Skywalker Rises, But How Far? The Spoiler-Free Review!

Here we are at the end of another year, another decade, and oh yeah … another Star Wars movie. To say that the fanbase for this franchise has led to some divisive discussions in the past 20 years might be a gross understatement, especially since it was absorbed by the empire, err, Walt Disney Company.

And now we have reached the end of one of the franchise’s most beloved story arcs in Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker. Does it restore balance to the franchise or crash and burn like Alderaan? Find out in this spoiler-free review.

In The Rise of Skywalker, the surviving Resistance faces the First Order once more as Rey, Finn and Poe Dameron’s journey continues as does that of Kylo Ren. With the power and knowledge of generations behind them, the final battle commences.

The story started out strong with an epic dog fight, however after that fight there is an endless amount of questions raised. Plot points are introduced in The Rise of Skywalker that make absolutely no sense in the broader scope of the Star Wars canon. Say what you will about the direction that Rian Johnson took the franchise in The Last Jedi, but at least he could tell a coherent story. J.J. Abrams definitely missed the mark this time. It seems as though he was trying way too hard to please everyone with this swan song to the Skywalker saga.

I definitely enjoyed the action, and even some of the fan service — like the return of Lando Calrissian — and I nearly teared up with how they handled the late great Carrie Fisher. I could not have asked for a better sendoff.

Positives aside, I am a bit disappointed with the final product. The Rise of Skywalker reeks of playing it safe and I while I do recommend watching it once to see what all the fuss is about, keep your expectations low. This trilogy went out on a massive whimper.

I give Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (Lucasfilm, PG-13, 2hrs 21mins) a 2.5 out of 5.

Happy Holidays, Nerd Caliber fam! (Ed. Note: Stay tuned for a spoiler-filled review from Kathryn Chinetti coming soon.)