A flawed but spectacular, crowd-pleasing finale

Arriving 42-and-a-half years after George Lucas' Star Wars changed the face of cinema back in 1977, 2019's Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker concludes the nine-film Skywalker Saga, with J.J. Abrams (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) returning as co-writer and director. Added to the burden of concluding this culturally significant saga, The Rise of Skywalker also endures the weight of following the most polarising Star Wars film to date: Rian Johnson's Star Wars: The Last Jedi. With the recent increase and popularisation of Star Wars hatred in the shadow of The Last Jedi, objectivity is now borderline impossible. Nevertheless, for my money, The Rise of Skywalker is a spectacular, crowd-pleasing finale which complements the previous two films and successfully ties into the original trilogy. Although messy from a story perspective, Abrams' spirited direction compensates for many of the picture's shortcomings, as the filmmaker packs The Rise of Skywalker with battles, lightsabers, fan service and emotion, sending off the saga on a satisfying high. In spite of its flaws, it works.

Picking up an unspecified amount of time after the events of The Last Jedi, Rey (Daisy Ridley) is close to completing her Jedi training under General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher), though she is unable to connect with previous generations of Jedi. Meanwhile, Finn (John Boyega) and Poe (Oscar Isaac) receive intel that Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) is still alive on the uncharted planet of Exegol, a.k.a. the Sith homeworld. Following a mysterious communication from Palpatine, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) travels to Exegol where the powerful Sith Lord has secretly amassed an immense fleet of Star Destroyers with planet-destroying canons, which constitute the Final Order. With Palpatine's plan threatening the entire galaxy, and with Kylo closing in on the waning Resistance, Rey sets out with Finn, Poe, Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) and C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) to find the Sith Wayfinder device, an ancient navigational tool which will lead them to Exegol.

Before the release of The Force Awakens in 2015, Colin Trevorrow (Jurassic World) was given the reigns of Episode IX, which he began to co-write with Derek Connolly. However, creative differences between Trevorrow and Lucasfilm ended their collaboration, and Abrams was hired a week later to devise this concluding chapter. Abrams is a sublime visual stylist but not a great screenwriter, and The Rise of Skywalker further demonstrates this. Whereas The Force Awakens distinctly benefitted from Lawrence Kasdan's contributions, Abrams co-wrote this saga closer with Chris Terrio, late of the critically mauled Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League. (Terrio's Oscar-winning Argo screenplay seems like a fluke at this point.) Therefore, The Rise of Skywalker is undeniably messy, giving Snoke a vague backstory, never adequately clarifying Palpatine's return, leaving unanswered questions about the Knights of Ren, and never revealing the logistics behind the creation of Palpatine's immense fleet. Then again, this is a fantasy franchise which does not necessarily need to perfectly clarify everything. Plus, any unanswered questions or indistinct plot points will surely receive further attention in novelisations, TV shows and comic books within the next five years.

Eschewing a rehash of any previous Star Wars adventure, The Rise of Skywalker's plot involves a MacGuffin hunt across the galaxy, which represents a refreshing change of pace for the long-running series. Additionally, under Abrams' direction, this escapade really moves, evoking the pronounced breathlessness of The Force Awakens as the characters travel from one location to the next, experiencing conflicts at every turn. Narratively, this is the busiest Star Wars movie to date, working through what should have been two film's worth of plot. Consequently, this is the least confident and considered instalment in the new trilogy, and there is not enough narrative breathing room, resulting in glorified cameos for actors like Dominic Monaghan and even Billy Dee Williams, who returns as Lando. Furthermore, The Rise of Skywalker is the only Star Wars film so far to not begin with a proper scene; instead, a battle montage opens the picture, and Abrams scarcely stops to take a breath as he works through the intimidatingly large narrative while preserving a manageable runtime. As a result, Episode IX feels choppy during its opening act in particular, and it takes around half an hour to get in tune with the movie properly. With editors Maryann Brandon and Stefan Grube minimising downtime between the set-pieces, one must wonder how much material did not make the final cut. An extended edition with an Avengers: Endgame-sized runtime is an enticing prospect, though one may never materialise.

