Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

• The final entry of the Skywalker saga. Dare I say, also the most divisive and controversial, and that’s not a secret. I, for one, have mixed feelings. I definitely wasn't a huge fan of it when it came out, and though it had hype moments, there didn’t seem to be much to actually chew up. This is the second time seeing it, six years and five months since I first saw it. I think I enjoyed it more the second time. However, I am in agreement with the majority consensus that it’s the worst Star Wars film. I don’t think it’s horrible, but it has a lot of room for improvement. For one thing, the writing is extremely sloppy and provides very little context for a lot of stuff. I think I enjoyed it more the second time because I know much more about Project Necromancer from ‘The Bad Batch’ and ‘The Mandalorian’.  When you have that info, this film makes more sense. However, at the time, it seemed like it played it very safe in terms of finale and villain. If you look at the chronological Star Wars timeline from start to finish (in terms of film and TV), the storyline can totally work. In this case, Disney just got scared and tried too hard to please the audience, rather than making something comprehensive. The first two acts seem very sludgy and tricky to get through. The third act is great in my eyes, with fun action sequences and some fan service moments that satisfy me. The dialogue, in sequel fashion, just feels out of place and dumbed down, much like some of the plot. Performances are the same as always. Visual effects were phenomenal, especially during the final battle. Williams' score is just poetry for the ears, and a good note to finish off his Star Wars stint. Visually, it’s a big step down from ‘The Last Jedi’, which is disappointing. It’s not bad, but can seem a bit bland at times. Overall, this is definitely the weakest and least exciting of all the Star Wars films, and not a super high note to end the saga on. It’s not bad, but it’s not great. However, if you’re well versed in Star Wars lore, it can still be enjoyable if you just figure stuff out for yourself. I would still recommend it to Star Wars fans, though most have probably taken it out of their headcanon.