The Rise Of Skywalker Review

Writer/director J.J Abrams's conclusion to one of the most iconic sagas in cinema history, Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker, is an irritating and disastrously paced film that lacks imagination. An abysmally structured plot is condensed frustratingly around pointless action sequences and cliché elements that hold little weight. At the same time, the script and delivery of dialogue by many of the cast is incredibly bland and borderline idiotic. The exhaustingly formulaic plot points and themes that have begun to define the new generation of the saga are presented in a way that is both uninteresting and confusing from a narrative standpoint. J.J Abrams and co-writer Chris Terrio insist on beating the audience over the head with an array of narratives that come together to create an incredibly incohesive and sloppy odyssey. Failing drastically as the fitting send off to a celebrated collection of films and further proving Disney's unorganized handling of the creative property.

When the Resistance discovers that the sinister Dark Lord Palpatine is still alive and forming an immense army that he calls the Last Order, it’s up to Rey, Finn, and Poe to discover the whereabouts of Palpatine to destroy him and save the galaxy from destruction and disarray. But Rey’s journey to her inevitable confrontation with Palpatine and Kylo Ren begins to reveal answers about her past that forces her to question who she is entirely.

The plethora of issues that plague The Rise Of Skywalker mainly reside in its overwhelming and underdeveloped screenplay and direction. From a visual standpoint, much of the film's nearly $300 million budget is used impeccably to craft vast CGI sequences that have a transparent stylistic approach and clarity that can be enjoyable if those are not paying attention to much of the films hollow purpose. But The Rise Of Skywalker rarely capitalizes on its captivating visuals, insisting on becoming a film that's stylistic with no substance.

The obvious overcompensation deeply embedded within much of the film's storytelling becomes in your face and hard to ignore. Fan service and callback's become uncreative, careless, and uninspired. The entire pacing and structure of the film relies too heavily on the group of protagonists figuring out where they need to go without any explanation or believable level of suspense. The complete lack of conflict and competence instilled within Abrams's narrative becomes exhausting quickly, leading the film to offer little more than some visually resonant action sequences that feature minimal emotional depth.

Overall, the structural and unoriginal mess of The Rise Of Skywalkers' narrative leaves many blatant plot holes, underwhelming character arcs, and questionable moments. Yet, perhaps the biggest issue of the film lies in how exhausted the ideas, and thematic elements of the universe have begun to feel. Since Disney's acquisition of Star Wars, the studio has done little to challenge the normalities and formulaic approaches that have begun to exploit the limitedness of the franchise — ultimately creating an underwhelming and frantic send-off that's unfitting for the legacy of Star Wars.

An abysmal script and story structure filled with dreadful dialogue and a lack of legitimate conflict conclusively hinder the stunning visuals and occasional enjoyment of The Rise Of Skywalker.

Produced By: Disney
Runtime: 155 minutes
Rating: PG-13