The most effective narrative constituent of Episode IX is Rey and Kylo's relationship. Their minds remain bridged due to a dyad in the Force, and they both believe that they can turn the other to their respective side. Compelling, emotionally charged conflicts between the pair pepper the film, including the much-publicised battle atop the Death Star wreckage, while the ultimate dénouement is satisfying and, to an extent, unexpected. Kylo/Ben Solo is the most interesting character in this new trilogy, essentially embodying whiney Star Wars fanboys who yearn for a bygone era, and violently lash out when things do not go their own way. Also, since Kylo could never live up to the unfiltered badassery of Darth Vader (as much as the character tries, in a sly meta touch), his conflicted nature is more pronounced, leading to some genuinely emotional scenes. Additionally, while Abrams does dial back the humour glimpsed in The Last Jedi, there are amusing moments throughout this instalment, serving to augment the film's sense of humanity. However, several beats during the obligatory ending celebration sequence are odd, including an awkward (and somewhat creepy) moment between Lando and Jannah (Naomi Ackie), an out-of-nowhere same-sex kiss, and Maz Kanata (Lupita Nyong'o) giving Chewbacca one of the medals from the last scene of A New Hope, after he legendarily missed out back in 1977.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, there is a sense that Abrams and Terrio desired to "fix" certain facets of The Last Jedi's outside-the-box tampering. This results in a lack of cohesiveness in some respects, reflecting the absence of concrete planning at the outset of this trilogy. But then again, the original Star Wars trilogy was equally spontaneous, leading to the controversial Luke and Leia kiss before the reveal that the pair are siblings. Hell, the twist that Darth Vader is Luke's father retcons much of the background information from A New Hope, leading Obi-Wan Kenobi to simply say that he lied. In this way, The Rise of Skywalker is true to the spirit of the sacred original trilogy. Besides, Fisher's passing would have surely negated any existing road map for Episode IX. Moreover, a thematic through-line does underpin this sequel trilogy: breaking free of the expectations of legacy. For instance, Finn refuses to be a stormtrooper, Kylo rejects being a Jedi and refuses to be a pawn who answers to a higher power, Luke flees in shame after failing to recreate the Jedi Order's legacy, and Poe joins the Resistance to escape his origins as a criminal. Such thematic material ties into this sequel trilogy's underlying meta-narrative about a new generation inheriting Star Wars: the new characters worship the old characters, the First Order tries too hard to replicate the Empire, and Kylo Ren strives to be Darth Vader.

With such a large budget, and considering the production's significance, a level of competency is a perpetual given with each new Star Wars entry, and Episode IX does not disappoint in this respect. Despite doomsday warnings from online forums circulating rumours about substantial reshoots at the eleventh hour, The Rise of Skywalker is a visual stunner beset with exciting set-pieces. Abrams once again harkens back to the original trilogy through a traditional filmmaking approach - cinematographer Dan Mindel (The Force Awakens) shoots on 35mm film, and the movie heavily relies on make-up, animatronics and sets, while CGI augments the fantastical illusions. The use of practical models is evident, as ships like the Millennium Falcon often look tangible, creating a realistic aesthetic as opposed to the phoney digital overload of the prequels. At times, it's genuinely difficult to discern where the CGI takes over from the sets, models, miniatures, and practical effects. In terms of the creatures, the standout here is the endearing Babu Frik (voiced by Shirley Henderson), who is a practical creation. In addition, this is reportedly John Williams' final Star Wars score, and the veteran composer's contributions are invaluable. Reintroducing recognisable cues and composing original material, Williams' score is majestic and exciting.

Working around Fisher's premature death, Abrams dusts off unused footage from the previous two films to integrate General Leia into this concluding instalment, paying tribute to our beloved Princess and saying a poignant goodbye. Fisher appears to interact with her co-stars so naturally, with measured expressions and line delivery. The seams are invisible, resulting in the most successful and cohesive post-mortem performance in film history (which is admittedly a low bar to clear). Additionally, The Rise of Skywalker brings back the always-charismatic Billy Dee Williams for the first time since Return of the Jedi in 1983, while McDiarmid effortlessly slips back into the role of Emperor Palpatine. Abrams minimises Kelly Marie Tran's presence here, which is a benefit since her role of Rose is the least interesting character of this sequel trilogy. Enough characters are competing for screen-time already, with the main quest even involving C-3PO and Chewbacca; therefore, Rose is better-served as a minor part of the ensemble. The main cast again brings their 'A' game to the material, with Ridley and Driver ably handling complex emotional material, while Isaac oozes movie-star charisma in every frame. Richard E. Grant also makes a positive impression as a First Order General, a role which demands exaggerated villainy through a British accent. Another newcomer is Keri Russell (late of Abrams' Felicity), who's a fine addition as a feisty former criminal companion of Poe's. Abrams also brings back several recognisable actors through vocal cameos, in a superb fan service moment. There are other effective cameos to boot, including the return of Denis Lawson as Wedge Antilles (in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it shot), while Abrams himself voices a new droid, as well.

Even though The Rise of Skywalker is more coherent than anticipated (considering the rumours of reshoots and studio meddling), it nevertheless feels as if a chorus line of internet forum users contributed to the screenplay, with Abrams and Terrio trying to tick as many boxes as possible - and more than likely did at least take a cursory glance at online chatter. In comparison, The Last Jedi is undoubtedly a more consistent vision, but the incendiary reaction to that instalment ruined any possibility for a more daring, unexpected finale for the Skywalker Saga. Whereas Johnson favoured a more dramatic tone, The Rise of Skywalker is pure escapism for the fans, delivering a surface-level sugar rush with the benefit of an immense budget, and it hits its mark. It's an imperfect assembly of puzzle pieces, and Abrams deserves credit for keeping the story involving and the energy levels high, creating a highly successful blockbuster under unenviable circumstances. Armchair critics can continue to nitpick, but if the same level of scrutinous analysis was applied to the original Star Wars trilogy, it would also fall apart.