Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker review

[fardell24]

Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker
The Ninth Star Wars film in the 'Skywalker Saga'. Is it good? Is it a satisfying conclusion? Is it a mess? Yes. It is rather messy, with plotlines given barely room to breathe. Mostly the first half, not only associated with the Leia scenes, but that repurposing contributed to the plotting and pacing issues. The effect is, the film is less enjoyable than it would otherwise have been. Still enjoyable not not as satisfying as one would like it to have been. From the first scene with Kylo Ren discovering Palpatine at Exogol, the plot is understandable, but jumps all over the place.
Like what Poe does with the Falcon after escaping from the ice base. An interesting scene, showing the Falcon's resilience at doing things it wasn't designed for. Like this film trying to finish this trilogy with two very different earlier entries. A spy in the First Order, who would have thought. But more on that below. Jumping into hyperspace without calculations, but TIEs somehow following? Of course, the Falcon's on fire when it returns to the Resistance base. Does this film flame out from this start?
No. It's an effective use of Finn, Poe and Chewbacca. Rey does chew them out for abusing the Falcon in that manner. Hyper-skimming. Leia training Rey. While Leia used the Force to save herself in the previous film, there was no indication that she had trained as a Jedi. More about Leia, below. But Rey. She is training, but something is off. She wants to push herself, but she's afraid, because of the connection with Kylo in the previous film. However information that First Order Spy had given them, leads to the next act...
A Fetch Quest. To find a Wayfinder/Holocron, so they can find the way to Exogol. Of course a lot happens. However, it is a well written and enjoyable fetch quest, so there's that. The drama of C-3PO not being able to translate the dagger, was done rather well. The same for when Chewbecca is captured by the First Order. And also for the confrontation between Rey and Kylo that ensues. (But where was Chewie's ship?) They then have to go find a 'Droid Smith' to retrieve the translation from Threepio's forbidden memory store.
This part of the film is rather well done. The scenes on Kijimi were done rather well also, not as messy as the earlier stages. Zorrii Bliss is an interesting character. The next fight between Rey and Kylo was well done too. (Rey as Palpatine's granddaughter? It works, and helps to set up the conclusion.) Rescuing Chewie and the Falcon were done well also. (Hux as the spy, that works also.) The dagger text they are able to retrieve from the wiped C-3PO leads them to Endor. (More defected Stormtroopers. A cool development.)
Rey steals a boat, skiff, to go the ruins of the Second Death Star. She finds the Wayfinder/Holocron, but Kylo is there also. This confrontation was also done really well. Interesting redemption. Han Solo, being remembered by Kylo, now Ben again was a very good scene. However, Rey runs off in Kylo's ship... And at the same time, Leia dies. (How? Like her mother? A dangerous Force techique?) She goes to Ach-to... However the First Order is moving, and it is revealed that the new fleet all have planet destroying weapons.
Like what? Luke appearing and getting Rey to come to her senses was also done rather well. But Leia had a lightsaber? Cool, I guess. But it works, especially when she goes to Exogol. It all comes down to confronting the First Order and Palpatine at Exogol. The overall battle was overambitious, but it worked. Rey and Ben fighting Palpatine was a good portion of that Battle. Besides. “I am all the Sith.” “And I am all the Jedi.” Obviously Palpatine is defeated. However, Rey ending up on Tatooine, and taking the Skywalker name?
Certainly an interesting ending, with the yellow saber, and the twin suns... Overall it was a good movie, even if it wasn't as satisfying as I thought it would be. Nor was it as good as the the previous installment. 8.75/10.