VERY SOFT 7, more like a 6.5, with casual fans NOT enjoying this film nearly as much as the “populace” fans and kids. Disney will cash in, make over $1.5 billion at the box office, sell toys and merch, while the die-hard fans will begin to wonder who should REALLY run Lucasfilm….Jon Favreau maybe.

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