FilmSnobReviews

Title: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Director: JJ Abrams
Starring: Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega
Runtime: 2 hr 22 mins

What It Is: The thrilling epilogue to the newest trilogy in George Lucas’ original 1977 sci-fi/fantasy juggernaut. This sees our hero Rey continuing her Jedi training. Meanwhile, the resistance is ongoing as a mysterious new threat forms right under their noses. Kylo Ren is also going through a crisis, but with the help of the Knights of Ren perhaps he can do what he initially wanted to…turn Rey to the dark side of the force.

What We Think: Oh boy! Let me start by saying I had no problem with Star Wars: The Last Jedi. It took chances that J.J. Abrams just wouldn’t. That was prevalent here. When you don’t take chances and fail to be compelling that’s a bigger sin then swinging for the fences and missing. Abrams completely tries to change Poe’s character it’s too late for that though. The ending is unsatisfying and filled to the brim with Deus Ex Machinas. Plot contrivances after plot contrivances made this too difficult to sit through. This was not Star Wars. It was some amalgam of what Disney thinks it should be. Some saccharin abomination disguised as what used to be a great franchise. Its fandom is certainly even worse.

Our Grade: C-, Mannnnnnn. I really thought J.J. could right the ship. Why did I think this? He’s not a risk-taker. He’s a yes man. The EXACT thing Disney should not have had helming the end of this. The script was a rushed mess and I cannot in good conscience recommend fan or non-fan of this franchise see this. If you are a fan I apologize this movie is so bad. If not for an enjoyable cast of characters, some already established and some new, this would be a HARD failure.